Arts & Literature
![Elliot Page - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B0C4LVBM98.jpg)
Pageboy: A Memoir
"The emergence of our true selves is all of our life's work. Pageboy helps chart the course." ―Jamie Lee Curtis
"Searing, deeply moving, and incredibly poignant... This isn't simply a book on what it means to be trans, it's about what it means to be human." ―Alok Vaid-Menon
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Salon, The Week, Elle, Bustle, and more.
Full of intimate stories, from chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and struggling with familial strife, Pageboy is a love letter to the power of being seen. With this evocative and lyrical debut, Oscar-nominated star Elliot Page captures the universal human experience of searching for ourselves and our place in this complicated world.
"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.
The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his story in a groundbreaking and inspiring memoir about love, family, fame ― and stepping into who we truly are with strength, joy and connection.
"Searing, deeply moving, and incredibly poignant... This isn't simply a book on what it means to be trans, it's about what it means to be human." ―Alok Vaid-Menon
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Salon, The Week, Elle, Bustle, and more.
Full of intimate stories, from chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and struggling with familial strife, Pageboy is a love letter to the power of being seen. With this evocative and lyrical debut, Oscar-nominated star Elliot Page captures the universal human experience of searching for ourselves and our place in this complicated world.
"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.
The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his story in a groundbreaking and inspiring memoir about love, family, fame ― and stepping into who we truly are with strength, joy and connection.
Editorial Reviews
"[Pageboy] is an intense, emotional read, delivered in image-drenched prose. ... "'Let me just exist with you,' he writes, 'happier than ever.' Reading those words nearly made me cry. Page's plea is small. It also feels very big."
―Washington Post
"Brutally honest ... Powerful"
―New York Times Book Review
"Raw, harrowing and often heartbreaking to read... Page's book arrives, as if on cue, in a moment when the trans community is facing even more danger than when he started writing it just over a year ago."
―LA Times
"Pageboy is like listening to a friend... It's impossible to miss the truth in his words: 'I wouldn't be typing this right now if it weren't for you and your care.' ... Now is an excellent time to read this humanizing and well-written memoir."
―Associated Press
"The emergence of our true selves is all of our life's work. Pageboy helps chart the course."
―Jamie Lee Curtis
"Searing, deeply moving, and incredibly poignant... This isn't simply a book on what it means to be trans, it's about what it means to be human."
―Alok Vaid-Menon
―Washington Post
"Brutally honest ... Powerful"
―New York Times Book Review
"Raw, harrowing and often heartbreaking to read... Page's book arrives, as if on cue, in a moment when the trans community is facing even more danger than when he started writing it just over a year ago."
―LA Times
"Pageboy is like listening to a friend... It's impossible to miss the truth in his words: 'I wouldn't be typing this right now if it weren't for you and your care.' ... Now is an excellent time to read this humanizing and well-written memoir."
―Associated Press
"The emergence of our true selves is all of our life's work. Pageboy helps chart the course."
―Jamie Lee Curtis
"Searing, deeply moving, and incredibly poignant... This isn't simply a book on what it means to be trans, it's about what it means to be human."
―Alok Vaid-Menon
Readers Top Reviews
mbmbRiver SmithRe
I decided I'd rather not replace this because I don't want to wait even longer for my copy, but the only reason I gave this 4/5 stars is because the cover came scuffed & scratched.
Bett NorrismbmbRi
I crushed hard on Ellen Page. I loved Juno. I saw My Days of Mercy and into the Forest and The Umbrella Academy.Part of me knew. I saw, but couldn't accept it. When I saw those movies, I saw a boy playing those roles. But when I read this memoir, I saw, and felt, and I cried, and I believed. Parents should read this book. Teenagers should read it. If reading this book, so full of hurt and honesty, pain and passion, Ultimately a story about self love and redemption if reading this book doesn't move you to hug every kid you know,then maybe you need to read it again. Kids, wherever you are, I see you and I love you.
C. S. TreanorBett
I am not usually a huge fan of reading autobiographies of actors. Elliot Page however is one of my favorite actors and from the little knowledge I had before hand I thought it would be a decent read. The book turn out to be fantastic. It was well written, emotionally engaging, and eye opening. The story line jumps around from different ages and experiences. I don’t want to give too much away but it was well worth the purchase.
ReginaC. S. Trean
I've always loved Page. the acting the sincerity he brought to his characters. After reading his book, it just makes me love and respect the person inside so much more. Bravo Elliott! you deserve so much but more than anything you deserve to be loved for the real you! This book is a must for anyone that hasn't felt quiet right in themselves, be it gay, lesbian, trans or just anyone that fights to see to be seen as who they are on the inside. I promise you will never see actors or our community the same again. totally worth the read!!
thefabulous0neReg
Thank you for writing this, Elliot. I am certain it w it’ll help someone through the pain and bigotry and viciousness you endured. My literary opinion: this is, in essence, a delightful boys tale, thwarted by all outsiders not understanding you were a boy. I loved the clarity, and am saddened by the struggle. My hope is it opens the eyes of parents as well. I also appreciate your references, as I am a reader. Always looking for something new to read. I applaud you. I have been a fan forever, and I hope for your continued happiness. Btw, as a person w complex PTSD from childhood sexual trauma, your movie Hard Candy is the most cathartic cinema for me personally ever produced. Thank you in particular for that movie. It was genius.
