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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
Nate's never been popular and that's fine. Now a Harvard grad with a book deal living in the Brooklyn literary scene he spends all his time thinking about high brow things like western guilt and how he thinks that girl in the low cut top probably does have a great personality. Once he meets Hannah he's sure that she is different but is she really enough to shatter his mold?
There has been a lot of buzz around Adelle Waldman's debut novel and I for one think it is much deserved. Equal parts funny and cringe worthy Nathaniel P. is a engrossing and quick read. However don't be fooled by the title, the story may be about the many loves of Nate but this is not a love story.
Nate, for he is never called Nathaniel, is actually kind of a jerk. A likable jerk, but a jerk nonetheless. He is constantly focused on his work, on his past relationships, on how progressive and supportive he can be. In any other novel he'd be intolerable but here, in these pages that feel so much like Brooklyn he springs to life. While he musing on about how he's really not superficial and that he is just as interested in plain smart women as their superficial counterparts he becomes less likable, but more real. Really where Waldman succeeds is in the verity of her characters.
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. is currently sitting atop my "favorite books of summer" list. You should totally check it out.
There has been a lot of buzz around Adelle Waldman's debut novel and I for one think it is much deserved. Equal parts funny and cringe worthy Nathaniel P. is a engrossing and quick read. However don't be fooled by the title, the story may be about the many loves of Nate but this is not a love story.
Nate, for he is never called Nathaniel, is actually kind of a jerk. A likable jerk, but a jerk nonetheless. He is constantly focused on his work, on his past relationships, on how progressive and supportive he can be. In any other novel he'd be intolerable but here, in these pages that feel so much like Brooklyn he springs to life. While he musing on about how he's really not superficial and that he is just as interested in plain smart women as their superficial counterparts he becomes less likable, but more real. Really where Waldman succeeds is in the verity of her characters.
The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. is currently sitting atop my "favorite books of summer" list. You should totally check it out.
I went into reading this book feeling excited, because there has been some talk about this book. I saw it chosen as some online magazines "book group" pick, but have since forgotten which one it actually was, even though that is truly what prompted me to pick up this novel. That and comparisons between Waldman and Jane Austen. Well, I guess I'm here to say Ms.Waldman has a long way to go, although it wasn't a bad start, either.
Nathaniel is a writer, living in Brooklyn. He's been struggling for years, but works hard. His parents, Romanian Jewish immigrants, worked hard to give him an American life, and he pretty much seems to have realized that dream: he attended Harvard, pursued a writing career, and eventually, moved to New York City and sold his first book. Glowing in that recent success, Nate starts to wonder: why doesn't he have a girlfriend? What went wrong with the old girlfriends? We soon get a lot of insight into why things might not have worked out with his previous girlfriends, as well as the one he meets in the course of the book.
I will totally admit to having a preconceived notion of what this book was going to be like, and fully admit to being wrong. I did not have any clue it was going to be a discourse on why no woman would never be good enough for Nate's friends. Yes, his friends. Because even though Nate is fairly attractive in his own right, who you hang out(in Brooklyn!)with is nearly of equal or possibly greater importance as far as how attractive you might be to the opposite sex. Nate's friends might leave a bit to be desired, but with this novel, everyone is a sort of caricature of themselves, so the fact that we meet a very one dimensional Jason, who eventually does show a more sensitive side, is relatively unimportant. The truth is, for Nate, it is all how the current woman looks on his arm, and to his friends. With Nate, appearances, at least at the start of the novel, are everything.
I enjoyed reading this book, although at times, I felt frustrated. Waldman tries a little too much to "think like a man." Nate does have some pretty bad habits in his thinking and his behavior, and you root for him, but wish that maybe, he could change just a little, and learn from his mistakes.
Definitely an interesting debut for Adelle Waldman.
Nathaniel is a writer, living in Brooklyn. He's been struggling for years, but works hard. His parents, Romanian Jewish immigrants, worked hard to give him an American life, and he pretty much seems to have realized that dream: he attended Harvard, pursued a writing career, and eventually, moved to New York City and sold his first book. Glowing in that recent success, Nate starts to wonder: why doesn't he have a girlfriend? What went wrong with the old girlfriends? We soon get a lot of insight into why things might not have worked out with his previous girlfriends, as well as the one he meets in the course of the book.
I will totally admit to having a preconceived notion of what this book was going to be like, and fully admit to being wrong. I did not have any clue it was going to be a discourse on why no woman would never be good enough for Nate's friends. Yes, his friends. Because even though Nate is fairly attractive in his own right, who you hang out(in Brooklyn!)with is nearly of equal or possibly greater importance as far as how attractive you might be to the opposite sex. Nate's friends might leave a bit to be desired, but with this novel, everyone is a sort of caricature of themselves, so the fact that we meet a very one dimensional Jason, who eventually does show a more sensitive side, is relatively unimportant. The truth is, for Nate, it is all how the current woman looks on his arm, and to his friends. With Nate, appearances, at least at the start of the novel, are everything.
