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Not That Kind of Girl A Memoir Carlene Bauer 9780060840549 Books

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Not That Kind of Girl A Memoir Carlene Bauer 9780060840549 Books

The storyline pretty much bummed me out, I wanted to give up so many times but once I get so far I just haaave to finish... it was just OK for me. A lot of rambling, not a good book for a fan of the formulaic “arc”, but I will credit the author— she has a wondrous way with words and paints the most amazing visuals with just the right amount of style and “big words”. This book took me nearly a year to finish (whereas I was reading a book a month before), so proceed with caution. If you like philosophy and psychology, you might dig this. :)


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Not That Kind of Girl A Memoir Carlene Bauer 9780060840549 Books Reviews

I have to say that I basically devoured Not that Kind of Girl in two days! That is how good and engaging this memoir is.

Carlene Bauer writes about a subject matter that is timely as well as timeless. Regardless of the generation, many girls have grown up with mixed messages - that is 'that there is such a thing as a "good girl" and a "bad girl" and you always want to be the good gril - except, of course, that nobody really explains to you how to deal with things like hormones, love, lust, fear and peer pressure come in. You instantly find yourself in a world where things are no longer so black and white.

This is the basic premise of the memoir and I have to say that Bauer explores this theme with some humor, a healthy dose of self exploration, a degree of fear and alot of hope.

You can almost tell, in some parts of the books, where the author could simply have written "and I took a deep breath and just went for it - hoping it was the right decision" and this made the book incredibly realistic to me.

Bauer has a beautiful way with words and she managed to convey an enormous amount of feeling into each page.

I found myself nodding at so many of th passages, all the way cheering her on and encouraging her to find her own way - minus all the head stuff. I think I was partially doing it for her - and partially for me.

Lovely, lovely memoir.
There is no doubt about it--Carlene Bauer can write. I found her book more interesting as she was wrapping up her story because there was a bit more action and less talk. The attraction she feels to two men and the enigma she faces in her spiritual life both make the final chapters compelling.

Up to that point I sometimes found myself drowning in a sea of words. She can be so obtuse that several chapters went by before I realized that she was still a virgin, that all those nocturnal encounters with a string of young men stopped short of consummation.

Bauer wants a man who is both sexually exciting and intellectually fascinating. She wants a religion that she can believe in totally with no exceptions. Born into fundamentalism, she soon discovers its restrictions don't make for a comfortable fit, but Catholicism doesn't mesh with her beliefs either. Her childhood love of God and Jesus doesn't translate once she reaches adulthood and faces life as a single woman in New York City. 9-11, as it does for many others, has a startling effect on her spirituality.

She seems to be fulfilled in the other areas of her life. She enjoys her writing career in a high-rise building where the camaraderie between her and her colleagues is satisfying. Still, by the final page, when she must walk by the Pentecostal meeting with the joyful faces, we're aware that there's something missing but she can't compromise herself. She doesn't find the perfect religion or the perfect man by the final chapter.

I thought of Ernest Hemingway and The Lost Generation. I thought of Ernest, the protagonist in The Way of All Flesh who casts aside his religious life and academic life for what he sees as life on his own terms. His writing also is the highlight of his existence. It's a sad story but all too common now in our modern times. People are seeking for more than their parents had, not necessarily in a material sense, but a deeper emotional life. But to use an old expression, "Sometimes it's like throwing out the baby with the bathwater." They're left with a void.
This is a lovely story to curl up with at night or on the beach. It is well written, sweet, touching, and definitely worth checking out.
It took me a while to really get snagged with this book. There are parts that clip along and parts that lag. As someone who came from the fundamentalist tradition and left, there was a lot in the book that really resonated with me and there are some really profound observations on life, love, art, and religion throughout.
I was brought up in an evangelical home, and lost my faith after going through many of the same struggles as Carlene does here, so I'm familiar with the process of trying to figure out just who you are, and who you want to be, after losing such a huge part of your identity. This book really hit home for me; It was as if I'd found a kindrid spirit, and I'm sure that's no small part of how much I enjoyed it. Her style took a while to get used to; On occasion I had to pause and take a moment to digest what I was reading because the phrasing was complex (perhaps even poetic), or there were references with which I was unfamiliar. But it's worth the effort, and more rewarding as a result. Perhaps not an easy read, but you'll be surprised at how often you're taken aback by the beauty of what she's written, and just how real and honest it feels.
Though a pleasant read, the story wasn't inherently that interesting.
The storyline pretty much bummed me out, I wanted to give up so many times but once I get so far I just haaave to finish... it was just OK for me. A lot of rambling, not a good book for a fan of the formulaic “arc”, but I will credit the author— she has a wondrous way with words and paints the most amazing visuals with just the right amount of style and “big words”. This book took me nearly a year to finish (whereas I was reading a book a month before), so proceed with caution. If you like philosophy and psychology, you might dig this. )