I rarely read books written by celebrities, but since I liked what Lena Dunham has done with her smart tv show Girls I wanted to read her memoir aptly titled Not That Kind of Girl. Instead of focusing on what it means to be a celebrity, Dunham focuses on the more personal, embarrassing moments that might not shine a good light upon us.
Description: "There is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told," writes Lena Dunham, and it certainly takes guts to share the stories that make up her first book, Not That Kind of Girl. These are stories about getting your butt touched by your boss, about friendship and dieting (kind of) and having two existential crises before the age of 20. Stories about travel, both successful and less so, and about having the kind of sex where you feel like keeping your sneakers on in case you have to run away during the act. Stories about proving yourself to a room of 50-year-old men in Hollywood and showing up to "an outlandishly high-fashion event with the crustiest red nose you ever saw." Fearless, smart, and as heartbreakingly honest as ever, Not That Kind of Girl establishes Lena Dunham as more than a hugely talented director, actress and producer-it announces her as a fresh and vibrant new literary voice.
Review: Lena Dunham's memoir is written in the same vein as her hit tv show Girls, in which she explores the confusing state of trying to figure out what it means to be an adult in your 20s and 30s. Her scenarios are raw, real, and painfully naked in exposing blatant vulnerability. What I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that Dunham is very straightforward on what many would call horror stories-events in our lives that we swear to ourselves that we will never tell anyone. The memoir is broken into different parts highlighting stupid jobs, bad boyfriends, upsetting sex, psychological struggles, and other hypothetical scenarios that shaped her life. What I love most about the show beside the great characters is the the introspection and the epiphanies that the characters have throughout the season. I just wished there was more of that in Dunham's memoir than a list of events that she recounts. The book does shine, however, during the wistful imaginations of a young girl who imagines various monumental steps leading to adulthood that either come as anticlimactic at the time these events occur or not really understanding them until you had some distance to reflect on them. Not That Kind of a Girl is like reading someone's achingly self-aware diary.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Words of Caution: Strong language and sexual content throughout the book. Recommended for adults only.
If you like this book try: Girl Walks into a Bar by Strawberry Saroyan, Cherry by Mary Karr
Review: Lena Dunham's memoir is written in the same vein as her hit tv show Girls, in which she explores the confusing state of trying to figure out what it means to be an adult in your 20s and 30s. Her scenarios are raw, real, and painfully naked in exposing blatant vulnerability. What I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that Dunham is very straightforward on what many would call horror stories-events in our lives that we swear to ourselves that we will never tell anyone. The memoir is broken into different parts highlighting stupid jobs, bad boyfriends, upsetting sex, psychological struggles, and other hypothetical scenarios that shaped her life. What I love most about the show beside the great characters is the the introspection and the epiphanies that the characters have throughout the season. I just wished there was more of that in Dunham's memoir than a list of events that she recounts. The book does shine, however, during the wistful imaginations of a young girl who imagines various monumental steps leading to adulthood that either come as anticlimactic at the time these events occur or not really understanding them until you had some distance to reflect on them. Not That Kind of a Girl is like reading someone's achingly self-aware diary.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Words of Caution: Strong language and sexual content throughout the book. Recommended for adults only.
If you like this book try: Girl Walks into a Bar by Strawberry Saroyan, Cherry by Mary Karr
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Glad this was a solid read for you Rummanah, I really like Lena Dunham. She's always frank about whatever it is she's talking about, and I appreciate that kind of directness or bluntness:) Life's too short to say things other than what you actually mean!
Yea, I'm not into celebrity books but I do think I would read Lena Dunham's book. I'm glad there is some humor in the book. Otherwise it would be too dark for me. Sounds brill!
I'm embarassed to say that I know very little (read: nothing) about her, but she does seem to be such an interesting person! I rarely read non-fiction, but I'd certainly love to learn more about her.
I actually still don't really know who Lena Dunham is - I just found out about her because of her book - nor do I typically read celebrity books, but if I did, I think hers would be worth a try because it sounds interesting.