I have to confess that I agreed to review this book over a year ago, and I've been procrastinating doing it since then. I think I was a little wary of reading about the author's mental health and hospitalization journey. I am trying to catch up with my NetGalley backlog, so I decided to go ahead and read it.

It was more hopeful and pleasant than I thought it would be. It was a quick, interesting read. The author interspersed scenes from her experience at the hospital (which was one week that got extended into a second week) with scenes from her childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood that tied in with her present-day emotional state. The stories felt authentic without being jarring or disturbing.

That being said, I'll address the elephant in the room. I started following the author on Instagram after hearing about her in her ex-husband's comedy bits. He painted such a vivid picture of her, and she seemed like such a character, that I wanted to see the face behind the anecdotes. I liked her quirky, eccentric style, and enjoyed following her on Instagram. I was later saddened by what happened in the dissolution of the marriage and how her ex moved on in the aftermath.

I'm sure that there is a solid NDA tied to the divorce settlement, but I think this book mentioned her marriage or divorce maybe 4 times total. If you didn't pick up on those little asides, or didn't already know the backstory, I don't think you would have realized she was married. I was not expecting a tell-all here in any case, but I also feel as though glossing over the loss of her marriage made me question the honesty of the rest of the book. How can a person describe the state of their mental health during a period in their life when they're experiencing such a huge loss as a divorce without even mentioning how it affected them? I wonder if it was just too hard to explain her personal experience and emotions in the divorce without getting into the details of what happened.

Regardless, I enjoyed this memoir and I would recommend it for those who enjoy feminist memoirs.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very deep, honest and well written... just felt like she held back with some topics that I felt like needed more development.

Tendler's memoir is an extremely honest and unflinching depiction of mental health issues. The strongest parts of this book focus on her stay in an in-patient mental hospital. Her descriptions of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues were relatable and in some cases the most clear way I have ever seen my own experiences described.
There are pieces of insight that I found valuable and some parts that I breezed over.

Ugh, Anna Marie Tendler. What a woman!

I never like to truly rate memoirs/autobiographies, because this is about their story and shouldn't be up to interpretation. That being said, I only knocked off a star because there were times that felt like she was overdoing it on explanations and details. I really loved her storytelling and really felt for her! I just had a few moments where I felt like it came off... wrong.

Anna is such a class act though and never once bad mouths John or Olivia, even though the rest of the world might have (I know I would have). Her story is raw and real and I really enjoyed reading it.

Anna’s writing is raw and poetic, and the flow of the book—especially during her time in the psychiatric facility—was incredible. It felt honest, painful, and strangely comforting at the same time. I highlighted so many lines. But once she left the facility, the pacing and clarity started to slip a bit for me. I completely respect that she wanted to keep certain details private—especially when it comes to other public figures—but sometimes it felt like the narrative became vague to the point of confusion. There were moments where I found myself rereading sections, just trying to piece together what was happening or what she was referring to. That said, it’s still a powerful read. The themes she explores around womanhood, mental health, heartbreak, and identity are so important. I just wish there had been a bit more depth or openness in the later parts. I closed the book feeling moved, but also wanting more. Honestly though, I would totally read this book again.

no one wanted to love this more than me but I found it dry and not super compelling or unique. just found myself wanting a bit more

I am having a hard time rating this book. I know nothing of Anna Marie Tendler but what I read here. I know nothing of her ex husband. Found out who he was after the fact. Doesn't really matter though. Doesn't change my opinion. I went into this book thinking I would find a story of a woman who battled mental illness (found this), and how she grew from her experiences (did NOT find this). I am not rating this on her experiences. No one should do that. Most of what happened to her is real hard stuff. What I found even harder to read is someone who wants help but rejects it in almost every form, especially from men. Period. And finds herself the only victim with an astoundling level of rage towards the opposite sex that is hard to relate to even coming close to understanding. She tells her story in a way that is very detached from any type of ownership on her part. Self awareness is a hard part of the growing process. She's on her way by getting help that she clearly needs, but she still has a journey to unfold, and I hope that at some point in that journey she stops looking at how everyone else has wronged her, which let's be honest, did happen, and how she, and she alone, has ownership over her choices moving forward. Mental health is a real thing, and while I want the best for her, I feel like there's still lots of unhealthiness left.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

One of the better memoirs I have read.
This book was thoughtful and inspiring, I have been anticipating this book since she announced it.
What you think you’re going to get out of it isn’t there, instead, Anna’s story and how she has overcome so much is beautiful and heartbreaking and entirely her own.


Huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept my interest and I read through it quickly. I cared for Anna and was invested in her story. Her ability to talk earnestly about self-harm and her experiences in mental health facility were admirable, brave, and impressive. Hearing about her continual journey toward mental health outside of the facility by way of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) was also very interesting. I would recommend this book.

God damn it this book ripped me open but also sewed me back together. I've followed AMT on social media for a little while now and I truly loved getting to know her through this book. it was an honor to be able to read it.

I was very much looking forward to this book but honestly the book was a little tough to get into and relate to.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler!

dnf @ 30%

i was super excited to read this and hear about anna's story and everything that has happened to her in the past and how everything has affected in her in that way. unfortunately i think this fell short and did not have a good time while reading this which is why i chose to dnf it.

I’m glad this didn’t turn out to be a John Mulaney tell-all. It would have taken away from Tendler’s thesis and served as nothing but a distraction. This memoir is raw and vulnerable, but there is also a controlled element to her writing that left me feeling uneasy. Overall, an interesting examination of self-worth and patriarchy.

MEN HAVE CALLED HER CRAZY by Anna Marie Tendoer is genuinely one of the worst books I have ever read. Completely lacking point, self awareness, or purpose. This one is unfortunately a huge miss for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I appreciate Tendler’s willingness to open herself up and pour out her insides for this memoir-style thinkpiece. I found the way she walked the reader through glimpses of her past to understand her present breakdown vulnerable and all-encompassing. A particular favorite part for me was her writing about her relationship with her beloved dog, Petunia; she wrote about her grief with authentic feeling.

The writing was a little too train of thought for me to the detriment of over-explaining certain events instead of letting them sit as they are. But ultimately this kind of personal self-reflective novel seemed more for Tendler herself to self-analyse than for a reader to gain much personal insight.

The memoir tackles everything it promises and was shockingly vulnerable and relatable. This is a top woman’s read of the year for me!

I was really excited about this book as a lover of celebrity memoirs and a fan of Anna Marie's art but it unfortunately fell short of my expectations. It felt lacking in self-awareness and reflection and a lot of "blame" for everything seemed to fall to others. I found it difficult to connect with her or her story.

I received this book back in late May from Simon and Schuster through Net Galley. I must express that the number of times I picked it up and set it back down are not indicative of Tendler's writing or the quality of her memoir. In fact, the opposite. This book was so raw, real, and gripping that at times I connected too strongly with the text requiring a break for myself.
I commend Anna Marie Tendler for laying her story out for all to read. It was an excellent book and I appreciate her honesty and bravery in making it public.

I typically love a good celebrity or celebrity-adjacent memoir but Anna Marie Tendler was just insufferable. This book was hard to get into and it was hard to feel sympathetic for her and her extremely privileged lifestyle.