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Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

Lena Dunham,

Joana Avillez (Illustrator)

Discussion: 2014-Oct-Nov-Dec

Why we're reading this: October 1, 2014
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2014-Oct-Nov-Dec

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Oct 08, 2014 Kendra Kleiner rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, daily-show

At the age of 28 Lena Dunham has become an entertainment powerhouse. She is most known for her work on the hit HBO show GIRLS where her credits include: Executive Producer, Director, Actor, Writer and Creator. Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s "Learned”, is a well written candid glimpse into the life, and more importantly, the brain of Dunham. Readers will gain great insight into her struggles: anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, food, writing, and oversharing. Howeve At the age of 28 Lena Dunham has become an entertainment powerhouse. She is most known for her work on the hit HBO show GIRLS where her credits include: Executive Producer, Director, Actor, Writer and Creator. Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s "Learned”, is a well written candid glimpse into the life, and more importantly, the brain of Dunham. Readers will gain great insight into her struggles: anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, food, writing, and oversharing. However, with no cohesive theme readers may feel disappointed after finishing this self-important collection of essays. Ultimately, enjoyment of this book comes down to whether or not you relate to Dunham or share her sense of humor.

Dunham is a phenomenally talented writer which makes this 228 page book a pleasure to read. Through her brutally honest approach to storytelling, readers will learn about her lifelong fear of dying in her sleep and of being alone. Furthermore, we come to understand Lena’s obsessive compulsive disorder which drives her personal writing. As she notes in the introduction “I want to tell my stories, and more than that, I have to tell my stories in order to stay sane.”

Dunham’s frankness about her own mentality is refreshing. Her struggles with anxiety colour every story about her: love life, body, friendships and work. They will be cathartic to any person who battles with the same worries. Dunham has channeled years of therapy and self-reflection into a successful writing career, turning weakness into strength. Dunham has learned deeply personal life lessons, sometimes shared in quirky lists that you find funny, if you share her sense of humour, or filler if you don’t. Some of these odd “lessons” are flushed out in other chapters within the book.

Not that Kind of Girl is broken down into themed sections but does not follow a timeline. One story could be about childhood and the next about snorting cocaine and bad sex. It feels like Dunham pulled entries from different journals, illustrations included, and glued them together in random order.

Dunham is often criticized for her narcissistic style. However, her own self obsession makes her special. If you enjoy her other work, you will likely love Not That Kind Of Girl. Dunham reminds us “there are still so many forces conspiring to tell women that our concerns are petty, our opinions aren’t needed and that we lack the gravitas necessary for our stories to matter.” Her work encourages women to be proud of who they are and the life they lead. Not That Kind Of Girl should be celebrated for this reason.

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