Men have called her crazy is an insightful memoir about mental illness and the various and complicated paths women often feel forced to walk as the navigate their life.
I deeply enjoyed this memoir, but want to note that if you are looking for discussions of divorce this isn’t really the book. I know several reviewers mentioned her not sharing details, but one thing I was surprised by was the way she mentions her divorce but doesn’t give any of her perspective or feelings on it, which is totally fine, but was somewhat surprising in a book that delved so deeply into her inner thoughts, experiences in relationships and time in a mental hospital.
I found her discussion of her relationships (as patient, friend, etc.) with various women (both positive and negative) and her trouble navigating them to be one of the most impactful elements of the memoir.

AnnaTendler has opened with an absolutely vulnerable and poetic debut of “ the paradox of being a woman, no matter what path you choose chances will end up feeling invisible. “
I started following this creative creature during her scandalous divorce and the path she has chosen to explain her story is heartbreaking, raw and unexpectedly, barley a mention of that celebrity man who pulled the rug out from under her , so she checked into a hospital to figure out wtf to do from here. Anna is the focus so you won’t get the tea if that’s why you are interesting in reading this insightful memoir. This v purposely avoids speaking about that marriage, because she and so many women I know, have been chasing men and validating her worth through their gaze. This book is part of her journey to decentering men. I wish Anna and all of us well. Thank you so much for this highly anticipated arc and it did not disappoint. Can’t wait to see what Ann Tendler does next.

Immensely grateful to have been granted access to not only this eARC, but also to @annamtendler’s thoughts, fears, hopes, vulnerability—all of it. There were moments in this book where Anna articulates feelings that, until reading them, I don’t think I was aware of feeling myself.

This was unputdownable, I read it every second I could—during lunch breaks at work, whenever I had 5 extra minutes to spare in the mornings, while waiting for water to boil on the stove.

I’ve been familiar with her work for a little while before reading this, but whether or not that’s true for you, I highly recommend picking this up when it’s released in August. If you do, I hope you feel as held by it as I did.

This book is not the tell all drama that I think a lot of people expect it to be, but it is one of the most impactful things I have read all year. Tendler’s depiction of her time in the mental hospital and then beyond was so insightful.

I am not a frequent memoir reader, but this one made me want to become one. I laughed and I cried and was angry and everything in between, and it was a truly great read.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for an advanced copy of the book!

This was so beautiful and painful and cathartic. Anna Marie Tendler, you are everything. Thank you for this.

I flew through this memoir and found it mostly enjoyable and interesting. It’s worth noting for anyone hoping to read about the author’s marriage and divorce that you will not find that here. It definitely seems like a glaring omission when we get detailed rundowns of many other significant romantic relationships.

People might come to this book expecting behind the scenes drama but it is not at all that kind of book. Tendler does not touch on her marriage or divorce from a public figure and she does not need to to craft the story she’s telling. First of all, I want to thank the author for being so intimate and vulnerable in sharing this book. It was one of the most beautiful and moving memoirs I’ve read, and also reflected so many of my own experiences and emotions, making it a deeply emotional and validating read. I love Tendler’s photography and self-portrait series and this book feels like a continuation of that art.

Interesting read.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Anna Marie Tendler what a WOMAN

This memoir absolutely shines, whether you're reading as a longtime fan of the artist or a curious newcomer who learned about Tendler during the recent high-profile disintegration of her marriage. Following two timelines, one in a "present day" stint at a mental hospital and one following the trajectory of Tendler's life as defined by interpersonal relationships - both with men and her mother, readers encounter meditations on life as a woman, life as a girlfriend/wife, and life as a daughter.

Some of Tendler's experiences are unique to her, but others -- growing up a precocious child, suspiciously older boyfriends, mother as a mirror, the unique companionship of your soul pet -- will resonate with nearly every woman.

Readers looking just for a taste of John Mulaney "gossip" will leave disappointed, as Tendler does not give him the time of day. She reclaims her agency as a woman, decentering men in her healing journey, and we applaud her for it.

I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 as certain arcing "plots" didn't quite make sense to me, but this is not a work of fiction and real life doesn't always come together in a bow. It is a near perfect read though, to me, and exactly what I needed to read at this time.

Hugely massive thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc!!

“Men Have Called Her Crazy” is one of the most compelling memoirs I’ve read in ages. Anna is brutally vulnerable in the best way. Even those who haven’t dealt with mental health issues will find her writing relatable and refreshing.

