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DownloadedBear t1_j1y4qrb wrote

I’m interested to see all the positive comments. The only thing I’ve ever really heard about it is that the understanding of intersex conditions was wildly outdated at best. Anecdotal and I don’t know how that impacts the reading. I’ve definitely read a lot of things based on “how something was understood at the time,” and been able to take myself out of judging it in modern terms.

All I can say is that I see this book everywhere. It’s in every used bookshop around me all the time. I distinctly remember noticing this cover in book stores as far back as I can remember going to book stores. Hey, Maybe I should check it out.

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Love_and_Squal0r OP t1_j1z8wiq wrote

I would say the book takes a strong stance for intersex rights. It's set in the 70's and that is how people talked and behaved then (and still do). If anything, I would say it takes a very optimistic view towards the experience and Cal's transition. Nothing really bad happens to Cal and he's supported by his family. Many intersex people never even get the choice of how they live their life.

Outdated by who's views and standards? That is a bit of a broad opinion.

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DownloadedBear t1_j20bs77 wrote

Yeah, I don’t know. Just one of those things you sometimes hear around book spaces. Never actually looked into it before your post made me interested.

Did a quick look around google and saw an intersex advocacy group that seemed broadly positive about it and had more info about the specific condition of the book character, with the usual qualifiers of “there is no one unique experience.” Also found a short review by an intersex reviewer that was very impressed by it.

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