Unlovable

A memoir from the voice of Savage Garden

By: Darren Hayes

Narrated by: Darren Hayes

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Darren Hayes was always a storyteller. As a child, in suburban Queensland in the 1970s, he told himself he was going to be a pop star - and he did it. Throughout Savage Garden's astonishing success - which included multiple Australian number 1s, cracking the US charts and selling more than 35 million albums worldwide - he kept telling us stories of love and longing, through his vulnerable, open song lyrics.

But the reality of his life was much more complicated than the constraints of a three-minute pop song.
In Unlovable, for the first time, Darren recounts the events and circumstances that shaped his unique life: from the childhood trauma of growing up with a violent, alcoholic father, his journey with depression, to the dizzying heights of worldwide fame in Savage Garden, and everything in between.

Told in his own lyrical words, Unlovable is a magical dark fairytale that reclaims the terrors and obstacles of his past to reveal the fabulous artist he has become.

©2024 Darren Hayes (P)2024 Penguin Random House Australia Audio

A masterpiece

Fan or not this is a book you will love! A beautiful survival story! Simply amazing!

Wow Darren

I knew some of the things in this book, but for Darren to go into extreme details about the trauma in his life was sad, amazing, and astonishing all at once! I saw him in Washington DC in April 2023 and wanted to give him a hug then. Now after hearing this, I don’t want to let go. To Darren Stanley Hayes: you are loved and appreciated!

#Fanforlife

I've been a fan of Darren Hayes/Savage Garden since 1996 and I could not have been more excited to hear he was releasing a memoir. And then I was thrilled again to hear that he would be reading his own audio book. I always love when an author reads their own work because you can understand it as it was meant to be read. I can't wait to get my physical book next year, but I'm so glad I get to read this in any format while I wait for it to get here.

Darren helped me realize I was an ally in my early 20s, despite the fact that I grew up with a bigoted, abusive mother. He helped me become a better version of myself simply by being an inspiration, and I have always adored him particularly because the more I've learned about him over the years, I never learned anything about him that disappointed me to your core the way so many other celebrities do. (And also because we have so much in common.) He once sang about how he doesn't want you to consider him your hero, but I can't help but admire him for being a genuinely good person and for fighting back against the adversity he discusses here and remaining here with us today despite all he has been through. He brings me so much joy by simply being alive. He is my Michael Jackson (as Michael Jackson was to me in my childhood). Thank you for sharing these intimate, vulnerable moments with us, Darren. Love you.

An Exquisitely Constructed Mental Labyrinth

Where to begin?

He is both a talented storyteller AND voice actor, which made the characters feel delightfully real, autonomous, and alive, rather than simply vessels for any one specific perspective or ideology.

The story arc and narration of this compellingly genuine masterpiece gradually builds momentum, frequently explodes with vitality, and often soothes gently and compassionately with a pace and delivery reminiscent of the energy trajectory of a cohesive and exciting musical album. The vivid poetic imagery that makes Darren's lyrics so striking and unforgettable is utilized here as a smooth and elegant vehicle for navigating splintered, stream of consciousness memories of gut-wrenching abuse and betrayal. We experience the exhilaration of his passionate love affair with music, the occasionally infuriating hurdles tossed upon his career path, and the achingly beautiful journey toward recognizing that (despite what anyone may have caused him to once believe) he deserves the same sweet, timeless, unconditional, earth-shattering love of a man that he has made so many others feel worthy of receiving.

A skillful author in his own right, he leads the reader into and out of an exquisitely constructed mental labyrinth that causes one to forget (until about halfway) that many of us were probably introduced to him through Savage Garden. [For what it's worth, most of what I remember hearing about the band's breakup was simply that it had dissolved due to creative differences.]

I listened to a few chapters each day and binged the rest of the book tonight, so while I have more to say I'm going to save the rest for later and curl up for bed imagining what you heard when you said "out of tune choir mixed with human screams."



[Really??? Uncle Darren the friendly androgynous plumber??? Our perception of ourselves is so often skewed- you absolutely nailed the sexy, mysterious pop star image, then AND in your Do You Remember tour, so that is what the name often evokes for me.

I'm a perfectionistic musician myself with a distorted self image from years of having my physical and creative bodies scrutinized, criticized, and misrepresented so I probably wouldn't accept that compliment if it were given to me (or also potentially entertain the thought of being a beautiful corpse), but I figured it was worth addressing since you seemed concerned. Remember how you mentioned that Charles found what you viewed as "imperfections" captivating? That's how we feel when you are raw, blunt, silly, fun, surprising, and intense with us on social media.

Thank you for using your magic to pull us out of the dark places. You've taught us how to do the same for ourselves and others, and I'll always be grateful.]

LOVEABLE

An amazingly unapologetic memoir that brought out the tears, the feel goods and the pain in the music he writes! This is a must read for anyone who likes a good story!

Heavy and Poetic

From the beginning, Darren pulls you in to his life. It grabs ahold of you and doesn't let go throughout. He is amazing with words and I am so glad that he was the one who narrated his own story. I could spend all day talking about the incredible talent, but above all that, the incredible human being that this man is! Especially to his fans.

Darren, if you see these reviews ever, from the bottom of my heart.... Thank you.

A beautiful story

As a fan of Savage Garden and Darren Hayes, I really wanted to read this. It did not disappoint. I cried, smiled, I laughed and just loved it.

Raw, honest, riveting, up all night reading!

Darren, words can't express just how many parallels I saw in our lives and how connected I felt to your story. I have been a massive fan from the start and will be your fan for the rest of my life! (From Clair Moreau your crazy Australian LA fan.)

One of the best stories of strength and compassion

I have been a long time fan of Darren Hayes and have been lucky to see him in concert for the first time last year (hopefully not the last). It has been such a blessing to hear his story spoken in his own words. While he’s been through a lot since a child, ultimately this is a story of forgiveness, overcoming, and a developing a new lens on life. There is a light on the other side of the tunnel.

Honest and genuine

As a fan since the beginning, some of this was known, but only on the most surface levels. The way Darren tells his story with complete honesty while opening up about his mental health issues is amazing.