Book 15: The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P by Adelle Waldman

New York intellectual Nate Piven begins a relationship with "nice and smart or smart and nice" Hannah as a series of interactions with angry, indifferent, or broken-hearted ex-girlfriends (and lovely platonic friend Aurit) prompts him to reexamine his behavior with women. The heart of the book is in the clever conversations and small observations. Reading this book, seeing the love interest through the eyes of the male protagonist, I just kept thinking, "Oh man, I've been there." It was a little uncomfortable reading Waldman's unblinking depiction of Nate watching confident, intelligent Hannah crumble into an insecure, clingy shadow of herself, but Waldman is definitely talented at depicting the crazy-making back-and-forth of power in a relationship. Nate walked a fine line between relatable and despicable, and I really admire how evident Waldman made his faults to the reader even as they remained a mystery to Nate himself. It's not really fun being inside his head, but it's a worthwhile read nonetheless.