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Famesick
In this rowdy, frank reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, the remarkable mind behind the hit series Girls and the bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl asks whether fulfilling her creative ambitions has been worth the pain.
For the last decade, as she’s spent countless hours in doctor’s waiting rooms searching for diagnoses, treatments, and relief, being the owner and operator of Lena Dunham’s body has felt, as she puts it, “like towing a wrecked car across town at midnight.” It’s not easy dragging a wrecked car anywhere, much less to the Met Gala while sewn into a gold lamé corset. Or to the set of the hit show that you—as a twenty-five-year-old—are writing, directing, producing, and starring in. Or to the White House, the Golden Globes, or your publicist’s office to discuss the latest internet disaster. But Dunham does it—even if it means interminable hospital stays, vomiting in the bathroom when she’s meant to be meeting Oprah, or terrifying those closest to her—because she can no longer tell the difference between fighting to do what she loves and being a servant to her own ambition. All the while, she is holding out for a love that can withstand her personal and public challenges and, more than anything, yearning to feel like herself again—if only she could remember who that self was.
As Dunham takes us through her journey, tracking her rise to fame—from selling the pilot of Girls to the present—in three acts, it becomes clear that the spotlight casts long shadows, distorting the relationships she once held dear and isolating everyone in its glare. When an endless supply of drugs can’t protect you from pain—and begins to control your every move—being famous doesn’t stand a chance against the darker corners of the human experience.
In Famesick, Dunham asks herself what the cost of fulfilling her dreams has really been, and whether it was worth it. What she finds is deeper than physical relief, and more lasting, as she learns to live with what she can’t change and turn her regrets into wisdom that can carry her forward, as she reconnects to what, and who, she loves.
For the last decade, as she’s spent countless hours in doctor’s waiting rooms searching for diagnoses, treatments, and relief, being the owner and operator of Lena Dunham’s body has felt, as she puts it, “like towing a wrecked car across town at midnight.” It’s not easy dragging a wrecked car anywhere, much less to the Met Gala while sewn into a gold lamé corset. Or to the set of the hit show that you—as a twenty-five-year-old—are writing, directing, producing, and starring in. Or to the White House, the Golden Globes, or your publicist’s office to discuss the latest internet disaster. But Dunham does it—even if it means interminable hospital stays, vomiting in the bathroom when she’s meant to be meeting Oprah, or terrifying those closest to her—because she can no longer tell the difference between fighting to do what she loves and being a servant to her own ambition. All the while, she is holding out for a love that can withstand her personal and public challenges and, more than anything, yearning to feel like herself again—if only she could remember who that self was.
As Dunham takes us through her journey, tracking her rise to fame—from selling the pilot of Girls to the present—in three acts, it becomes clear that the spotlight casts long shadows, distorting the relationships she once held dear and isolating everyone in its glare. When an endless supply of drugs can’t protect you from pain—and begins to control your every move—being famous doesn’t stand a chance against the darker corners of the human experience.
In Famesick, Dunham asks herself what the cost of fulfilling her dreams has really been, and whether it was worth it. What she finds is deeper than physical relief, and more lasting, as she learns to live with what she can’t change and turn her regrets into wisdom that can carry her forward, as she reconnects to what, and who, she loves.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2026
9938 people are currently reading
31106 people want to read
About the author
Lena Dunham
25 books5,483 followersLena Dunham is an American filmmaker and actress. She wrote and directed the independent film Tiny Furniture (2010), and is the creator and star of the HBO series Girls. In 2013, Dunham was named one of Time's most influential people in the world.
On October 8, 2012, Dunham signed a $3.5 million deal with Random House to publish her first book, an essay collection called Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned.
On October 8, 2012, Dunham signed a $3.5 million deal with Random House to publish her first book, an essay collection called Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,163 reviews
April 22, 2026
Lena Dunham they will never make me hate you. and god knows they tried
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reading updates:
The idea of the final scene of Frances Ha being shot in Lena Dunham’s actual real life first NYC apartment is like a peak millennial fever dream
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reading updates:
The idea of the final scene of Frances Ha being shot in Lena Dunham’s actual real life first NYC apartment is like a peak millennial fever dream
Want to Read
February 5, 2026lena dunham apologist until i die
April 16, 2026
Oh! Well…that was stunning. Perfectly honest and vulnerable and funny. It read like a bruise.
April 21, 2026
Girls premiered in 2012, and I think people often underestimate how revolutionary it was. Like I'm not exaggerating when I say this show was ahead of its time and changed culture, and all between the ages of 24-30 is insane ! Much of the book is Lena dealing with the aftershock of the success of Girls and the intersection between illness addiction fame and trauma. It’s so beautifully written, vulnerable, self aware, obviously very funny and gives so much nuance to a person that has their entire life been considered to be too much. (little easter egg there for my dunhamologists)
The way she became a public punching bag for her last book in a culture that hadn't yet caught up with her and did it again aghhh I love her and I love revisionist history! On another note the lore in this book guys …. this is a primary text which will be cited by many in years to come mark my words. Hooray for oversharing! Hooray for Lena Dunham and her pathological need for self expression!
