Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

"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 Girlestablishes Lena Dunham as more than a hugely talented director, actress and producer-it announces her as a fresh and vibrant new literary voice.

I disagree that this is a book rather than an oddly organised collection of essays. I don't feel like Dunham so much wrote the book as pulled out old writings and threw it together. I disagree that the book is controversial, really it was more over dramatic.

There were moments when I cared, truly cared about these problems. She would talk insightfully and it would be inclusive, admitting the things we're all afraid to admit and then she'd talk about therapists and how hard it is to be white and have rich parents. I felt like her feminist angle was not so much because she believed in equality or strength or whatever but instead as she was so privileged, needed something to fight against. Something that would make her life hard, when generally it wasn't. Most of her problems were self inflicted or just looking on the bad side and she has a tendency to through mental health labels all over the place. This is what I didn't like, how she made herself like a victim of this world, as if everyone is against her rather than the fact she was excluding herself. 

This did however make me think of how I do this. If there is one thing to be said about finding the flaws in everyone else, it highlights the flaws within yourself. Then there were the truly touching moments, and they were real and it beautiful and then she would say something "deep" and it would ruin it. Don't get me wrong there was a lot to love about this book. The honesty mostly. The honesty of what its like growing up, making mistakes or doing things that at the time seem innocent enough but as you grow realise how messed up it is. The honesty was  my favourite thing, but then again I'm also aware that she is an inherently unreliable narrator. Everything is from her point of view so how do I know how everything actually happened?

I disagree that Dunham is the voice of a generation, but she is a voice for the broken. She is totally messed up. Falling in love left right and center, being in toxic relationships and making so many mistakes and then blaming it on others. But the fact she admitted everything and was open about it is so wonderful for me. I've never read something so honest, even if it is unreliable. It was ballsy and we don't get a lot of honesty anymore. 

I'm not sure what to make of it. I enjoyed it that's for sure, despite hating the format. I loved the style of Dunham's writing though I often hated the subjects discussed, I laughed out loud but I also scoffed and skipped pages and pages of food diary. I'd say this book is more of a manual on how not to be. It shows why self esteem and empathy and CARPE DIEM is so important. So if there is one thing you take from this book it should be that. 

Happy Reading.