The chapters alternate between Anna’s stay in a psychiatric hospital in 2021, and stories about formative relationships and experiences with men.

Although my first introductions to Anna’s art and writing were as a “wife of,” I really appreciated that she didn’t discuss her marriage aside from a few passing references. First, any honest descriptions of her marriage likely would have referenced her then-husband’s addiction issues, which may not feel like her story to share. But more importantly, this is Anna’s story as an individual, not in service of or relation to a man. And that’s the point.

Bless the NetGalley gods for giving me access to one of my most anticipated of the year.

First off - what you’re wanting from this you won’t get. So don’t even think about it.

But what you DO get is so much better than a salacious blurb about her ex husband. This is an intimate and raw look at what it means to be a woman in the world and of one woman’s journey through the throes of mental illness.

It’s inspiring, gorgeously written, and makes me feel entirely less alone. Anna - you’re incredible.

I think this book will be surprising to many readers in that it is not a lurid exposé of Tendler's ex husband and that it is a very powerful memoir tackling heavy topics. It's clear that the topic of Tendler's marriage was skirted around, which I found very savvy. This is a work that stands alone with strong, intimate narratives that keep the focus on the author. This intentional abstention tells its own story. The chapters bounce between Tendler's time spent in a psychiatric hospital, as well as her childhood and life after leaving the hospital. The anecdotes are remarkably raw, honest, and relatable to many, including myself. I feel like we're friends now!

This was fantastic and hilarious and heartbreaking and not at all what i expected. I couldn't put it down and would have happily (ha) read another 300 pages. I cried more than I'd like to admit and was laughing every other page. It somehow felt extremely relatable even though I haven't gone through anything like this.

Ms. Tendler please write a fiction book i am on my knees BEGGING!!

thank you simon & schuster for the ARC !!

I enjoyed the writing a lot, even if the chapter about Petunia made me cry. I liked how it would tie into how men treated her even when it was about her getting help for her emotional issues and eating disorder. I did find it odd that she didn't talk about her husband at all which had to have been a factor but we heard a lot about childhood boys. It was also hard to read how low her self esteem and sense of self worth was even after her impatient stay. She still seems to be doing quite poorly.

stunningly vulnerable and unfortunately relatable, i devoured this book. the memoir is setup as an in depth look at the author’s one week (and then some) intensive in-patient therapy interspersed with the ways in which men have and continue to men. if you have been on the receiving end of gaslighting (whether it be medical, emotional, societal) you will find yourself nodding along and filled with the same righteous anger as the author. to mention the most highly publicized of her previous relationships in a review, while she so carefully does not, does a disservice to the message of the book. in a patriarchal society we have to fight the urge to expect fellow women to sate us with sensationalism. the honesty and deep introspection are far more valuable and valiant than pandering to society’s love of gossip. i’ve been a fan of anna marie tendler the artist and i’m thrilled to be a fan of anna marie tendler the author as well.

A beautifully crafted, unfiltered look at mental health and the struggles one faces when going through transitional periods in their life. Definitely not an easy read by any account but a necessary one.

I have to be honest and admit that I started following Anna Marie Tendler on Instagram around six years ago because she was married to John Mulaney, a comedian whose work I typically enjoy. I never paid a lot of attention to her online presence until she began posting beautiful and intriguing self portraits, often taken in her exquisitely decorated home in Connecticut. When I heard she was coming out with a memoir this summer, I headed over to Netgalley to see if I could get my hands on an early copy, and I’m so happy that I did. Was one of the reasons I wanted to read this memoir because I was curious about her divorce? I must admit that, like so many of us, I am a sucker for the Tea and the Drama, so yes, this was one of my motivations. Upon reading the description of the memoir, though, I was pulled in for very different reasons. A memoir about the ways in which a woman has been shaped by every man she has encountered in her life, and how she dealt with / deals with the repercussions of those shapings? I’m here for it. The memoir is centered around Anna’s week and a half long stay at a psychiatric hospital that she voluntarily checks herself into. The tale of her stay and her progress during that time is interspersed with stories from her past, spanning in topic from her childhood and parents to her close girl friends to each significant romantic relationship she had up to her hospital stay. Anna writes with sincerity and an endearing earnestness. The “her” that is writing the book is vividly aware of how distressing some of these stories are, and how poorly she was treated at times. Her writing style is open and direct, often leaving the reader on a unwaveringly honest note at the end of a scene or chapter.

