The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. The title “Just by Looking at Him” is written at the top in black saps. The author’s name “Ryan O’Connell” is at the bottom in black caps. The background is cream. In the centre, large art of two men by water. One man is in the water, the other is out of the water with his back to the audience. He is naked. A black sticker is covering his bottom. White text in the sticker reads “A Novel”. In the upper right corner of the art, below the title, a quote from Melissa Broder reads “A very funny novel about falling for a fantasy and finding love for one’s own self.” in smaller white caps. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Sexual Content
• Alcoholism
• Infidelity
• Ableism
• Dysphoria
• Body Shaming
• Drug Abuse

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Summary:

From the star of Peacock’s Queer as Folk and the Netflix series Special comes a “funny, tender, and beautiful” ( Gary Janetti, New York Times bestselling author) novel following a gay TV writer with cerebral palsy as he fights addiction and searches for acceptance in an overwhelmingly ableist world.

Elliott appears to be living the dream as a successful TV writer with a doting boyfriend. But behind his Instagram filter of a life, he’s grappling with an intensifying alcohol addiction, he can’t seem to stop cheating on his boyfriend with various sex workers, and his cerebral palsy is making him feel like gay Shrek.

After falling down a rabbit hole of sex, drinking, and Hollywood backstabbing, Elliott decides to limp his way towards redemption. But facing your demons is easier said than done.

“With his singular voice and unforgettable wit” (Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle ), Ryan O’Connell presents a candid, biting, and refreshingly real commentary on gay life, laugh-out-loud exploration of self, and a rare insight into life as a person with disabilities.

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Notes:

The author, Ryan O’Connell, has also starred in the American Netflix comedy series Special, and the 2022 reboot of Queer as Folk.

There is an audiobook.

There is an ebook. There is a kindle edition.

I read that this novel is partly based upon the author’s own experiences.

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Archivist Comments:

Apparently the sexual content in this is quite explicit. The opening paragraph starts off by describing the genitals of the MC’s boyfriend in quite a detailed fashion.

The reviews on this are a bit divided. People either like the character development, or find the MC overly privileged and entitled. The humour and references are stale and hard to follow, or witty and well-written. The candid nature of the writing is either greatly appreciated, or greatly disliked. People don’t like the depictions of infidelity or disability, or appreciate the honesty of the novel.

Basically, it’s like if Marmite was a book. Or pineapple on pizza. But a book.

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