While I did not necessarily feel related to her discussion on men, I found the parts about her relationship with her mother to be incredible powerful and relevant to my experience.

A thoughtful, albeit harrowing look at one woman's mental health struggles. Tendler's hospitalization in 2021 followed years of issues and she revisits the trauma of her childhood, her search for love, and her self loathing in a relatable fashion I suspect will resonate with many. Those looking for the scoop on her marriage to John Mulaney will go away disappointed and you've got to admire her for that. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Here's wishing her well in the future.

I struggled a bit with how to write this review - because while I enjoyed the memoir a ton, and it is very beautifully written, the ending of it felt a little rushed. Tendler writes with a ton of wit, compassion, and humor and insight - about herself, her interactions with her housemates at her facility, her mother, and even the men in her life who have all taken advantage or harmed her in various ways.

I was also actually pleased that Tendler's famous ex husband, and the media circus that ensued in the months following her release, are not mentioned at all. Tendler's memoir does a great job of thoughtfully giving a peek into her mind at the time of her hospitalization, and at moments it even feels like we're with her taking long walks, making funny crafts, dodging awkward male patients, etc. It is great to simply get to know and understand somewhat of her headspace, without any of the attendant noise that came with her divorce. And while I wasn't looking for an ending with a "happy bow", the ending still felt a little abrupt after such a thoughtful, cerebral pace- I would've liked to hear how Tendler found her new therapist, heard more about her photography projects, and frankly more about the women in her life. I wanted to hear more, and while I know she's still navigating her new world, the ending felt a little rushed. Considering this a debut, this is remarkable- and hopefully that means more writing to come.

I hate rating memoirs because it seems unfair to critique someone’s words pertaining to their own life. However, I can objectively say this was five stars. The storytelling was incredible, the writing was beautiful, and the pain was visceral. As a woman in my thirties. I have been in many similar situations. Some pages of this felt like staring deeply into a mirror.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of Men Have Called Her Crazy. This is a really well done memoir, mostly around the topic of mental health. This highly anticipated book is well worth the read and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I actually had no idea that this book had anything to do with John Mulaney when I started reading it and I think that added to how much I enjoyed it. It was better to just read the story without any knowledge of him initially and just read Anna's story. A great read!

I wanted so badly to love this memoir, but unfortunately the pacing felt a bit wonky, and the ending really just seemed like a critique of the inpatient facility where she sought treatment, rather than a wrap-up of her story as a whole.

This was a very interesting and insightful memoir. I knew nothing about the author prior to reading her story and I was able to relate to her struggles with anxiety and self-doubt. The ways she was treated by her therapist and men in her life were so sad but relatable to read and I am glad to read her story of getting help for her issues and making her way in life.

RAVING REVIEW: MEN HAVE CALLED HER CRAZY starts with Anna Marie Tendler's voluntary check-in to a psychiatric facility, marking the start of a memoir that is as much a deep dive into her psyche as it is a reflection on broader societal issues. The opening is both gripping and heartfelt, setting the tone for a story that intertwines Tendler’s struggles with her complex interactions with men throughout her life. This memoir goes beyond the traditional recounting of trials and tribulations; instead, the book offers a sharp critique of the unspoken rules that often govern women's lives.

As a short disclaimer, I’m a male and can only view this story through my own eyes. I’ve found that stories that allow me to grow the most as a person are those that aren’t necessarily for me; it's the stories that enable me to hear others' experiences and share in their world that opens my eyes. With all that said, please look out for the words of others who have shared Anna’s story, as their words carry far more weight; this review is only my thoughts on her story.

Tendler's journey through the halls of the hospital serves as a backdrop to her candid exploration of mental health, not just as a personal challenge but as an issue intersecting with societal expectations. Her story transitions between her past and present, from her younger days dealing with infatuations and heartbreaks to more mature challenges, like her decision to freeze her eggs—a stark contrast to her friends’ life choices, highlighting the societal pressures on women to follow a specific life script.