I enjoyed reading this book, although at times, I felt frustrated. Waldman tries a little too much to "think like a man." Nate does have some pretty bad habits in his thinking and his behavior, and you root for him, but wish that maybe, he could change just a little, and learn from his mistakes.
Definitely an interesting debut for Adelle Waldman.
Even though Nate was a self-absorbed dick, I liked this. He reminded me of someone I know (whose name I will certainly not reveal here!) and so I may have been more sympathetic to him than perhaps I should be. I loved the end, and really it helped me almost see how people like that end up together in real life. In ten years Waldman can write his follow up story about being a hen-pecked husband by his once-beautiful wife now burdened by insecurities, harping while he hides in his den with a scotch and the newspaper. And we'll know not to feel bad for him!
2.5 stars
One of those stories that is almost parody, but too realistic at the same time - it reminded me of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? in that way. For me, it almost makes me wonder if the author is always fully aware of the irony.
The main character in this is so insufferable - and he's supposed to be, and that's okay - but I had a hard time understanding why the other characters put up with his BS so much.
Also, cut it with the condescension re: Baltimore. (As I understand it, the author is from Baltimore, so .. really??!) That's just obnoxious. Everywhere doesn't need to be Brooklyn.
One of those stories that is almost parody, but too realistic at the same time - it reminded me of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? in that way. For me, it almost makes me wonder if the author is always fully aware of the irony.
The main character in this is so insufferable - and he's supposed to be, and that's okay - but I had a hard time understanding why the other characters put up with his BS so much.
Also, cut it with the condescension re: Baltimore. (As I understand it, the author is from Baltimore, so .. really??!) That's just obnoxious. Everywhere doesn't need to be Brooklyn.
challenging
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this book, Nate Piven is a self-involved, neurotic writer whose tendency for criticism and overthinking stymie his romantic endeavors. This book reminded me of Nick Hornby's protagonists in that Nate, like the characters appearing in 'High Fidelity' and 'Juliet, Naked,' is kind of a dick who values his own time and craft above others whom he claims to care for. This doesn't make him a terrible person. However, he alienates almost every woman he has dated at some point, then spends long passages dissecting why the relationship failed...by blaming the woman!
His hysterical ex, Elena, wants to get back together. An old flame glares at him on the street. Nate worries that he can't be in a committed relationship because so far, he has always failed. I think this story does a good job of illustrating how creative people have a difficult time making room in their lives for love because their art already fills that space.
Mostly, this was a fairly light read about a slightly dickish guy who is always overthinking and judging the women he dates. He cares way too much about the opinions of others. Although Nate isnt the kind of person I'd like to interact with, this story seemed like an accurate look at modern dating, esp. among creative minds.
His hysterical ex, Elena, wants to get back together. An old flame glares at him on the street. Nate worries that he can't be in a committed relationship because so far, he has always failed. I think this story does a good job of illustrating how creative people have a difficult time making room in their lives for love because their art already fills that space.
Mostly, this was a fairly light read about a slightly dickish guy who is always overthinking and judging the women he dates. He cares way too much about the opinions of others. Although Nate isnt the kind of person I'd like to interact with, this story seemed like an accurate look at modern dating, esp. among creative minds.
Eh. This book was ok. Nathaniel is an asshole. Extremely unlikable. In fact, I don't think there were any characters in the book that I liked. I could relate to some of the ideologies Aurit had in regard to dating, but that's about it. I found the text overly wordy to the point of distraction. The Love Affairs also highlighted what I hate about New York City and the clusters of intellectual, pretentious, assholes who have nothing to offer but their accomplishments. The book really dragged toward the end with his relationship with Greer. I really couldn't wait for this book to be over.
Wow. It is almost as if Adelle Waldman crawled into the brain of every urban American male I've dated and used the data to create Nate. The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. isnt "chick lit" - it's more "d**klit" written by a "chick". An amazing feat for sure. Hilarious (like literally laughing out loud in public places funny), smart, and sad - sometimes painful to read, maybe bc a lot of it is too familiar. In the end, he chooses the flighty one over the one who intellectually challenged him - what else is new? And I as the heterosexual single urban American female didn't feel bad or sad or really have any affection for Nate - the central character, and I never got the impression that I was supposed to. While I loved the book, my parting thoughts on Nate were - "good riddance" and doubt that he'll ever grow up.
Terrifyingly real. I'm pretty sure I've dated this protagonist more than a few times. Walman has entered into this character's mind entirely.
I followed through and finished this one solely because it was on the shorter side. Waldman crafts a very detailed and interesting perspective on the inner dialogue during relationships, but overall, I found Nate to be a really unlikable character, making it hard to appreciate this story.