The way she became a public punching bag for her last book in a culture that hadn't yet caught up with her and did it again aghhh I love her and I love revisionist history! On another note the lore in this book guys …. this is a primary text which will be cited by many in years to come mark my words. Hooray for oversharing! Hooray for Lena Dunham and her pathological need for self expression!
April 17, 2026
*3.5* I want to acknowledge that this rating is not a reflection of my personal feelings about the controversial figure that is Lena Dunham. I’m not critiquing her book based on her scandals, her past filmography, whether I thought Hannah was annoying on Girls, etc. This rating is only about Famesick, her first major book in nearly a decade, and whether it was effective at what it set out to accomplish.
This was an incredibly busy week for me, but any spare moment I had, Famesick was in my hand. I couldn't put it down. Lena has always been extraordinarily open with her life (to her own detriment) and this is no exception. The book opens as a fairly simple Bildungsroman and follows her privileged upbringing as she is handed her own show at the age of 25. That isn't to say she was undeserving of that job—while Lena may be a morally dubious person, the woman can write when she puts her mind to it. But she was given a career in a notoriously destructive industry at far too young an age, and was subsequently eaten alive. The book transitions into something darker, heavily influenced by Moshfegh with a sprinkling of Plath. Thematically, we dive into the spiral of Lena’s constant, unrelenting shame. We are confronted by body horror so grotesque it becomes Cronenbergian. Lena faces it all with humor, if not grace.
I wish Goodreads would allow for half star ratings. This is a strong 3.5 for me. My criticism is that Lena is clearly an unreliable narrator who spends too much time weaving long, self-pitying excuses for her terrible past actions. Also, I didn’t enjoy how she was still making her brother Cyrus’ transition about herself. I do give her credit for finally acknowledging her own learned helplessness at the end of the book and striving to overcome it—though she doesn’t seem (or want) to connect this back to her parents’ smothering behavior, an obvious blind spot that holds back the narrative.
Lena is a talented writer and I believe she always has been. I appreciate the large amount of gossip she shared here: her near hook-up with Adam Driver and his bizarre behavior, the fact that she cheated on Jack Antonoff during the Jack/Lorde PowerPoint drama, and the fall-out behind her collaborative partnership with Jenni Konner. I hope she overcomes her health struggles and continues to create. She’s a funny person who’s been through it. I saw a video of her recently and despite all the criticism over her weight, I thought she looked great. She looked *herself* for maybe the first time I’ve ever seen her—wearing the clothes she wanted, existing with pride, comfortable in her own body. Good for her.
This was an incredibly busy week for me, but any spare moment I had, Famesick was in my hand. I couldn't put it down. Lena has always been extraordinarily open with her life (to her own detriment) and this is no exception. The book opens as a fairly simple Bildungsroman and follows her privileged upbringing as she is handed her own show at the age of 25. That isn't to say she was undeserving of that job—while Lena may be a morally dubious person, the woman can write when she puts her mind to it. But she was given a career in a notoriously destructive industry at far too young an age, and was subsequently eaten alive. The book transitions into something darker, heavily influenced by Moshfegh with a sprinkling of Plath. Thematically, we dive into the spiral of Lena’s constant, unrelenting shame. We are confronted by body horror so grotesque it becomes Cronenbergian. Lena faces it all with humor, if not grace.
I wish Goodreads would allow for half star ratings. This is a strong 3.5 for me. My criticism is that Lena is clearly an unreliable narrator who spends too much time weaving long, self-pitying excuses for her terrible past actions. Also, I didn’t enjoy how she was still making her brother Cyrus’ transition about herself. I do give her credit for finally acknowledging her own learned helplessness at the end of the book and striving to overcome it—though she doesn’t seem (or want) to connect this back to her parents’ smothering behavior, an obvious blind spot that holds back the narrative.
Lena is a talented writer and I believe she always has been. I appreciate the large amount of gossip she shared here: her near hook-up with Adam Driver and his bizarre behavior, the fact that she cheated on Jack Antonoff during the Jack/Lorde PowerPoint drama, and the fall-out behind her collaborative partnership with Jenni Konner. I hope she overcomes her health struggles and continues to create. She’s a funny person who’s been through it. I saw a video of her recently and despite all the criticism over her weight, I thought she looked great. She looked *herself* for maybe the first time I’ve ever seen her—wearing the clothes she wanted, existing with pride, comfortable in her own body. Good for her.
April 6, 2026
’It makes me laugh now thinking how much trouble I must have cooked up in my twenties by being radically myself, when in reality, I was universes away from my own body. It's easy to set fires in a life that seems like a simulation.’
Oscillated between four or five stars but I’m landing on four because I wanted more from the ending.
The rest of it? Perfect.
Oscillated between four or five stars but I’m landing on four because I wanted more from the ending.
The rest of it? Perfect.