What makes MEN HAVE CALLED HER CRAZY particularly compelling is Tendler’s refusal to sugarcoat or sensationalize her experiences. The narrative steers clear of diving into the gritty details of her past marriage with John Mulaney, focusing instead on her path to self-acceptance and recovery. This approach lends the memoir a genuine and grounded feel, making it relatable to those interested in lives and anyone grappling with personal or mental health challenges.

The dual timeline of the memoir allows readers to see the evolution of Tendler’s mental health issues alongside her interactions with others around her. Her narrative is a blend of personal memoir and societal critique, enriched by her unique artistic sensibilities—seen in her Victorian lampshade designs and melancholic photography (seriously, check out her website.) These elements add a distinctive visual and emotional depth to her storytelling, enhancing the reader’s engagement.

Throughout the memoir, Tendler delves into creative expression's therapeutic power. Her background as an artist serves not only as a career but as a crucial coping mechanism, allowing her to channel her emotional turmoil into her art. This aspect of her life provides a compelling look at how creativity can serve as a sanctuary from mental strife.

In MEN HAVE CALLED HER CRAZY, Tendler doesn’t aim for a tidy, conclusive ending. Instead, she presents a narrative that is as open and ongoing as real life, where personal growth continues beyond the pages of the memoir. This realistic approach humanizes her story and amplifies its impact, making it a standout work that challenges and inspires.

Through its intimate, honest, and aesthetically infused narrative, MEN HAVE CALLED HER CRAZY does more than just tell a story. It invites readers into the complexities of being a woman in the public eye, dealing with mental health issues, and ultimately finding a path to empowerment and resilience. Tendler’s memoir is a bold declaration of her journey from darkness to a place of strength and understanding, making it a crucial read for anyone interested in the intersection of personal development and societal norms.

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4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

Those looking for information about a specific man should look elsewhere. This story is about Anna and her relationships with mental health and with men in general. I enjoyed reading her thoughts on the process of mental health recovery and what led her to be hospitalized on her own volition.

The book rambled a little bit and it took a while to get used to her writing style (she's very detail-oriented in her writing), but the stories she told and the conclusions she came to were fascinating.

Far be it from me to have an opinion on her hatred of men after reading what she's gone through. Do I feel like she was making deliberately bad choices at times and then getting mad at the men? Yes.

All in all, I really enjoyed her book as much as I enjoy her art.

Overall I really enjoyed this and I think Tendler's writing is very engaging. She is extremely open about her struggles and it is easy to feel connected to her while reading this. A few things hit a little bit close to home for me but I wouldn't say I found it triggering.

This loses a star simply because there's a lot of financial privilege at play that goes barely acknowledged until the very end and Tendler is quite woo-woo which did make me lose focus at times.

This is not the expose of her ex-husband that I think a lot of people are looking for and it's honestly much better for that fact. She stays entirely focused on her own journey and I really found the book to be very worth reading. Highly recommend.

perhaps the most devastating use of waxahatchee's "lilacs" ever used in a book.

thanks to simon & schuster and netgalley for the arc!

I, like most people on the internet in 2021, could not stop reading about the divorce of john mulaney and anna marie tendler. Though I really knew very little about her, I was fully on her side as I just assume every famous man is, at his core, an asshole.

This memoir was a really powerful way to get a glimpse into her life at that time where everyone was watching her. It was a blend of her time at this inpatient hospital where she would like to be removed from men altogether mixed with stories of ways in which men have lead her to feel this way.

The decision to remove John Mulaney from the story is one that I completely understand - this book would have immediately been quoted and passed around the internet with glee - but unfortunately I do think it's to the detriment of the book as a whole. Her marriage falling apart at the same time she's checking herself into the hospital seems like the core of the story, but she doesn't even reference it. It seems like one of the major events in her life that would color in this pivotal moment in her mental health journey. I think it's kind of her to keep him from it but I definitely finished the book feeling slightly unsatisfied.

All in all, a beautiful memoir that I think will resonate with many women and the way men impact our sense of self.

