I Wrote This Book Because I Love You

Essays

By: Tim Kreider

Narrated by: Tim Kreider

*A People Top 10 Book of 2018*

The New York Times essayist and author of We Learn Nothing, Tim Kreider trains his 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).

“Beautifully written, with just enough humor to balance his spikiness” (Booklist), I Wrote This Book Because I Love You focuses Tim’s 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 nineteen-year-old cat, wondering if it’s the most enduring relationship he’ll ever have.

“In a style reminiscent of Orwell, E.B. White and David Sedaris” (The New York Times Book Review), each of these pieces is “heartbreaking, brutal, and hilarious” (Judd Apatow), and collectively they cement Kreider’s place among the best essayists working today.

Amazing book!

Great book!
The narrator has a lot of passion but sometimes changes volume too much (he gets suddenly quiet) so it can be tricky to catch all the words at times

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.

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.

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.

I needed this book

I have been in a crumbling relationship and this book came at an opportune time to help me revisit my own relationships, where they went wrong and how I got to where I’m at. Tim takes you to those dark places in your head that you should probably spend more time in. It’s a great listen, so glad I found it.