Unlovable

A memoir from the voice of Savage Garden

De: Darren Hayes

Narrado por: Darren Hayes

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

Amazing

It is an amazing, sad, real and wonderful story, more amazing listen it from Darren himself.

it was one of the best autobiographical narratives I've ever read

I'm truly blown away. I'm so grateful for what Darren shared with the world. It helped and healed me in so many ways

Thank You, Darren

This book has helped me to realize I’m still deserving of the happiness I deserve.

Heartfelt and Genuine

I love this man and knew I would love the book, however I couldn't have known that he would go so deep, sharing so much of himself. It's a tragic and wonderful tale of hurt, grief, joy, love, pain, healing, and so much more. And for him to read his own story made sure it was truly his voice that came through, both literally and figuratively. Thank you Darren. xoxo

Life is precious

Love this memoir and would always be special. Congrats to you Darren, for inspiring and reminding us that life is so precious and no matter what the circumstances, we are always showing a brave face.

Lovable

Darren Hayes is simply one of the most lovable humans on the planet, and this book reaffirmed that for me.

Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, my musical tastes revolved mostly around the angrier sound of punk and indie female artists, with a few exceptions. Savage Garden / Darren Hayes was my “guilty pleasure”. Not that I ever felt guilty for listening, but the listening experience conjured up feelings for me that I can only describe as “guilty pleasure” like feelings.

Listening to the details of his life and how it showed up in his songwriting, it makes so much sense to me now how my daughter and I became such huge fans. His music was an escape from a life that had many parallels to his. And his songwriting has greatly influenced many aspects of my own.

When my daughter was 5 we spent spring break up in San Francisco and attended an album listening party. Meeting him at that event, and the extra kindness he showed her at a time that was very tumultuous for us, he created a beautiful bright memory that still outshines the darkness of what we were going through then. The Do You Remember Tour show at the Wiltern was a wonderful opportunity for us to create another lovely memory together.

Thank you for being you, Darren Hayes. You are truly lovable 🩷

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.]

#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.

The best Biography with the most beautiful voice in the world.

Wonderful, I laughed, I cried, I got emotional, I could spend hours listening to Darren's voice, he is an exceptional being, I have read many biographies but none like this one. I am surprised by the good person he is, how considerate, innocent, pure, the magic he talks about around him, his angelic voice, and his eyes that emanate love, are signs that he is an angel incarnated on earth. I highly recommend his book to everyone, not just to those who are his fans. Good beings like him have difficult but inspiring lives. I am glad that you already have peace in your heart and dreams ahead of you. P.S. I loved all the times you mentioned Mexico, we love you here.

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!