Ten Steps to Nanette

Starred review from February 1, 2022

In this memoir/humorous collection of essays, award-winning stand-up comic Gadsby reflects on pop culture, feminism, and her sudden rise to stardom, all via the irreverent yet thought-provoking musings she's known for. Fans of Gadsby's and those new to her work will find themselves laughing along as she recounts awkward red-carpet moments with candor and occasional confusion. Similar to her groundbreaking comedy specials Douglas and Nanette, Gadsby's memoir reads like a conversation with a longtime friend--in this case, one who's still adjusting to her relationship with comedy and her diagnoses of autism and ADHD as an adult. The memoir jumps between times and places as the comedian recalls her childhood in Australia as the youngest of five children and her difficulty making friends. Her writing particularly comes alive when she nostalgically looks back at childhood (especially the influence of her parents) and at her unconventional path to comedy after studying art history and finding humor in the unknown. Gadsby also discusses support from her queer fans that allowed her, as a queer comic, to feel safe in front of an audience. VERDICT A can't-miss memoir that will make readers laugh, cry, and everything in between.--Stephanie Sendaula

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2022
Debut memoir by the Australian comedian. Early on, Gadsby delivers a hilarious self-assessment: "For most of my life I have been a financially insecure autistic Australian gender queer vagina-wielding situation who does not have a bird-like skeletal system. I might have had a reasonable shot with only one or two of those 'quirks, ' but not the whole set, and certainly not with Cate Blanchett already in town hogging all the moody lesbian roles. But, honestly, my biggest impediment is that I'm quite lazy." The author writes frankly about growing up the youngest of five children in Tasmania, sharing colorful childhood anecdotes about her dogs and her distinct inability to make friends. At 12, she suffered through two years of sexual abuse, followed by high school years as a "fat tomboy" haunted by social anxiety and crushes on other girls. Early in her life, Gadsby was aware of Tasmania's enduring legacy of criminalizing homosexuality. As she matured and began exploring a natural talent for stand-up comedy, this inspired her to advocate for gay reform measures. She soon became a comedy festival favorite, and in 2018, she found on-screen success with her Netflix special, Nanette. As the memoir progresses, the author's initially stiff prose brightens as she describes her blossoming as an adult with ADHD and autism. These diagnoses helped explain why she hated small talk, an aversion that manifested in an extremely awkward yet hysterical exchange with Jennifer Aniston at an Emmys party. Consistently self-effacing and contemplative, Gadsby acknowledges that her unique brand of deadpan observational comedy isn't for everyone, especially since it often skewers "the two most overly sensitive demographics the world has ever known: straight white cis men and self-righteous comedians." Often portrayed by audiences as a woman workshopping her personal demons on stage, Gadsby agrees, conceding that her platform has allowed her to "playfully interrogate my own story and unravel the immature and sometimes toxic versions of events that my younger, traumatized brain had settled on." A witty and provocatively written life story.

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Starred review from March 14, 2022
In this stunning debut, Emmy Award–winning comedian Gadsby guides readers on a tour of her life that’s every bit as intimate, gutting, and untidy as the performance referenced in the title. Decades before international audiences met her through her 2018 Netflix comedy special, Nanette, Gadsby was a Tasmanian girl alienated from her peers in the ’80s by her autism, ADHD, and burgeoning lesbian identity—none of which, she reveals, she understood until she was much older. Though heavily affected by sexual abuse and rape in her youth and young adulthood that led to multiple misdiagnoses (“borderline personality disorder, bipolar, irritable bowel syndrome, too much fat, etc.”), Gadsby resists centering her abusers, instead offering a candid, often bawdy account of her nonlinear path toward healing—shaped by a gauntlet of therapists, a career in “mak a joke out of” her mental health, and her loving yet complex relationship with her family. To discourage readers from “fall into the trap of playing truth detective,” she eschews cohesive timelines and, in doing so, vividly evokes the “disorientation” of living with trauma. Meanwhile, humorous asides are scattered throughout by way of Terry Pratchett–esque footnotes—“Seriously... I am triggering all of the warnings.” This stirring tale of resilience laughs in the face of the “inspiration porn” industry. Agent: Laurie Liss, Sterling Lord Literistic.