'The Destiny of Nathalie X' was a total disappointment for me. I have read perhaps a half dozen novels by William Boyd and found them to be either very good or great. He is a brilliant storyteller. But this collection of short stories seem to have been written by someone else, or perhaps by a William Boyd before he reached manhood. Regardless, they are all trite and confused. I suspect the problem has to do with the format. Specifically, short stories don't provide this talented write enough runway to allow is talents to be fully expressed. Instead we are left with dribble.Bottom line: not recommended for anyone, especially William Boyd fans.