April 23, 2026
Dunham is a brilliant writer who excavates her own life to tell us a cautionary tale about fame: the only thing that will hollow you out more than chasing fame is being famous.
Dunham takes us on a journey from her pre-Girls work to the height of her fame, slowly becoming more ill as she overworks herself. As her endometriosis got worse, a twin thread is braided between the highs of fame (the Met Gala, the Grammys, friendship with Taylor Swift, being hit on my famous directors) and the horrors of her illness (surgery after surgery after surgery).
Eventually she's diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos, gets a hysterectomy, and becomes addicted to painkillers, effectively torpedoing both her career and every relationship in her life.
Like I said above, Dunham is an amazing writer. I worry that her talent and the triple hydra of illness, addiction, and misogyny have calcified into a myopia that's hard to parse: obviously this is Dunham's story, but every fault, every mistake, every L, is someone else's.
Dunham's recontexualizing of every horror in her life as relating to one of the three monsters in her life is a symptom of her Millennial bonafides, but one that's hard to puncture: how can you question someone's own experience, especially when they're hated by the nation, struggling with addiction, and chronically ill? Every monster is made of smoke, every monster is bigger than the last, every monster is undying.
Lena Dunham is brilliant, full stop. Your experience with the book will vary on how much you can believe and your tolerance for Millennial sidestepping: it's an interesting gambit to write a memoir with the bones of quitlit while gently avoiding accountability or questioning.
Dunham is complex, complicated, and a jumble of contradictions: her superpower is her ability to chronicle the intricacies of human emotion beautifully, but ultimately, she is only human.
Dunham takes us on a journey from her pre-Girls work to the height of her fame, slowly becoming more ill as she overworks herself. As her endometriosis got worse, a twin thread is braided between the highs of fame (the Met Gala, the Grammys, friendship with Taylor Swift, being hit on my famous directors) and the horrors of her illness (surgery after surgery after surgery).
Eventually she's diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos, gets a hysterectomy, and becomes addicted to painkillers, effectively torpedoing both her career and every relationship in her life.
Like I said above, Dunham is an amazing writer. I worry that her talent and the triple hydra of illness, addiction, and misogyny have calcified into a myopia that's hard to parse: obviously this is Dunham's story, but every fault, every mistake, every L, is someone else's.
Dunham's recontexualizing of every horror in her life as relating to one of the three monsters in her life is a symptom of her Millennial bonafides, but one that's hard to puncture: how can you question someone's own experience, especially when they're hated by the nation, struggling with addiction, and chronically ill? Every monster is made of smoke, every monster is bigger than the last, every monster is undying.
Lena Dunham is brilliant, full stop. Your experience with the book will vary on how much you can believe and your tolerance for Millennial sidestepping: it's an interesting gambit to write a memoir with the bones of quitlit while gently avoiding accountability or questioning.
Dunham is complex, complicated, and a jumble of contradictions: her superpower is her ability to chronicle the intricacies of human emotion beautifully, but ultimately, she is only human.
April 20, 2026
Lena Dunham is a talented storyteller and filmmaker. She writes stories in a compelling and interesting way. The problem is the she has to tell here is exasperating. She has a bit more perspective here than I’ve heard from her before yet she still seems willfully blind to how ridiculously privileged her whole life has been. This selective ignorance is very frustrating and makes it hard to empathize with her, even though she seems desperate for just that.
She writes about her mental and physical heath struggles in detail, but doesn’t seem to also see
what a gift and advantage she has had by having access to consistent mental and physical health care and treatment since childhood and a doting, well-to-do family. If she incorporated that understanding into her story, it would make it easier to hear and understand her experience. It would make her memoir richer and more honest. Instead, she still seems out of touch and utterly tone deaf.
She also remains prone to offering long excuses, framed as explanations, for her poor behavior, despite professing to be accountable. She points out her missteps but always provides so much self-serving rationale that it leaves the reader with the impression that she sees herself the ultimate victim in situations she herself caused. Perhaps she has been too swaddled by her co-dependent parents, well into adulthood, to be able to take true ownership. She is an unreliable narrator of her own life.
My overall takeaway is the Lena Dunham is basically like a consumptive Victorian child who needs constant coddling and care. Good thing she has always had that.
I’ve read many memoirs of people that left me with a fuller appreciation or understanding of a person. This didn’t do that for me at all. She seemed to me one-dimensional and childish even now. I picked up this book because I liked Girls, but this actually made me like her less.
She writes about her mental and physical heath struggles in detail, but doesn’t seem to also see
what a gift and advantage she has had by having access to consistent mental and physical health care and treatment since childhood and a doting, well-to-do family. If she incorporated that understanding into her story, it would make it easier to hear and understand her experience. It would make her memoir richer and more honest. Instead, she still seems out of touch and utterly tone deaf.
