I Wrote This Book Because I Love You

Publisher's Summary

New York Times essayist and author of We Learn Nothing, Tim Kreider trains his virtuoso writing and singular power of observation on his (often befuddling) relationships with women. 

Psychologists have told him he's a psychologist. Philosophers have told him he's a philosopher. Religious groups have invited him to speak. He had a cult following as a cartoonist. But, above all else, Tim Kreider is an essayist - one whose deft prose, uncanny observations, dark humor, and emotional vulnerability have earned him deserved comparisons to David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, and the late David Foster Wallace (who was himself a fan of Kreider's humor). 

In his new collection, I Wrote This Book Because I Love You, he focuses his unique perception and wit on his relationships with women - romantic, platonic, and the murky in-between. He talks about his difficulty finding lasting love, and seeks to understand his commitment issues by tracking down the John Hopkins psychologist who tested him for a groundbreaking study on attachment when he was a toddler. He talks about his valued female friendships, one of which landed him on a circus train bound for Mexico. He talks about his time teaching young women at an upstate New York college, and the profound lessons they wound up teaching him. And in a hugely popular essay that originally appeared in The New York Times, he talks about his 19-year-old cat, wondering if it's the most enduring relationship he'll ever have. 

Each of these pieces is hilarious and profound, and collectively they further cement Kreider's place among the best essayists working today. 

©2018 Tim Kreider (P)2018 Simon & Schuster

Very engrossing

Grappling with angst as a chronically single man - with a cat. As Erica Jong said, “Writing is easy just sit at the typewriter and open a vein.”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Cheers Tim

We have all been there is some degree or another and the questions we asked of ourselves at the time and later are better explained by a person who is smart and has an expansive understanding of the English language and poetic delivery too make the most uncomfortable truths palatable.
Thank you Tim.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not his best one but still enjoyable

What did you love best about I Wrote This Book Because I Love You?

Krieder's humor is very contagious and relatable on many levels.

What other book might you compare I Wrote This Book Because I Love You to and why?

It's very similar to his previous book: We Learn Nothing

What about Tim Kreider’s performance did you like?

He is a great narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some definite laugh out loud moments here.

Any additional comments?

I felt that during some parts of the book he tended to ramble or the dryness of his humor didn't really catch on for me, hence why I have given this 4 stars.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love

This book is delightful company, and reads like a conversation with a best friend. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested in intimacy that defies categorization.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Raw and Honest

I could listen to Tim talk about his life all day. Life so simple yet so complex.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A life well lived

I am always in awe of how perfectly Mr. Kreider expresses the human condition. It's a personal memoir that touched my soul. Experiences and emotions common to all, succinct in a way that most could never aspire to.