No. 1 Bestseller Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham published in 2014 captioned with “a young woman tells you what she’s learned”.
Don’t be put off by the hype because I assure you it is entirely worth it!
I started my reconnecting with books journey with this absolute corker. It was a book that I had wanted to read for the longest time after becoming obsessed with Girls: Dunham’s TV show which is on HBO.
There are already so many reviews about this book, so I don’t want to add too much of what’s already been said, however I will say these few things...
This book is for any girl or woman who keeps a diary and likes to read back on what they wrote a few months down the line and laugh, cringe and maybe even cry.
It is a coming of age book of memoirs that as you read you can imagine Dunham’s voice confessionally spurting out these events of her life.
Other reviews have named Dunham the “voice of a generation” (Daisy Wyatt, Independent) and described the book as “one of those rare examples when something hyped deserves its buzz” (New York Post) and I wholeheartedly agree. I wanted to read this book since the moment it was released but never had time. Reading it two years on... the hype was absolutely true to the standard of the book.
Although this book is for the most part hilarious in it’s entirety, it also brings up real issues from sex, dieting, and mental health issues which are written so personally by Dunham. However, don’t let that put you off. When I read the book it finished with this resounding feeling of empowerment that in the face of self-doubt, embarrassment and misfortune you can succeed and be who you want to be.
An excellent book to take on a girls holiday this summer.
The Breakdown:
Genre: Memoir/Autobiographical
Writing style: Sharp, engaging, comic and poignant.
Structure: It’s broken down into sections of topics for example the first section is titled “Love & Sex” and then within that section is a series of chapters of events or anecdotes from Dunham’s experiences. What is particularly enjoyable is that she has chapters called “15 things…” which are lighthearted anecdotes or reflections.
Ease of reading: I found this very easy to read. I got through it in about a week of reading it for 1-2 hours a day.
Design: The cover has Dunham on the front of it with a stack of books on a table with a cup and saucer (clearly Dunham loves coffee as much as I do). It’s bright and vibrant. The pop of the pink really stands out with the black on the front and along the seam of the book. Back of the book is plain but filled with captions of the reviews she’s received. Inside the book the illustrations (by Joana Avillez) pose themselves to be doodles but are ornately beautiful, they relate directly to the writing, and form their own comic personality.
Target audience: I would recommend this for people 16+ as it does hold some more adult content and require a level of maturity; as even Dunham states on the back of her book “I am not a sexpert, a psychologist, or a dietician” so don’t take her words as gospel regarding the more sensitive themes.
Cost: £8.99- Although I’d always advise going on Amazon for the best deals.
Overall:
It’s reputation precedes this book. Don’t be put off by the hype because I assure you it is entirely worth it. An excellent book to take on a girls holiday this summer. It was a No. 1 Bestseller for a reason. Go grab a coffee. And start reading it. I doubt you’ll be able to put it down.