She also remains prone to offering long excuses, framed as explanations, for her poor behavior, despite professing to be accountable. She points out her missteps but always provides so much self-serving rationale that it leaves the reader with the impression that she sees herself the ultimate victim in situations she herself caused. Perhaps she has been too swaddled by her co-dependent parents, well into adulthood, to be able to take true ownership. She is an unreliable narrator of her own life.
My overall takeaway is the Lena Dunham is basically like a consumptive Victorian child who needs constant coddling and care. Good thing she has always had that.
I’ve read many memoirs of people that left me with a fuller appreciation or understanding of a person. This didn’t do that for me at all. She seemed to me one-dimensional and childish even now. I picked up this book because I liked Girls, but this actually made me like her less.
April 23, 2026
this audiobook dropping while it’s 77 degrees in NYC is sooo Girls coded.
I’m currently listening while my feet are on my windowsill and I’m eating a fresh bagel, typing with my ring finger, getting cream cheese on my screen.
Lena lives!!!!
I’m currently listening while my feet are on my windowsill and I’m eating a fresh bagel, typing with my ring finger, getting cream cheese on my screen.
Lena lives!!!!
April 23, 2026
Color me impressed. I found this immersive, challenging, and very well written. Dunham has a lot of blind spots, and she is a drama queen, but she has also faced a lot of hurdles that would fell people with better mental and physical health, and it appears she has come out stronger, smarter, and happier. I loved learning more about Dunham's parents and brother. She shares deeply about her relationships with Jack Antonoff and Jenni Konner, and that was riveting. Lena is a lot, and you can see that they both went through the wars with her. I don't think she always knows how exhausting she is, and as a result, I don't think he understands why Konner was so ungracious at the end and why Antonoff closed the door between them so comprehensively. We see it is not because they are bad people or did not love her, but the only defense against a marauding army is to never allow a crack in one's defenses. Still, this is Lena's story, and she gets to tell it how she sees it. Speaking of which, I listened to the audio narrated by Lena, and I think it is the way to go.
One last thing. I keep seeing negative comments about Lena's privilege. First, it is a celebrity memoir; of course, she is privileged -- those reviewers went in wanting to bitch about privilege and to make this all about themselves. They might want to think about the irony in that. Second, who cares if she has privilege? She is telling her story, which reflects her life, which is no less important or valid because she has the money to seek certain solutions to her problems. You want to read the bio of an unhoused person or an uninsured gig worker with chronic mental and physical health problems? Go right ahead. I might want to read that too, but that is not what this is.
One last thing. I keep seeing negative comments about Lena's privilege. First, it is a celebrity memoir; of course, she is privileged -- those reviewers went in wanting to bitch about privilege and to make this all about themselves. They might want to think about the irony in that. Second, who cares if she has privilege? She is telling her story, which reflects her life, which is no less important or valid because she has the money to seek certain solutions to her problems. You want to read the bio of an unhoused person or an uninsured gig worker with chronic mental and physical health problems? Go right ahead. I might want to read that too, but that is not what this is.
April 16, 2026
People were unfair to her
Read
April 16, 2026I cannot communicate the profound catharsis I felt bursting into tears on one of the countless empty and artless streets in Los Angeles, literally not another human in sight, upon finishing this audiobook. It reminded me of a text exchange I saw posted to Twitter once that went something like:
“Liam Payne”
“Oh god what did that loser do this time”
“HE DIED”
“WHAT?!?!? 😭😭😭 NOOOO”
The amount of posts, and comments on posts, I���ve seen this week about Lena Dunham that say “Oh God why won’t she go away” “who wants to still hear from this woman”, or deriding her lack of taking accountability without even reading a word of the book, is truly shocking (but also very much not shocking). People want to break down these public figures they so much love to hate until they are forced mourn them. The clarity with which Lena writes about this firsthand experience, and knows so vividly that she is a person it has been hard to love (both intimately and publicly) is nothing but a gift. She offers her clear-eyed wisdoms and hard-earned observations so generously.
She’s imperfect and self-involved, but isn’t that what makes a great memoir? I’m feeling especially grateful to have read this before the entire internet got their think pieces in about why the whole thing is problematic garbage.
“Liam Payne”
“Oh god what did that loser do this time”
“HE DIED”
“WHAT?!?!? 😭😭😭 NOOOO”
The amount of posts, and comments on posts, I���ve seen this week about Lena Dunham that say “Oh God why won’t she go away” “who wants to still hear from this woman”, or deriding her lack of taking accountability without even reading a word of the book, is truly shocking (but also very much not shocking). People want to break down these public figures they so much love to hate until they are forced mourn them. The clarity with which Lena writes about this firsthand experience, and knows so vividly that she is a person it has been hard to love (both intimately and publicly) is nothing but a gift. She offers her clear-eyed wisdoms and hard-earned observations so generously.
She’s imperfect and self-involved, but isn’t that what makes a great memoir? I’m feeling especially grateful to have read this before the entire internet got their think pieces in about why the whole thing is problematic garbage.
April 21, 2026
I’ve had the biggest girl crush on Lena Dunham since season one of Girls. With an angelic face, quick wit, feminist appeal, and great sense of style, (what’s not to like?).
