Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

(Lena Dunham, photographed by Chris Buck for The Guardian.)

I just finished Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham’s eagerly anticipated memoir, and I really liked it.  It’s been picked apart by critics and there’s even some controversy, too, but I found it entertaining and insightful. Dunham’s life is completely different than mine, and I enjoyed her humor and honesty as she describes significant events from her life.  It’s clear from the beginning that Dunham doesn’t have it all figured out yet, and like most people in their twenties, she’s still working on things. She just chooses to do it on paper and in front of a camera, topless.

Because she’s not yet 30, most of Dunham’s essays revolve around her childhood and college life, and her writing is very relaxed and conversational. Since I’m a fan of both Tiny Furniture (Dunham’s film) and “Girls,” I find it a bit hard to separate Lena, the writer, director, and actress, from Hannah, the character.  While reading Not that Kind of Girl, I could hear Hannah’s voice and I pictured Aura’s family loft (seen in Tiny Furniture) when Dunham described it throughout the book. I’m certain that Hannah and Aura are extensions of Dunham, because she created them to embody various aspects of her real life, and everything seems to mesh well in her memoir.

Dunham was raised by artists in New York City and comes from a privileged background, so her writing has an obvious affluent slant to it, sort of like Sofia Coppola’s works. I don’t mind that fact, and it’s a nice escape from my quiet, suburban life. I find Lena Dunham really refreshing and she is honest to a fault.  If Not That Kind of Girl is your first introduction to Dunham, it might be off-putting, but for fans of her show, it’s a nice glimpse into her real life.

Have you read the book yet? What did you think?