Something That May Shock and Discredit You is a memoir that combines transition, pop culture, religion, literature, and generally overthinking everything in a witty way. Known from The Toast and a host of comedic essays on pop culture and literature, Lavery combines this with personal memoir about transition, including internal battles, relating to others, and generally dealing with having a body.

This is a fast-paced collection with short chapters and various interludes on literature and pop culture topics that will be familiar in tone to any of his fans. My personal highlight of these was the reworking of Lord Byron's reflections on his birthday, because I'm a huge Byron fan and it was hilarious. Another great one was the re-describing of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which is both an accurate retelling and a great look at the sheer confusion Gawain faces. Some of the pieces about literature or the Bible need some knowledge of them (both of my favourites are based around the fact I know about Byron and Gawain, and indeed have studied both), though it doesn't necessarily stop enjoyment when you don't have all of the background (I spent two English degrees not understanding most Biblical references and I got by then). The memoir side of things is perhaps even better, written with thought and self-deprecation, as he reflects on deciding to transition, being in your thirties, growing up, and how gender is treated in society as you transition.

This is a charming book which combines a host of references and discussions on culture with self-reflection and humour, showing that memoirs don't have to be just sincere reflections on a journey or process (as is mocked in the opening chapter). The writing style makes it less focused on the personal detail than the observations, though there are some sweet details (such as the build up on the relationship with his now-wife), and in general it feels very fresh as a memoir, though very in keeping with Lavery's style from reading his writing online.

I received an advanced reader copy and exchange for an honest review

Fascinating and complicated memoir of an undertold story. Definitely layered and not always comfortable to read, but very worthwhile and necessary

A really interesting look at transitioning gender by a master wordsmith. Filled with humour, honesty, literary references and good taste. I will always love anything he writes, and this is no exception.

I perhaps lack the religious background or classics knowledge for some parts of this to really click with me, but I loved it all the same. I found reading it to be profoundly moving at times - and to have me cackling away to myself at others. I've been a long-time fan of Daniel Lavery's work, but Something That May Shock and Discredit You still (very pleasantly) surprised me.

I went into this pretty cold, interest piqued by the description of the memoir and the irreverent, first hand view on transitioning. In a week, in a time, where the war against trans men and women has reached fever pitch, and I feel sick and worried about both the terrible inferences behind the handbag clutching ‘but what about the chiiiiiilllllllldren’ and also the very real, brutal attacks and murders on people who did nothing more than exist, and have been similarly ignored and forgotten about, this felt the right read.

Daniel Mallory Ortberg is an author who loves language. He loves playing with it, subverting well known myths and stories such as a number of knights of the Round Table, interwoven with prominent Biblical figures and William Shatner. While I didn’t ‘get’ all of the references, and I confess, I skipped through a couple of skits where I just don’t know enough about the original stories to get the references, I did enjoy this and got a lot out of it.

He’s trying to do a lot in one book – convey his journey from female born to male, in his own words and through his own experience, while being really careful to include everyone else’s journey and thought processes. It’s such a considered take, and it made me think a lot not just about how scary it must be to come to that realisation (he spends a large portion of both the memoir and the character skits sections talking about how he tried to ignore and run away from the solution he kept coming back to), but also how joyful it is.

It should be joyful – finally you’re able to stand up in your own skin and feel like the you you have always been. I get that. I loved reading about his friendships, the ones that have blossomed post transition. The section that references Nora Ephron’s ‘ I feel bad about my neck’ essay is great and manages to tackle a literally sore subject (neck acne caused by the massive doses of testosterone required to transition) and turn it into something that’s inclusive and light hearted. At no point, was it glamourised or any hard decisions ignored or made light of - it almost doesn't need saying but I wanted to make that really clear. 

The structure jumped about a lot more than I had expected and perhaps, a little more than I liked, but I think that’s something I could have dealt with by dipping in and out. It’s not exactly a linear, end to end story, although there is a beginning and end, if that makes sense. I also realise that it’s completely my preference.

Another stand out essay was about William Shatner and more specifically, Columbo and the episodes Bill starred in. Columbo is a programme that is quietly and universally loved – Peter Falk embodied the rumpled detective so well, his death was a loss. He also contributed beyond Columbo, of course, with a pivotal role in The Princess Bride. A long running internet campaign to remake it with Mark Ruffalo in the title role has my support, although a newcomer in the form of Natasha Lyonne as the titular detective might overtake that. Anyway, his writing in this essay was so well described, so passionate and thoughtful that I understood what he meant even if I didn’t follow it all. That’s true for a fair few of the chapters and interludes – you might not understand all of the references, every one of the ideologies and foundational beliefs, but Ortberg writes so deftly I never felt lost.

I’d be keen to read some of his other stuff, especially his Dear Prudence letters (which I might actually have come across on twitter but hadn’t made the connection).

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Scribe UK for the Advanced Reader Copy. This is already out to buy so please feel free!

Wry and learned. This book is a very clearly expressed account of gender transition and the issues around that. All told with Ortberg's trademark humour and erudition. I've already published an interview with the author on Five Books, where it's featured on our 'new releases' page
https://fivebooks.com/book/something-that-may-shock-and-discredit-you/