Call number
BIO PAG
Collections
Publication
Flatiron Books (2023), 288 pages
Description
"The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his truth. "Can I kiss you?" It was two months before the world premiere of Juno, and Elliot Page was in his first ever queer bar. The hot summer air hung heavy around him as he looked at her. And then it happened. In front of everyone. A previously unfathomable experience. Here he was on the precipice of discovering himself as a queer person, as a trans person. Getting closer to his desires, his dreams, himself, without the repression he'd carried for so long. But for Elliot, two steps forward had always come with one step back. With Juno's massive success, Elliot became one of the world's most beloved actors. His dreams were coming true, but the pressure to perform suffocated him. He was forced to play the part of the glossy young starlet, a role that made his skin crawl, on and off set. The career that had been an escape out of his reality and into a world of imagination was suddenly a nightmare. As he navigated criticism and abuse from some of the most powerful people in Hollywood, a past that snapped at his heels, and a society dead set on forcing him into a binary, Elliot often stayed silent, unsure of what to do, until enough was enough. Full of behind the scenes details and intimate interrogations on sex, love, trauma, and Hollywood, Pageboy is the story of a life pushed to the brink. But at its core, this beautifully written, winding journey of what it means to untangle ourselves from the expectations of others is an ode to stepping into who we truly are with defiance, strength, and joy"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member ASKelmore
Best for:
Those interested in a very intimate look into the life of a queer actor.
In a nutshell:
Author Page shares their journey as an actor who has come out as gay and then as trans.
Worth quoting:
N/A (audio book)
Why I chose it:
I wanted to hear Page’s story through their own words, and not an
What it left me feeling:
A lot.
Review:
CN for hate crimes, sexual abuse, sexual harassment
I’m so happy that Page had this opportunity to tell their story, but I cannot say that this was a book that I enjoyed reading. It felt more personal that the usual memoir (and I’ve read literally dozens of memoirs, so I am familiar with the range of what is usually shared), and there were aspects of it that were so very graphic. I absolutely appreciate and understand that Page’s sexual relationships with others have been critical in their journey, but I don’t really ever want to read graphic sex scenes in any book — memoir, fiction, non-fiction (also film and TV - and I know that’s a me thing). So to have multiple such stories in a book made it challenging for me. I stopped and briefly considered just not finishing it, but between those graphic bits there was so much that Page shared that I felt like I almost owed it to their experience to finish it.
Page has experienced a lot of trauma in their life - from people in Hollywood, from strangers on the street, from their own family members. It’s frankly amazing to think that they were able to find the strength to be who they are, given how publicly they lived their experiences. They discuss their closeted relationships with other women when Page was still perceived as a woman, then publicly being out as gay when so many people feel the need to comment on the sexuality of others (including a priest who passed them an inappropriate note on a plane), and then publicly transitioning to a trans man. It’s a lot for anyone, and Page has managed to come through it strong. They shared so many stories of things that impacted their dysphoria that I’d never thought of, like the costumes they were required to wear in films.
I did find it hard to follow the time line of their life, as Page tells their stories in a narrative order that makes sense for them and their journey, but that isn’t linear. I’m not overly familiar with their work, so references to films and TV I think probably make it easier to follow for people who do know their work well.
Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it
Those interested in a very intimate look into the life of a queer actor.
In a nutshell:
Author Page shares their journey as an actor who has come out as gay and then as trans.
Worth quoting:
N/A (audio book)
Why I chose it:
I wanted to hear Page’s story through their own words, and not an
Show More
interpretation via the media.What it left me feeling:
A lot.
Review:
CN for hate crimes, sexual abuse, sexual harassment
I’m so happy that Page had this opportunity to tell their story, but I cannot say that this was a book that I enjoyed reading. It felt more personal that the usual memoir (and I’ve read literally dozens of memoirs, so I am familiar with the range of what is usually shared), and there were aspects of it that were so very graphic. I absolutely appreciate and understand that Page’s sexual relationships with others have been critical in their journey, but I don’t really ever want to read graphic sex scenes in any book — memoir, fiction, non-fiction (also film and TV - and I know that’s a me thing). So to have multiple such stories in a book made it challenging for me. I stopped and briefly considered just not finishing it, but between those graphic bits there was so much that Page shared that I felt like I almost owed it to their experience to finish it.
