Going Dutch

A Novel

By: James Gregor

Narrated by: Michael David Axtell

ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S 10 BEST DEBUT NOVELS OF THE YEAR

“A charming, well-observed debut,” (NPR) featuring a gay male graduate student who falls for his brilliant female classmate, “you’ll tear through this tale of a thoroughly modern love triangle” (Entertainment Weekly).

Exhausted by dead-end forays in the gay dating scene, surrounded constantly by friends but deeply lonely in New York City, and drifting into academic abyss, twenty-something graduate student Richard has plenty of sources of anxiety. But at the forefront is his crippling writer’s block, which threatens daily to derail his graduate funding and leave Richard poor, directionless, and desperately single.

Enter Anne: his brilliant classmate who offers to “help” Richard write his papers in exchange for his company, despite Richard’s fairly obvious sexual orientation. Still, he needs her help, and it doesn’t hurt that Anne has folded Richard into her abundant lifestyle. What begins as an initially transactional relationship blooms gradually into something more complex.

But then a one-swipe-stand with an attractive, successful lawyer named Blake becomes serious, and Richard suddenly finds himself unable to detach from Anne, entangled in her web of privilege, brilliance, and, oddly, her unabashed acceptance of Richard’s flaws. As the two relationships reach points of serious commitment, Richard soon finds himself on a romantic and existential collision course—one that brings about surprising revelations.

“Intelligent, entertaining and elegantly written” (Adelle Waldman, author of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.) Going Dutch is an incisive portrait of relationships in an age of digital romantic abundance, but it’s also a heartfelt and humorous exploration of love and sexuality, and a poignant meditation on the things emotionally ravenous people seek from and do to each other. “This marvelously witty take on dating in New York City and the blurry nature of desire announces Gregor as a fresh, electric new voice” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

A good book with bad characters

This book is well written. However, I have lived in NYC for 30 years and I haven't seen many people that acts as selfish, useless and narcissistic as Richard. Towards the end of the book it seemed that his relationship was grounding and what he wanted. But, Blake wanted a shared life as equals and Richard threw it all away because he couldn't handle that type of grown up relationship.
Then he wound up with Anne who was brilliant and unglued friend who was doing his work for his Cleo award submission The reason that he wanted to be with Anne (which was a really unhealthy relationship) was that she enabled him, she would take care of him and he could remain the same selfish and useless person he always has been.
Richard gay friends seem to be a little stereotypical for gay men living New York.
The book was fun. However,(probably on purpose) the characters made the story tense and made you fell sorry for the people left in the wake of Richard and company's messy lives.

Something different

I enjoyed this book as a break from my typical choice of mysteries and thrillers. I found myself unable to stop listening. Even though I got frustrated and annoyed with the main character, Richard, the story seemed unapologetically honest and well written. I enjoyed this glimpse into the lives of young New Yorkers and it reminded me of the uncertainty and immaturity of life in the big city in my early twenties.

Kind of good

I was so exciting to listening to this book but it was very disappointed! The reading is amazing but the story is simply terrible or maybe I just didn’t like the end, I got very mad at all the characters.

Excrutiating

I only finished this book because it’s impossible for me to leave something unread. That being said, the characters in this book are so difficult to like that I found myself rooting against them. The main character is whiny, selfish, and narcissistic to a degree that’s hard to imagine. He uses and abuses the people who care about him and then gets angry if they call him out on it. Most of the rest of the cast of characters are just pompous and/or obnoxious. I truly hope this isn’t how New York life really is.