Not only is this book very interesting, but it’s one that holds a great deal of historic significance. Man Into Woman is an account of Lili Elbe’s experiences as a trans woman – one of the first in history to undergo gender affirming surgery. It’s in a kind of strange position though, where it seems to be an autobiography written in the third person, but then has lengthy sections (especially towards the end) written in the first person, before going on to encompass the author’s death, so I found it hard to know exactly how much it actually reflects her own words, and how much was tweaked, edited, or adjusted by others.
Regardless of the above, it’s a fascinating story. Her experience of her gender is quite different to that of other people’s that I’ve read about, as she says that she saw herself as having two personalities within one body – one, a man, who she lived as for much of her life, and one, a woman, who she knew would grow to become the dominant personality and could only do so without the man dying… emphasising that both would die if she hadn’t done that.
Besides writing about her experiences of transitioning to live as a woman and how right that felt for her, I also really liked reading about how it felt for her to be accepted by other women. She talks about the pleasure of women speaking to her as if she were another woman, of the acceptance she felt at a woman not feeling uncomfortable getting changed around her. Though I am not a trans woman myself, I found that these aspects in particular were very relatable to me.
Something else I liked, which is really not related to Lili being trans at all, is the way that she writes about the people in her life and how they help her. She writes a lot about the support she gets from her wife, later about her sister, and also an old friend of hers and you can really feel the love that she has for them and that they have for her – it’s quite beautiful, really.
Though there’s quite a tragic element to it all as well – partly tied to Lili’s death (which I found very upsetting, knowing when it occurred within her life) and partly tied to the fact that the Institute of Sexology in Germany plays a big part in her life and her transition. It was an important place indeed, but for those who know their history, the shadow of the Nazis hangs over Lili’s story, as they destroyed the institute once they came into power, significantly harming the acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community around the world.
Aside from the fact that Lili’s story is one of historical significance that is worth remembering, I think it’s a story that remains relevant today. Transphobia is an ever worsening problem, especially within the UK, and Man Into Woman shows that people have been able to accept trans women for almost 100 years. She even gets her passport changed by the King of Demark! Those who seek to spread division in society try to convince those with less knowledge on the subject that trans identities are something new and something dangerous, and Lili’s life flies right in the face of that. I recommend everybody read this.
Rating: 9.3/10
