Not That Kind of Girl

Lena Dunham's collection of essays, 'Not That Kind of Girl', called to me. It's an instagram-able mark of identity; tweeted, blogged and shared about by so many young girls and women. If you, like me, are inclined to look through the hashtag #NotThatKindofGirl you'll see this book on coffee tables, next to a starbucks coffee, in the bath, by a pool between tanned legs, the list goes on. You'll soon realise that this book is far better travelled then most people, certainly me. I gave into that sassy feminist siren call and got the book, in truth, so I could be exactly that kind of girl. I even instagrammed it whilst having breakfast in Pret. Exactly that kind of girl. (The picture below was brilliantly captioned 'Breakfast with Lena.)

   What I really enjoyed was the idea of essays. Glorious, glorious essays! (How many students do you hear saying that?) Despite currently studying literature at university my love for a long novel is somewhat lost. Succinct anecdotes spread out in a few pages felt so much more appealing to me. It's perfect tube reading; get on, read an entire (small) section, get distracted by the metro being read next to you, muse over the celebrity scandal, get off. It was perfect to fit into my lifestyle, making it a quick and easy read.
   Being a fan of Dunham's TV show 'Girls', I already knew that I would enjoy the voice and style. Each shared moment of embarrassment or heartbreak felt very much like hanging out with a pal and catching up. I would definitely recommend drinking a cocktail with this novel. It was the big sister I never had, sorting through all her advice and experience and I truly believe she's a brilliant role model for young girls to listen to because she's not afraid to bare all. Dunham's writing is charming and witty and personal but does sometimes feel a little overcooked. Every now and again I felt the panic of  a writer trying to create something bigger, when what she had was pretty good already. Occasionally, after more playful words, it seemed like she was rushing to reach a punchline, neatly tying up her idea with a message. I know it because I do this in my own work. (We are practically the same and should definitely be best friends...)
   Overall, this book got me back into reading. I remembered how much I enjoyed the feel of a good book in my hands. It's so rewarding to switch off from a screen and still be entertained, especially if you know you don't have to write an essay on it for your degree. This book sits on my instragram and tells people that I am an open-minded, feminist, twenty-something who is riddled with cliche. That's okay.