In Famesick, Lena discusses her life of stardom from her Hollywood beginnings, working on her first independent film Tiny Furniture, having her first TV show (Girls) picked up by HBO, her romantic relationships, and healing all told with the raw honesty she’s loved for.
Lena describes her struggles with chronic illness, living with chronic pain, and mental health all while coping with her newfound fame. She also discusses the critics and the terrible opinions spouted about her online as well as the scandal that erupted when her book of essays was published.
Reading Famesick was like being a part of Lena’s inner circle of friends. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Lena and her struggles were heart wrenching. Famesick made me respect her creativity and adore her even more. Now excuse me while I start binging and rewatching every season of Girls.
I listened to the audiobook version which is read by Lena Dunham herself. If you decide to pick this one up, I highly recommend this format!
Famesick by Lena Dunham was published on April 14 so it’s available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook.
In Famesick, Lena discusses her life of stardom from her Hollywood beginnings, working on her first independent film Tiny Furniture, having her first TV show (Girls) picked up by HBO, her romantic relationships, and healing all told with the raw honesty she’s loved for.
Lena describes her struggles with chronic illness, living with chronic pain, and mental health all while coping with her newfound fame. She also discusses the critics and the terrible opinions spouted about her online as well as the scandal that erupted when her book of essays was published.
Reading Famesick was like being a part of Lena’s inner circle of friends. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Lena and her struggles were heart wrenching. Famesick made me respect her creativity and adore her even more. Now excuse me while I start binging and rewatching every season of Girls.
I listened to the audiobook version which is read by Lena Dunham herself. If you decide to pick this one up, I highly recommend this format!
Famesick by Lena Dunham was published on April 14 so it’s available now. Many thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook.
April 23, 2026
Dang, this hit me hard and I didn’t expect to relate so much to this. Lena Dunham is an amazing writer.
April 22, 2026
I originally picked this up because I’m nosy as hell, but then it had me nearly crying several times! I appreciate her honesty
April 16, 2026
I don't think u guys are getting it like this is scripture to me. fatness, Adams, motherhood, Midwest nice.....I want a mini version like ppl carry the constitution
Lena Dunham apologist cuz we're the ladies!
Lena Dunham apologist cuz we're the ladies!
April 16, 2026
she went through such hell we are truly lucky she’s still here and still writing and still willing to share with us!!
April 24, 2026
A voice of a generation
April 22, 2026
like really good actually
Read
April 16, 2026Regardless of your feelings on her this is a very well written memoir. She’s vulnerable and thorough, the pacing moves well. She respects the people in her life but still gives the reader as much detail as possible. I think this will be on the list of the best books I’ve read this year! Pleasantly surprised.
April 23, 2026
A non-exhaustive list of names dropped in Famesick (unrelated to the making of Girls because, duh):
- The Safdie brothers, Greta Gerwig, Ti West, Joe Swanberg, Noah Baumbach, Nora Ephron, Barbara Walters, Zac Posen, Anna Wintour, Gwenyth Paltrow, Oprah, Jennifer Lawrence, John Hamm, Busy Phillips, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katy Perry, Daniel Day-Lewis('s son), Zadie Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Robert de Niro, Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci.
- The Safdie brothers, Greta Gerwig, Ti West, Joe Swanberg, Noah Baumbach, Nora Ephron, Barbara Walters, Zac Posen, Anna Wintour, Gwenyth Paltrow, Oprah, Jennifer Lawrence, John Hamm, Busy Phillips, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katy Perry, Daniel Day-Lewis('s son), Zadie Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Robert de Niro, Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci.
April 16, 2026
Lena Dunham, reading this book made me want to hug you, cry with and for you, and mostly thank you. Dunham is a once in a generation talent who makes you laugh out loud, widen your eyes, and feel deeply. She writes a truth many women come to know intimately: never trust a man from New Jersey.
