... enthralling and occasionally vexing.

In part Ten Steps to Nanette functions as a bleak artist’s notebook, an account of how she ended up on stage at the Sydney Opera House that January, as well as an almost conventional 'memoir situation'.

Just like the show its title references, Ten Steps to Nanette is honest, incisive, self-referential and very funny, with the author’s wry humor threaded throughout its pages, her trademark asides transformed into frequent footnotes.

All heavy topics, but just like the stage show, Gadsby finds a measured way to offer respectful and insightful reflection on the terrible things she and others have endured while also pointing out the idiosyncrasies and flaws in logic that she can turn into a wisecrack.

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.

Stunning.

onsistently self-effacing and contemplative, Gadsby acknowledges that her unique brand of deadpan observational comedy isn’t for everyone.