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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Meh
I do not follow the hype of this book. I wanted to dump Nathaniel after the first page. But after sticking with the character on page who I never would have tolerated in life, I was understanding Nate better by the end. I would have dumped all those girls too! Everyone was annoying. I have often felt like the jerk Nate briefly recognizes in himself for skipping out on relationships, ending them before "giving them a chance," feeling guilty for it, and hesitating to do any of it all over again and having to face the same repercussions. But according to all of the characters, no woman is like this because they are all always ready for a relationship, even a rocky one. Even Aurit, the smartest person Nate knows and the one female friend Nate doesn't seduce and leave crippled in despair-- supports this claim that all women are exactly the same in this. How nice that Waldman has us weepy women finally understand the plight of the secretly sensitive d-bag and lets us all know that the only differences between us are in intellect and hair color. It's great that she worked so hard to represent Nate, but is it worth the expense of reducing females? Or does she actually believe this? She drops a lot of literature names like Tolstoy and Proust, but it just seems like Cosmo underneath all that. I also dislike the cynical voice that sticks people into categories based on brands they wear or books they read on the subway. It's not observant and astute, it's simplistic, lazy, and judgmental. It reminds me of what I didn't like about Franzen and Eugenides. But without their backbones to make up for it. Maybe to appreciate it you have to live in snarky Manhattan instead of, say, Vermont. Do not sign me up.
I only read 100 pages but found that I just couldn't care about Nathaniel P.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think if I'd read this 10 years ago I might have been more charmed by the protagonist but he just comes across as a privileged, selfish man-child incapable of maintaining intimate bonds. His suspended adolescence and grand sense of self make it difficult to care about him or anyone with whom he comes into close contact. The book is well written, though, and I look forward to reading future work from Waldman.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. by Adelle Waldman. I should have known from the description that I probably wouldn't end up liking Nathaniel P., but I gave the book a shot anyway. What it boils down to is Nathaniel P. is a Harvard educated, 30-something writer who has dated many women, but still hasn't settled down. The book analyzes his past relationships and then sees him enter a relationship with Hannah, a woman equally as smart as him and fairly comfortable in her own skin. But then of course, one day Nathaniel's affection for her shifts and he no longer likes her quite as much as he used to. And then he becomes an overly critical blowhard. And when she responds to his change in attitude with confusion and self-consciousness he gets all "oh yep, she's just like every other woman. I thought she was smarter than that." I am sorry this is getting a little ranty, but I was just so annoyed with this guy. It must be exhausting to be so smart and have such a high bar for what you expect out of women that you can't just be happy. I mean at one point he notices the skin of her underarm isn't as taut as he would expect it to be and that becomes another one of his mental criticisms of her. Really?!!! Has he forgotten that his belly is routinely described as having a paunch. I mean look at me, I'm getting all crazy and acting like this guy actually exists I was so annoyed by him. And then in the end, he settles into a relationship with a stereo-typical girl that is pretty but likes the drama and magically this relationship really makes him happy and keeps him on his toes. Oh please! Sorry Ms. Waldman, but I hated Nathaniel.
http://thisismybookblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-love-affairs-of-nathaniel-p.html
http://thisismybookblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-love-affairs-of-nathaniel-p.html
Well, Nate's a piece of crap. Hannah was right. She was right about a lot of things, and I was proud of her for calling him out on his sh*t and standing up for herself and being honest. She was my favorite character because she gave him what was coming to him after the way he treated her.
In general, I really enjoyed the story and the way it was written. It's a smart book and absolutely worth reading. The characters are developed, and a few were relatable for me.
It's just that Nate sucks as a person. He treats women poorly and has very negative opinions of them. It was impossible to like him. He only cared about himself and what he could get out of dating, out apologizing, out of seeming sincere and caring. Pretty deplorable. It was really difficult to want to see him be happy.
In general, I really enjoyed the story and the way it was written. It's a smart book and absolutely worth reading. The characters are developed, and a few were relatable for me.
It's just that Nate sucks as a person. He treats women poorly and has very negative opinions of them. It was impossible to like him. He only cared about himself and what he could get out of dating, out apologizing, out of seeming sincere and caring. Pretty deplorable. It was really difficult to want to see him be happy.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Terrible. I kept waiting for something to happen. This book did zilch for me.