April 21, 2026
i'm sorry for anything i ever said about you Lena
Great follow up after matthew perry's memoir, a similar stardom/hollywood/addiction story with the overall lesson that fame will never fill that deep hole inside of u, might actually eat u up instead. I recommend actually reading and not listening - her writing is so freaking good and i wish i had read it. Part of me was even like i should stop listening and find the book and read it, but it was so good i couldnt even pause
I loved girls, and i loved this book. Amazing behind the scenes look at the making of this show. ANd also pop culture gossip if that matters to you (see: lorde x jack antonoff, adam driver being an asshole, etc.). But re lena, its so clear to me that we (the world) owe her an apology. this is a story about how the world treats women, women's pain, and women in pain. Also loud women, even annoying women. Badly, and with so much skepticism. like i actually feel bad. I was very impressed with her self-reflection and self-awareness in this book, seems like she recognized how she was probably a challenging person to be around, how she definitely made mistakes, the very real privilege she holds (and not just in an 'i acknowledge it way'). But at the same time she sticks up for herself, and i think thats the most impressive part of all
Great follow up after matthew perry's memoir, a similar stardom/hollywood/addiction story with the overall lesson that fame will never fill that deep hole inside of u, might actually eat u up instead. I recommend actually reading and not listening - her writing is so freaking good and i wish i had read it. Part of me was even like i should stop listening and find the book and read it, but it was so good i couldnt even pause
I loved girls, and i loved this book. Amazing behind the scenes look at the making of this show. ANd also pop culture gossip if that matters to you (see: lorde x jack antonoff, adam driver being an asshole, etc.). But re lena, its so clear to me that we (the world) owe her an apology. this is a story about how the world treats women, women's pain, and women in pain. Also loud women, even annoying women. Badly, and with so much skepticism. like i actually feel bad. I was very impressed with her self-reflection and self-awareness in this book, seems like she recognized how she was probably a challenging person to be around, how she definitely made mistakes, the very real privilege she holds (and not just in an 'i acknowledge it way'). But at the same time she sticks up for herself, and i think thats the most impressive part of all
April 19, 2026
When Lena Dunham wrote that "I think that I am the voice of my generation" line for Hannah in Girls, it was quite obviously a joke. This is why it is ironic that Dunham technically is the voice of her generation, for better and for worse. Nobody captures the quintessential middle-class female millennial experience of the Obama years better than her. Reading this memoir is like reliving the early days of the hipsters, before the first big swing towards right-wing authoritarianism in the West – we are talking the years when young adults could still constantly obsess over themselves, shitstorm each other for using the wrong words, and dream about breaking some glass ceilings (most of which probably were not that difficult to get through).
At the very beginning of the book, Dunham’s parents say something along the lines that they do not understand why anybody would want to publish such a book. And it becomes quite clear what they mean by that: Dunham is rawer and more vulnerable than ever before. And mind you, this is a woman who has always been open about the way she has sex, eats and loves. But this time she writes about her struggles, anxieties, and the people in her life in such detail that I often wondered whether it was possible to get sued for some of her characterizations (lol).
And still, there were some occasions when I didn’t quite buy her “honesty,” when it felt as if she was hiding behind a performative naïveté. Particularly when she writes about Adam Driver, who was obviously violent toward her, this felt almost schizophrenic. Like, he threw a chair at her when she was unable to perform due to her illness… and she still defends him?
Dunham is also quite honest about her narcissism, which often led to her being considered annoying. I found this quite refreshing, because she is just real about the fact that you inevitably become insufferable when you are famous. Yet, these character traits also made it occasionally hard for me to sympathize with her. Sometimes I just wanted to shout: “GIRL, FFS, WANTING TO BE LIKED BY EVERYBODY IS ALSO A SIGN OF CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF STOP SWALLOWING IN SELF PITY TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY“ but I also do understand why it took her so long to realize this. Eventually, I still loved her specifically white jewish New York neuroticism.
At the very beginning of the book, Dunham’s parents say something along the lines that they do not understand why anybody would want to publish such a book. And it becomes quite clear what they mean by that: Dunham is rawer and more vulnerable than ever before. And mind you, this is a woman who has always been open about the way she has sex, eats and loves. But this time she writes about her struggles, anxieties, and the people in her life in such detail that I often wondered whether it was possible to get sued for some of her characterizations (lol).
And still, there were some occasions when I didn’t quite buy her “honesty,” when it felt as if she was hiding behind a performative naïveté. Particularly when she writes about Adam Driver, who was obviously violent toward her, this felt almost schizophrenic. Like, he threw a chair at her when she was unable to perform due to her illness… and she still defends him?
Dunham is also quite honest about her narcissism, which often led to her being considered annoying. I found this quite refreshing, because she is just real about the fact that you inevitably become insufferable when you are famous. Yet, these character traits also made it occasionally hard for me to sympathize with her. Sometimes I just wanted to shout: “GIRL, FFS, WANTING TO BE LIKED BY EVERYBODY IS ALSO A SIGN OF CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF STOP SWALLOWING IN SELF PITY TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY“ but I also do understand why it took her so long to realize this. Eventually, I still loved her specifically white jewish New York neuroticism.
April 24, 2026
Girlsis on stseen, kus tüdrukud avastavad, et keegi neist ei salli enam üksteist, nii et nad otsustavad oma parimatele sõpradele kõik halvad asjad otse näkku öelda. Shoshanna ütleb Hannah'le: "Seriously, I have never met anyone else who thinks their own life is so fucking fascinating! I wanted to fall asleep in my own vomit all day listening to you talk on and on about how you bruise more easily than other people!"
Mulle tundub, et Lena Dunham annab inimestele seda vaibi ja ühiskond otsustab tsükliliselt, kas nad arvavad, et see on ikooniline ja generatsiooni defineeriv või haiglane, tülgastav, nartsissistlik. Paraku on see vaib ka mul endal, niisiis lähevad ta tööd mulle väga korda. Nagu Girls, on ka see raamat kohati hüsteeriliselt naljakas, kohati nuga-südamesse-masendav, kohati mulle-tundub-et-maailmas-on-suuremaid-probleeme ja kohati aga-kes-ütleb-et-keegi-ei-võiks-triviaalsetest-probleemidest-kirjutada.
