Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
I have wanted to read this book for like…ever. So when I saw it in my local supermarket in paperback I practically ran to the till with it.
Lena Dunham has changed the face of comedy, TV and female-thinking. What she says is real, truthful and best of all she is comfortable with herself.
Broken down into five sections Not That Kind of Girl is part autobiography, part life advice. Thankfully it’s not one of those autobiographies which is chronological, with every section so in-depth you feel as though you’ve been in surgery with the author. Dunham discusses numerous remarkable events in her life which have shaped who she is. Some are not very in depth and others are a whole chapter but you still feel as though she hasn’t revealed all of herself. She’s not pouring her heart out to us or bitching about ex-lovers, it’s a real female bible for the 21st century. She’s not ashamed to discuss her fears of illness of dying nor is she ashamed of her body or what she thinks.
So here’s some of what Dunham discusses:
Section One – Love and Sex
- She used to invite guys to sleep in her bed. Just sleep, no sex.
- Completely smitten with her boyfriend Jack, she refuses to disclose that much about him. So refreshing in this Kardashian-era celebrity world.
Section Two – Body
- Dunham was quite comfortable with her Girls – sex scenes and even makes jokes about it.
- She reveals her diet in her journal entries which is rather odd to say the least.
Section Three – Friendship
- She has had obsessions and sexual encounters with females.
- Her love and her description of her sister Grace is beautiful and hilarious.
Section Four – Work
- She worked in a baby store for nine months, selling over-priced clothes to housewives.
- She hated school and was moved to an art and performance school. She became best friends with one of the teachers at her primary school, before he began making inappropriate suggestions.
Section Five – Big Picture
- She had to have therapy and still does. From a young age she was unable to sleep for fear she may die. She still as these irrational fears and also worries about illness.
Dunham is my girl crush. She is such a complex individual and her life is so far removed from how I grew up that at times I found her slightly odd. But then aren’t all geniuses and forward- thinkers rather strange?!
Sweet Delights 