Back in early college I was not settled down. I was still sort of figuring things out, including love. I didn’t think I had truly found it yet, but I was also being sort of an ass with my romantic encounters. Although I hate to say it now, I definitely related to Amory and all of his shenanigans. To be clear, Amory is sort of a player and a narcissistic bastard. So to say I am not terribly proud of who I was back in the beginning of college is an understatement. Amory is a smooth talking preppy kid who thinks he already has life figured out. As he soon finds out in his story that is simply not the case. He thinks other people, including his lovers just aren’t good enough, and is a good reminder to us all that sometimes it is worth looking at yourself in the mirror before you start pointing fingers at everyone else in your life. I think the beauty of this book, and why it is so highly regarded is because of the antics of Amory, but also how you love him in the relatable moments, and you absolutely hate him when he is being an ass. But when he is being an ass you realize that you have acted like that at some point in your life. It’s a revelation that is so charming, and humbling that I think early college Matt definitely needed. He was an ass, but aren’t we all sometimes?