Selles raamatus kirjutas Dunham valdavalt ikkagi suurtest probleemidest. Arvestades, et inimesed (ja ma pole tegelikult väga suur erand) on iga tema sõna peale valmis raamatu käest viskama ja asuma lugemise asemel vorpima vihaseid kommentaare, mõjusid mõned kohad üllatavalt... privileegipimedalt. Või mitte isegi pimedalt. Pigem eitavalt. Aga mida kaugemale ma raamatuga jõudsin, seda rohkem mulle meeldis, et ta ei ilmunud oma koopast välja, et (niivõrd kauni raamatukaane varjus) senist elu välja vabandada. Osad on nimetanud seda õigustamiseks, aga minu meelest inimene lihtsalt kirjeldas, mis toimus. Ilmselt ei ole ilmas palju neid, kes pärast kõike juhtunut kirjutaks oma suhetest, tööst ja tervisest nii detailselt ja toorelt. Jumal tänatud, et mõni inimene ikkagi on.
Ma tunnen, et mind käivitavad Lena Dunhamiga sarnased motivaatorid. Ma samastun sügavalt 20- ja 30aastase lapstäiskasvanu jonniga, kes ei taha kuhugi minna ega midagi teha. Kes tahab elada ilusat elu ilusate asjade keskel ning ei tea piisavalt argielu nüanssidest, mida oleks tingimata pidanud juba tundma õppima. Kes ei ole füüsiliselt võimeline vajalikul hetkel oma suud kinni hoidma – mitte sellepärast, et saada tähelepanu, nagu võib ilmselt mulje jääda, vaid sest ei suuda noh! See tuleb kuskilt kõhupõhjast ja südamest. Midagi on vaja öelda! Kes hoolib nii väga, mida teised arvavad, ja üritab alati teha nii, et kõik tunneksid end hästi, aga ei suuda endast head muljet jätta, rikub kõik ära, pü��ab veel ja veel, kuni põleb uuesti ja uuesti läbi. Kes satub minimaalsegi avaliku tähelepanu korral sekeldustesse, mille põhjal häbistavad võhivõõrad inimesed teda aastaid hiljem. Ja nii edasi.
Suur osa raamatust keskendus ta kroonilistele tervisemuredele, mis puudutas mind sügavalt. Kahekümnendate alguspooles tõsisemalt avalduma hakanud terviseprobleemid süvenesid sedamööda, mida stressirohkemaks Dunhami elu muutus. Ta kirjeldab suuresti nähtamatu haiguse käes piinlemist ja seda umbusku, millega peab elama krooniliselt haige inimene, keda peetakse dramaatiliseks vingatsiks, kuni lõpuks jääb üle lihtsalt palvetada, et arstid päriselt ka su seest midagi kohutavat leiaksid – midagi füüsilist, mis tõestaks, et sa pole kõigile valetanud. Ta meenutab, kuidas suutis üha vähem teha ja hakkama saada, kuidas ta iseloom ja harjumused muutusid, kuidas ümbritsevate inimeste kaastunne kulus üha hapramaks ning asendus varem või hiljem tüdimuse, ärrituse või millegi hullemaga. See kõik oli südantlõhestavalt tuttav ja imeilusasti kirja pandud. Üleüldse on kõik selles raamatus ilusasti kirja pandud. Eriti ilusti kirjutab ta teistest inimestest.
Mulle tundub, et Lena Dunham annab inimestele seda vaibi ja ühiskond otsustab tsükliliselt, kas nad arvavad, et see on ikooniline ja generatsiooni defineeriv või haiglane, tülgastav, nartsissistlik. Paraku on see vaib ka mul endal, niisiis lähevad ta tööd mulle väga korda. Nagu Girls, on ka see raamat kohati hüsteeriliselt naljakas, kohati nuga-südamesse-masendav, kohati mulle-tundub-et-maailmas-on-suuremaid-probleeme ja kohati aga-kes-ütleb-et-keegi-ei-võiks-triviaalsetest-probleemidest-kirjutada.
Selles raamatus kirjutas Dunham valdavalt ikkagi suurtest probleemidest. Arvestades, et inimesed (ja ma pole tegelikult väga suur erand) on iga tema sõna peale valmis raamatu käest viskama ja asuma lugemise asemel vorpima vihaseid kommentaare, mõjusid mõned kohad üllatavalt... privileegipimedalt. Või mitte isegi pimedalt. Pigem eitavalt. Aga mida kaugemale ma raamatuga jõudsin, seda rohkem mulle meeldis, et ta ei ilmunud oma koopast välja, et (niivõrd kauni raamatukaane varjus) senist elu välja vabandada. Osad on nimetanud seda õigustamiseks, aga minu meelest inimene lihtsalt kirjeldas, mis toimus. Ilmselt ei ole ilmas palju neid, kes pärast kõike juhtunut kirjutaks oma suhetest, tööst ja tervisest nii detailselt ja toorelt. Jumal tänatud, et mõni inimene ikkagi on.
