Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl

By: Andrea Lawlor

Narrated by: Dani Martineck

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

"In these irreverent pages, a shapeshifter gets a crash course in gender and sexuality by inhabiting both sides of the binary and arriving precisely somewhere in the middle." —O, The Oprah Magazine

“HOT” (Maggie Nelson) • “TIGHT” (Eileen Myles) • “DEEP” (Michelle Tea)

It's 1993 and Paul Polydoris tends bar at the only gay club in a university town thrumming with politics and partying. He studies queer theory, has a dyke best friend, makes zines, and is a flaneur with a rich dating life. But Paul's also got a secret: he's a shapeshifter. Oscillating wildly from Riot Grrrl to leather cub, Paul transforms his body and his gender at will as he crossed the country–a journey and adventure through the deep queer archives of struggle and pleasure.

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is a riotous, razor-sharp bildungsroman whose hero/ine wends his/her way through a world gutted by loss, pulsing with music, and opening into an array of intimacy and connections.

©2019 Andrea Lawlor (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl is playful, sexy, smart, and like nothing else I—or you—have ever read before."—Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties

“Restless, muscular, and playful…. A tight satisfying masterpiece.”—Eileen Myles, author of Evolution

“Fast-paced and cheeky…a touchingly sweet-hearted and deeply cool book.”—Michelle Tea, author of Black Wave

Unexpected, hot, deep

Unexpected and real telling of both a specific kind of queer experience and the universal queer experience. Will be a book I’ll buy in print to read over and to add to the collection of hyper nonspecific depth, and will certainly be listening to again and again. There’s just something here…

Difficult to rate

There was plenty to like about the story and performance— I’d describe it as a bisexual’s maladaptive daydream infused with some real life queer experience to ground it. But by grounding it, it brought the whole thing down to depressy town which wasn’t the vibe I was hoping for as a reader. It felt pretty sad and a lot of the allure and magic of the transitioning flatlined for me. That said I think the author accomplished the book they wanted, and it was very well done, it just wasn’t what it was marketed as vibe-wise by the end. The fun, sexy fever-dream fizzled out and the sad reality of queer life took over. The writing and character building was very strong and I cared about them. The audio reader reminded me of the tiktoker who does fashion videos and says “let’s talk about it” I loved listening to them.

LOVE THIS BOOK

Loved living in the 90s queer feminist theory and music and fashion and city spots. I So relate to Paul’s sexuality/gender/desire, AL writes hard to describe feelings and actions in a way that makes them really understood validating relatable affirmed celebrated challenged

The Hottest Book Ever Written

I've only dinged it a little because this book just sort of ends. No spoilers, but I wasn't very satisfied. The sex and heartbreak. Oh my god! I needed this book and it had its way with me.

Great book!!

A must read novel for trans and queer folks. Thoroughly enjoyable and just raunchy enough

I struggled to find the plot

While an interesting glimpse into culture, I felt it lacked a significant plot. Narrator great.

Simply amazing!

I really enjoyed listening to this book, such extensive detail and imagery, Great narration for this audiobook.

Refreshing with subtle heartbreak.

a book I didn't know I needed to hear. it was such a delight to hear the accuracy and intricacy of queer cruising and falling in and out of love. Paul is a fag you love but also find incredibly annoying. I appreciate the books uncomplicated, not political approach to gender variance and the lives of queer people. a pleasant listen start to finish.

Hnuh?

I don't think I really understood this book. The main character is detached and cynical, and nothing really happens to them. And the content was too porny for me. Just not my jam.