The one issue I have with the memoir is the gaping hole where a chapter, or even paragraph, about her divorce might go. She discusses seemingly every other significant romantic relationship she’s had with a man, but the only thing we get about her divorce is a mention or two that it happened. I understand that this may be because her ex husband is a public figure, but if I as a reader didn’t know that information going in, I would be incredibly confused by the omission of this relationship in her life. So much of this book is about how men impacted Anna and her mental health, so leaving out what one can assume is the most significant relationship with a man that she’s had seems like a mistake to me. I’m not saying she needed to get into the gritty details, but any discussion of that relationship would have been helpful. As it is now, you can feel her avoiding the topic, either because she didn’t want to write about it publicly or because she was advised not to. In my opinion, not including her marital relationship is a hinderance to this memoir.

Besides that, I found this book to be a refreshingly interesting look into the quiet life of a woman who seems at once very similar to any of my close girl friends and like a cool, mysterious, talented woman I might’ve had a crush on in college. Anna’s self awareness and unflinching description of living with and dealing with mental illness is the heart of this book. Her complicated relationship with men as a concept is relatable to most women I know. I’m so excited for people to read this book when it comes out in August and I can’t wait to hear what readers have to say.

wow. what a raw, smart, modern memoir. I haven’t felt this seen since Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know about Love. Anna is a clear, quippy, and funny writer, who kept me hooked in the present and the past of her life. I felt so much empathy for her without feeling negative, and diminutive. She is a strong woman, who made it though a hard time, and knows how to manage herself.

I’ll be honest, I am already a big fan of Anna Marie Tendler’s work, and I was beyond excited to receive an advanced copy of Men Have Called Her Crazy.

Anna (I can’t help being informal) structured this book around her 10 day stay at a mental health facility for suicidal ideation, self-harm, and severe anxiety. This stay happened right when her life and everything she knew was imploding. The only comfort she had was her beloved dog Petunia. Anna takes us through each day of her stay while providing chapter flashbacks of the men who made a big (often negative) impact in her life.

Her marriage is only vaguely mentioned a few times, and if you don’t know why, a quick google search will solve that. I loved that she did this, but anyone who’s reading this book and is initially unfamiliar with her may be wondering, Hey why do we hear about this fleeting jerk from her freshman year of high school but she won’t even mention her ex-husband’s name?

Anna doesn’t hold back. Her writing is clear, lovely, and engrossing. She’s not shy about her opinions, especially in regards to men. I could relate quite a bit to those feelings. She also didn’t have to be so open about her psychiatric reports, but she is, and I’m sure many readers will find comfort and commiseration. Not to spoil, but my heart ached for her during key scenes with her primary therapist.

I took my time while reading which is a big compliment from me. I wanted to absorb every word. I’ve had this book on preorder since the day it was announced, and I look forward to getting the hard copy in August.

It has been so brave of Anna to publicly process her recent grief and mental health struggles through her art, photography series, and now this gift of a book. I’m glad she used this opportunity to tell the raw stories of the primarily awful and misogynistic men from her past and hopefully find closure. I wish happiness and contentment for her, and I certainly hope she’ll keep writing. I will be highly recommending Men Have Called Her Crazy!

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest feedback.

i want to start this review by saying two things, the first being that this was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year, and the second being that i am writing this through teary eyes.

anna marie tendler is smart, although many men in her life have made her believe otherwise. she knows exactly why people will pick up her memoir and decide to give it a go—she’s one step ahead of us. if there’s one thing i am allowed to emphasize about this memoir, it’s this: it’s not what many people expect. tendler has taken her pain and created something so beautiful from it, although this isn’t something new for her given her many creative endeavors. calling the pain she went through ‘beautiful’ might not be the most appropriate word, but it is accurate.

equal parts painful and soothing, tendler has recounted important moments of her life and in a devastating turn of events, made us all complicit. there were many times i had to put this down, unsure if i could go on because tendler had done something nefarious: she described things i have felt throughout my life but could never put into words. it left me wondering if she was the author or if someone crawled into my brain and picked at it. i’m not sure anything i write about this memoir could possibly do it justice, and so, i’ll leave it at that.

there hasn’t been many instances where i finish reading a book and actually reflect on my own life and the choices i have made instead of the book itself. tendler has done that for me and i have a peculiar feeling she will do the same for you. as always, memoirs are not something i can rate; this is someone’s life, not a work of fiction.

thank you net galley for the arc, it was the single most important email i have ever received 🤍

‘men have called her crazy’ will be published on august 13th, and i urge you all to pick it up.