Ma tunnen, et mind käivitavad Lena Dunhamiga sarnased motivaatorid. Ma samastun sügavalt 20- ja 30aastase lapstäiskasvanu jonniga, kes ei taha kuhugi minna ega midagi teha. Kes tahab elada ilusat elu ilusate asjade keskel ning ei tea piisavalt argielu nüanssidest, mida oleks tingimata pidanud juba tundma õppima. Kes ei ole füüsiliselt võimeline vajalikul hetkel oma suud kinni hoidma – mitte sellepärast, et saada tähelepanu, nagu võib ilmselt mulje jääda, vaid sest ei suuda noh! See tuleb kuskilt kõhupõhjast ja südamest. Midagi on vaja öelda! Kes hoolib nii väga, mida teised arvavad, ja üritab alati teha nii, et kõik tunneksid end hästi, aga ei suuda endast head muljet jätta, rikub kõik ära, pü��ab veel ja veel, kuni põleb uuesti ja uuesti läbi. Kes satub minimaalsegi avaliku tähelepanu korral sekeldustesse, mille põhjal häbistavad võhivõõrad inimesed teda aastaid hiljem. Ja nii edasi.
Suur osa raamatust keskendus ta kroonilistele tervisemuredele, mis puudutas mind sügavalt. Kahekümnendate alguspooles tõsisemalt avalduma hakanud terviseprobleemid süvenesid sedamööda, mida stressirohkemaks Dunhami elu muutus. Ta kirjeldab suuresti nähtamatu haiguse käes piinlemist ja seda umbusku, millega peab elama krooniliselt haige inimene, keda peetakse dramaatiliseks vingatsiks, kuni lõpuks jääb üle lihtsalt palvetada, et arstid päriselt ka su seest midagi kohutavat leiaksid – midagi füüsilist, mis tõestaks, et sa pole kõigile valetanud. Ta meenutab, kuidas suutis üha vähem teha ja hakkama saada, kuidas ta iseloom ja harjumused muutusid, kuidas ümbritsevate inimeste kaastunne kulus üha hapramaks ning asendus varem või hiljem tüdimuse, ärrituse või millegi hullemaga. See kõik oli südantlõhestavalt tuttav ja imeilusasti kirja pandud. Üleüldse on kõik selles raamatus ilusasti kirja pandud. Eriti ilusti kirjutab ta teistest inimestest.
April 15, 2026
The lore in this book is insane, Lena contacting the Power Point creator, the tea we got on Lorde and Jacks alleged relationship, Lena cheating on Jack, I couldn’t stop reading, it had me gasping every few pages, iconic.
April 24, 2026
never watched girls while it aired as i viewed dunham as “too problematic” while my favorite artist for years was kanye west. watched it a few years ago when i turned 30, and since then i haven’t been able to stop thinking about girls. what a gift and a curse to be able to exactly write about your current time and life. listening to this audiobook read by lena herself is like listening to a 10hour voice memo from an old friend. at the end i shed a small tear. all adventurous women do.
April 19, 2026
What I respect most about Famesick is that it’s intimate, which all memoirs should be and almost none are. Also it’s entertaining and funny. I could walk around listening and fail to realize how much time had passed. Anyway, It’s not my job to judge Lena Dunham, plenty of people have already done that and look at where it got them, and I can forgive certain hang-ups getting in the way of the narrative because those are the same hang-ups that make her art possible. She tries at times to sugarcoat things (if sugarcoat is even the right word, I’m looking for something like pointedly contextualize) and fails, and you have to assume that she noticed she failed and published anyway because that’s the honest thing to do. You get a clearer picture of a person by observing the contradictions and inconsistencies that emerge in their autobiography than you do when you take the work at face value. Many lesser memoirists have realized this and hammered and shined their stories until no real insight could be gleaned. The braver writers leave a little mess. Critics will say she didn’t mean to bare her soul in the way that she did; if that is true I will have enjoyed myself regardless. Yes, passionate opinions came up over the course of reading. Yes, I disagreed with her many times in many ways. She allows herself to be divisive, and we can all learn from that.
April 20, 2026
la honestidad de dunham como escritora me interpela muchísimo, al igual que su forma de hacerse responsable de sus malos actos mientras la mayoría de sus colegas siguen escondiendo la cabeza bajo tierra. me parece muy injusto que la prensa siga revolviendo en su historia para que el odio hacia ella continúe impunemente. lena dunham es la voz de su generación. o al menos una voz, de una generación. ❤️🩹
April 20, 2026
One of the best writers of our time- such a gift to read this. Full of love, shame, grief, fear, and everything that makes us deliciously human. Lena Dunham’s writing has always shone a mirror to my heart and this memoir is no exception.
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