aristhecool's review
4.0
Perhaps because of my inexperience in reading biographies for fun, the book started out as somewhat dry, as it is written very academically. However, as the book went on, I began to start understanding the style and therefore learning more about James Barry, even finding myself laughing at how often he would dig himself bureaucratic holes when working for surprisingly progressive medical reform.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was its respect for James Barry and its careful sourcing, regarding his postmortem sex discovery, since as soon as the story was out, the media was flooded with gossip regarding his true sex and misinformation was everywhere. Other sources I found with a google of James Barry are very quick to label him as a woman through and through, and while twenty-first century gender theory may not completely apply to someone who lived in the 1800s, this book gave him what I feel was the proper respect he deserved. He lived as a man and that was how he wanted to be seen, but also, it truly didn't matter what he may have been born as, because he was just as interesting in life as he was in death when his secret was revealed against his will. Furthermore, this book is of the belief that he was biologically intersex, which is historically, a rather common condition. I was intrigued by its discussion of intersex people throughout history and the treatment of a third sex juxtaposed to modern day gender theory as the term nonbinary is being fought to be recognized by society. This staunch rigidity regarding binarism, this book says, is most likely a remnant of Victorian society, and of course the incessant Western sexism. However, James Barry, an anomaly of sex in Victorian times, was able to successfully live his life physically passing within the society and despite everything was able to be one of the most progressive and caring doctors in British history.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was its respect for James Barry and its careful sourcing, regarding his postmortem sex discovery, since as soon as the story was out, the media was flooded with gossip regarding his true sex and misinformation was everywhere. Other sources I found with a google of James Barry are very quick to label him as a woman through and through, and while twenty-first century gender theory may not completely apply to someone who lived in the 1800s, this book gave him what I feel was the proper respect he deserved. He lived as a man and that was how he wanted to be seen, but also, it truly didn't matter what he may have been born as, because he was just as interesting in life as he was in death when his secret was revealed against his will. Furthermore, this book is of the belief that he was biologically intersex, which is historically, a rather common condition. I was intrigued by its discussion of intersex people throughout history and the treatment of a third sex juxtaposed to modern day gender theory as the term nonbinary is being fought to be recognized by society. This staunch rigidity regarding binarism, this book says, is most likely a remnant of Victorian society, and of course the incessant Western sexism. However, James Barry, an anomaly of sex in Victorian times, was able to successfully live his life physically passing within the society and despite everything was able to be one of the most progressive and caring doctors in British history.
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