Page has experienced a lot of trauma in their life - from people in Hollywood, from strangers on the street, from their own family members. It’s frankly amazing to think that they were able to find the strength to be who they are, given how publicly they lived their experiences. They discuss their closeted relationships with other women when Page was still perceived as a woman, then publicly being out as gay when so many people feel the need to comment on the sexuality of others (including a priest who passed them an inappropriate note on a plane), and then publicly transitioning to a trans man. It’s a lot for anyone, and Page has managed to come through it strong. They shared so many stories of things that impacted their dysphoria that I’d never thought of, like the costumes they were required to wear in films.
I did find it hard to follow the time line of their life, as Page tells their stories in a narrative order that makes sense for them and their journey, but that isn’t linear. I’m not overly familiar with their work, so references to films and TV I think probably make it easier to follow for people who do know their work well.
Recommend to a Friend / Keep / Donate it / Toss it:
Donate it
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LibraryThing member spinsterrevival
The narrative style of this memoir does a serious disservice to Page’s story, and it’s disappointing as he has so much to share and get his journey down on the page. I wonder if I would feel differently if these essays were set chronologically, but at least I’d have been able to follow along
Note that there’s an extreme amount of trauma here including tons of homophobia as Page spent the majority of his life living as a closeted lesbian. I think what’s very odd here is that he doesn’t seem to have any self-reflection happening about his experiences, and I guess that’s something that I need out of a memoir as this did not work for me at all. The wretched people (with very few exceptions) that swirled around his life were a rough read; and although he does seem to have reached a point of joy for himself now, it still doesn’t feel as though enough self-awareness has settled in.
For my own self-reflection so I don’t forget: I apparently am not a fan of hearing about so many relationships; there’s definitely some weird irony here considering that my fiction reading consists only of romance, but in this case it just felt like a revolving door of annoyance. This is Page’s story so he can share whatever he wants, but it is interesting to see what he shared and didn’t (I mean apparently he was even married and we barely hear about it—maybe it helps if you’ve followed him in the media to know what’s going on).
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somewhat better. Note that there’s an extreme amount of trauma here including tons of homophobia as Page spent the majority of his life living as a closeted lesbian. I think what’s very odd here is that he doesn’t seem to have any self-reflection happening about his experiences, and I guess that’s something that I need out of a memoir as this did not work for me at all. The wretched people (with very few exceptions) that swirled around his life were a rough read; and although he does seem to have reached a point of joy for himself now, it still doesn’t feel as though enough self-awareness has settled in.
For my own self-reflection so I don’t forget: I apparently am not a fan of hearing about so many relationships; there’s definitely some weird irony here considering that my fiction reading consists only of romance, but in this case it just felt like a revolving door of annoyance. This is Page’s story so he can share whatever he wants, but it is interesting to see what he shared and didn’t (I mean apparently he was even married and we barely hear about it—maybe it helps if you’ve followed him in the media to know what’s going on).
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LibraryThing member Andy5185
Wow, this memoir blew me away on so many levels. A heartbreaking look at a trans journey for a person that had to experience all of it with a very public coming out. I felt for Elliot with every page and I am so very happy he has found himself and has had the support of amazing people along the
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way. I won't say more because it's best to read it without spoilers, but this is one heck of a brave journey. Every person deserves to live authentically and I hope this book helps to spread hope to others that need it. Show Less
LibraryThing member psalva
My impression of this memoir is that it succeeds more as an expression of self-healing than it does as a traditional memoir, almost a therapeutic project. The time jumps, flow, and structure in general seem to mirror Page’s own progress/setbacks in his gender/sexuality journey. His alchemical
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refusal to let negative experiences rule him was radical, but there were also times when I got too confused and lost the arc of his story. It was definitely worth my time, however. Even if I didn’t appreciate all his narrative choices, I find his story extremely valuable and meaningful. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lisa2013
I loved the movie Juno and thought that Page was a fine actor in it. I hadn’t known that much about Page’s personal life. I remember them coming out as gay and I knew that he was trans but that was about it.
I really enjoyed this memoir. I loved the back and forth in time, with his personal
All the “name dropping” makes sense here since this the author has been an actor since childhood and these are his friends and the people that he knows. He acknowledges his privilege as well as his struggles.
