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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
I stayed up until 4am finishing this book, something I haven’t done since I was a kid. I read constantly and there have been countless books I’ve loved as an adult, but none that I genuinely could not put down in the way I couldn’t put this book down. I related so deeply to Anna in so many ways throughout this book, and I think that seeing so many explicit similarities between her experiences and feelings and my own was almost addictive.
Beyond my personal experience of Men Have Called Her Crazy though, this book was gorgeously written and so well-paced. If you’re picking it up because you want sordid details about the end of her marriage to John Mulaney, you won’t get that. In fact, I think he’s mentioned a grand total of three times and never by name or in detail. Tendler’s memoir is about her own life, her experience with mental health, and the parts of her life that led her to where she was in 2021 and where she is now. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.
Beyond my personal experience of Men Have Called Her Crazy though, this book was gorgeously written and so well-paced. If you’re picking it up because you want sordid details about the end of her marriage to John Mulaney, you won’t get that. In fact, I think he’s mentioned a grand total of three times and never by name or in detail. Tendler’s memoir is about her own life, her experience with mental health, and the parts of her life that led her to where she was in 2021 and where she is now. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.
sad
slow-paced
Disjointed, with a glaring gap where her marriage was. I listened to the audiobook which was extremely monotonous. She is not an expressive narrator. I thought her stay in rehab was the most interesting, largely because I've never heard a firsthand account of it. Her hatred of men was intense and at times jarring, placing the blame for her life experiences on them instead of assuming responsibility for her actions. I cried when she talked about her dog dying, something I've experienced before, but beyond that there was little to relate to. I'm not sure why this book was written or what she was trying to achieve with it. Wouldn't recommend, glad she's found a new therapist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infertility, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol
4-4.5 ⭐️
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I was very excited for the release of this memoir, and I feel like it lived up to the hype for the most part.
The politics in this book aren’t particularly groundbreaking, and I don’t feel like I learnt anything particularly new about feminism or mental healthcare. But I think what makes this book truly shines is the emotional connection that Tendler has with sharing her story. I felt very seen in her writing, and I felt very much like my struggles were understood through the telling of hers.
I also feel like this book is perfect for those of us that don’t feel like we’ve completed our healing journey. Significant progress was made throughout the pages of this book, and I feel like there’s still a lot more progress to be made. I really enjoyed reading a story that still felt like there was a long journey ahead behind the final chapter.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I was very excited for the release of this memoir, and I feel like it lived up to the hype for the most part.
The politics in this book aren’t particularly groundbreaking, and I don’t feel like I learnt anything particularly new about feminism or mental healthcare. But I think what makes this book truly shines is the emotional connection that Tendler has with sharing her story. I felt very seen in her writing, and I felt very much like my struggles were understood through the telling of hers.
I also feel like this book is perfect for those of us that don’t feel like we’ve completed our healing journey. Significant progress was made throughout the pages of this book, and I feel like there’s still a lot more progress to be made. I really enjoyed reading a story that still felt like there was a long journey ahead behind the final chapter.
An interesting perspective on anxiety and how deeply the patriarchy affects women’s lives.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I am actually surprised to be in the minority here, and I firmly believe at least half of the people who didn't like this were still expecting the book to be a John Mulaney exposé, even though it was made fairly clear the book wouldn't be about him (the most that comes up is mentioning that they were having marital problems as far back as the beginning of Covid).
I honestly found the book really relatable and I don't know if that's because of Tendler's BPD diagnosis or her hatred of men, but I did enjoy this, though it was slow at parts. Having been familiar with her prior to the book, I found the most heart in the sections about Petunia's death and Tendler's grief after.
This isn't anything to rave home about, but it's nowhere near as bad as people are saying. I definitely think this reads like a debut, but Tendler's voice is honest and it's always comforting to know other people also experienced your lowest lows. I would definitely read more from her if she chooses to continue writing in the future.
I honestly found the book really relatable and I don't know if that's because of Tendler's BPD diagnosis or her hatred of men, but I did enjoy this, though it was slow at parts. Having been familiar with her prior to the book, I found the most heart in the sections about Petunia's death and Tendler's grief after.
This isn't anything to rave home about, but it's nowhere near as bad as people are saying. I definitely think this reads like a debut, but Tendler's voice is honest and it's always comforting to know other people also experienced your lowest lows. I would definitely read more from her if she chooses to continue writing in the future.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Sexual harassment