Trigger Warnings: self-harm, suicidal ideation, death of a pet

I won't be rating this because 1) I don't typically rate memoirs like this and 2) this book feels way too personal to give it a star rating. This is a recounting of the author's time spent in a psychiatric hospital shortly after the start of 2021. Interspersed with the story of her hospital stay are stories from her childhood and early adulthood that explore her complicated and often emotionally abusive relationships with various men in her life. This book is raw and honest. The writing is powerful and concise while also telling a story. If Anna Marie Tendler ever decided to write a novel, I would absolutely read it.

If you go into this book expecting an exposé on John Mulaney, you will be sorely disappointed. She never mentions him by name anywhere in the book and really only briefly refers to him a couple of times when mentioning her husband or ex-husband. While the public obviously does not know the full story of their relationship and its breakdown, she has given him a lot of consideration in this book by not even bringing him into her story, which I find very admirable.

You can tell that Anna has done a lot of work on herself to get to a much better place by the end of the book than she was in in the beginning. It really comes through in the writing and telling of this story that she cares very much for the advocacy of mental health. And yet, the book never feels like a self-help sort of story, which I also really appreciate.

Overall, for as much as you can enjoy a book like this, I absolutely did. It was well-written and kept me interested from start to finish. It took me a little longer to read because it was actually very difficult to keep reading during some of the sadder sections. But overall, I'm glad I read this. I'm grateful to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read it early. If you like celebrity memoirs that definitely don't actually feel like celebrity memoirs, this is one you should pick up when it comes out next week.

Raw intimate heart wrenching the authors open story of her mental health challenges drew me in from the first pages.I devoured this book her story amazed me left me with so much to think about.#netgalley #s&s

This is not the scathing take down of her ex husband that I think some people are hoping for, but instead the story of a woman who has struggled to feel at home in her mind and body for the majority of her life. It covers her recent stay in a psychiatric hospital as well as her history with mental illness. There’s a particular focus on the role men have played in her journey that felt so refreshingly honest. Full throttle sobbed my way through the last two chapters. I’m emotionally drained but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early look at this book.
I love the way Anna tells stories. I unfortunately relate to a lot of her experiences and I love the way she shares to express herself and share her past.
It’s a hard read but a powerful look into how sexism and the patriarchy impacts women in mental health and just in every day experiences.

Slight spoiler: Petunia, you’re so cute and your chapter killed me 💜

4.5/5
This was a beautiful and raw memoir. It had me engrossed from the very first page. This memoir felt very intimate and Tendler writing makes you feel like you are having a personal conversation with her. I really enjoyed her honest and emotional writing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc.

Anna’s story is raw and full of the beauty and destruction in healing. It tells her tale of strength and coping, as well as telling the stories of her mental health battles. This memoir was extremely powerful, as someone who struggles with anxiety as well.

4.5 stars (rounded up)

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC.

Tender’s memoir is relatable and open, yet tackles the complex feelings she has about men and her mental health in a nuanced, engaging way. To me, this felt somewhat like a long conversation with a friend in the dead of night during a sleepover (if those convos were more coherent and edited).

The most depraved part of myself wanted this to involve more divorce gossip, but that would have aged poorly in the long run and taken away from the depth of Tendler’s personal story.

It can be easy for a memoir/non-fiction narrative that features a struggle with mental illness to have an unrealistically positive message, but Anna remains hopeful while honest about the work she has before her. I might have cried at the end…

I’d recommend this to all the girls and nonbinary folks, plus men with some emotional intelligence that still require more.

This memoir reads like a personal novel. It was exciting and heartfelt, and I could feel the emotions. I enjoyed the perspective and hearing her story! This was a wonderful journey of self-love and acceptance that I joined and I appreciate the author for writing this.
If you like memoirs I think this will be a hit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of this book. It hits shelves on August 13th!

If you’re going into this book looking for salacious details about Tendlers high-profile divorce - this is not going to be what you get. But what is actually within these pages is a much more satisfying and richer portrait of a woman who is bravely seeking to better herself and overcome the challenges of being a woman in a man’s world. I fell asleep twice reading this book, which is a high compliment from me - my parents and in laws were in town and I simply could not go to bed after days full of activity without devouring a little more of this wonderful book.