I was outraged on his behalf not only of the difficulties he faced to be able to be himself and to be accepted for who he is but also of the treatment he experienced by some adult (and same age) family members he faced when he was young. Friends too. I appreciated his honesty about so much. I could feel his pain and joy on the pages.
This is a well written and at times poetic book. The descriptions of people, places, relationships, and to himself are vivid and well said.
He does a good job describing his gender dysphonia over the years from a very young age until well into his adulthood. I was both surprised and not surprised about his feelings of confusion and his levels of awareness.
I think this is a valuable book and hope that it will help people have empathy and more understanding for trans and queer people and maybe for themselves for whoever they are and whatever they’re going through.
I hope when he reaches an older age (maybe much older) that he writes another memoir.
A personal aside: His smoking drove me crazy but tobacco smoking always drives me crazy. I hope that he no longer smokes or will stop.
I have to add that I am appalled at the treatment of the author (and other trans/queer people) by others, those they know and people in the public they don't know. We are a sometimes cruel species. Give me dogs any day.
I really enjoyed this memoir. I loved the back and forth in time, with his personal
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memories and also with the world at large such as some interesting Canadian history. When in Los Angeles, New York City, Nova Scotia, Oregon, etc. etc. I felt as though I was there. All the “name dropping” makes sense here since this the author has been an actor since childhood and these are his friends and the people that he knows. He acknowledges his privilege as well as his struggles.
I was outraged on his behalf not only of the difficulties he faced to be able to be himself and to be accepted for who he is but also of the treatment he experienced by some adult (and same age) family members he faced when he was young. Friends too. I appreciated his honesty about so much. I could feel his pain and joy on the pages.
This is a well written and at times poetic book. The descriptions of people, places, relationships, and to himself are vivid and well said.
He does a good job describing his gender dysphonia over the years from a very young age until well into his adulthood. I was both surprised and not surprised about his feelings of confusion and his levels of awareness.
I think this is a valuable book and hope that it will help people have empathy and more understanding for trans and queer people and maybe for themselves for whoever they are and whatever they’re going through.
I hope when he reaches an older age (maybe much older) that he writes another memoir.
A personal aside: His smoking drove me crazy but tobacco smoking always drives me crazy. I hope that he no longer smokes or will stop.
I have to add that I am appalled at the treatment of the author (and other trans/queer people) by others, those they know and people in the public they don't know. We are a sometimes cruel species. Give me dogs any day.
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LibraryThing member Carmenere
He lays his journey down honestly and raw. A read that took me out of my comfort zone and I’m glad to have read it.
LibraryThing member caedocyon
I hope he got something out of writing it; I didn't get that much out of reading (listening to) it. I don't read a lot of celebrity memoirs, so I can't judge it against the genre. Page says/implies he's been good at acting because he's good at dissociating; sounds like he's getting better, and I'm
I wonder if he's doing some weird LA Freudian group therapy thing, because bowel movements and poop come up a LOT. I too have an anxious stomach, but he really takes it to the next level.
Also, my recommendation stands: don't write about your transition until you've been out for a few years. Your cis friends and colleagues will make it sound like a good idea; they're wrong. Page actually did a good job not falling into the most obvious traps (he's really thoughtful about privilege), but I feel like in a few years he might actually have something original to say about transitioning while A-list??? On the other hand, do celebrity memoirs ever have anything new to say? I don't think that's their function....
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really happy for him, but it doesn't make for the most insightful or connected writing.I wonder if he's doing some weird LA Freudian group therapy thing, because bowel movements and poop come up a LOT. I too have an anxious stomach, but he really takes it to the next level.
Also, my recommendation stands: don't write about your transition until you've been out for a few years. Your cis friends and colleagues will make it sound like a good idea; they're wrong. Page actually did a good job not falling into the most obvious traps (he's really thoughtful about privilege), but I feel like in a few years he might actually have something original to say about transitioning while A-list??? On the other hand, do celebrity memoirs ever have anything new to say? I don't think that's their function....
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Awards
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Shortlist — Non-Fiction — 2023)
Libby Book Award (Winner — 2023)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Nonfiction — 2023)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (2023)
ALA Over the Rainbow Book List (Shortlist — Non-Fiction — 2023)
Pages
288
ISBN
1250878357 / 9781250878359