- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan (5 Nov 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0333600673
- ISBN-13: 978-0333600672
- Product Dimensions: 20 x 13.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,168,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Essays in Love
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Imagine, of all impossible things, a young British Woody Allen with the benefit of a classical education and you have the nameless and exquisitely erudite narrator of Essays in Love."
-- "Boston Sunday Globe"
"The book's success has much to do with its beautifully modeled sentences, its wry humor, its unwavering deadpan respect for its reader's intelligence." -- Francine Prose in "The New Republic" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
-- "Boston Sunday Globe"
"The book's success has much to do with its beautifully modeled sentences, its wry humor, its unwavering deadpan respect for its reader's intelligence." -- Francine Prose in "The New Republic" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Description
A revised edition of a classic book on love by the bestselling author of How Proust Can Change Your Life and The Consolations of Philosophy
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful book. It charts the development of a relationship between the speaker and a woman he meets on a flight. Everyone will undoubtedly relate to the different stages of the relationship, from initial uncomfortable exchanges, charged with expectation, to the concern that you are more involved than your object of desire. It's a book that contains moments of high humour and accurately depicts the frustrations, confusions, joy and desolate despair that only romantic entanglement can bring. Neatly suffused with readable and thought provoking asides, this is a fantastic book - read it.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was my second experience of reading Alain de Botton's work (I recently read A Week at the Airport: A Heathrow Diary, highly recommended) and for me it was another very enjoyable book. I've not, so far, been much of a philosophical reader and there is much philosophy is this book. I admit that I had to check the meaning of some of the philosophical words that he uses but in the main his writing is accessible and easy to follow. Where I did have to check meaning, I feel that I have learnt more about philosophy. So, not only was the book enjoyable (I'm sure that we will all identify with at least some elements of his descriptions of the journey of a relationship) but it was also a philosophical learning experience for me too.
It feels like a young person's relationship and de Botton did write the book in his 20s. The book is categorised as fiction and even has an alternative title for the US market of "On Love: A Novel" but it is not a novel in the conventional sense. There is an overall story as de Botton charts his relationship with Chloe but at each stage of the relationship he examines the philosophy and inner workings of a relationship. It feels like non-fiction and I wonder how much of the relationship is fictional and how much is based on one or more relationships that de Botton has had in the past.
The numbering of paragraphs seemed odd but it's certainly an engaging read and I would recommend it.
It feels like a young person's relationship and de Botton did write the book in his 20s. The book is categorised as fiction and even has an alternative title for the US market of "On Love: A Novel" but it is not a novel in the conventional sense. There is an overall story as de Botton charts his relationship with Chloe but at each stage of the relationship he examines the philosophy and inner workings of a relationship. It feels like non-fiction and I wonder how much of the relationship is fictional and how much is based on one or more relationships that de Botton has had in the past.
The numbering of paragraphs seemed odd but it's certainly an engaging read and I would recommend it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book came highly recommended to me so perhaps I expected too much but it has been a bit of a dissapointment. The narrative is far from compeling and at times boreders on whinging. Instead of empathising with the writer's exploration of his relationship I found the woman he loved intensely annoying and the main character a fairly pathetic individual. I suppose this book might suit those of a highly analyticial disposition but for me it was hard going and removed any sense of romance from the book or the relationships discussed within it. Despite the occasional shrewd and insightful observation into human nature it wasnt truly eye opening or entertaining and so i probably wouldnt recommed it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Words of Wisdom
This book is funny, insightful, charming and extremely well written, Such well formed sentences! A must for anyone who's ever fallen in love, which I guess is all of us... Read more
Published 3 months ago by sadietwist
special and delightful
This is my second book from Alain de Botton, I've also read "How can Proust change your life" which was great as well. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Melih Tuzunoglu
Irrelevant and misleading
If we were trying to look at 'love' from some objective viewpoint - perhaps by using the scientific method - then this work would completely fail. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Chris
review
This is a lovely book - I have bought it again & again for my young teenagers and their friends... It's a delightful way to explore yourself and your take on life. Read more
Published 17 months ago by alex
Beautiful book
Given to me by an ex......prob the only good thing to come from that relationship, was my interest in Alain de Botton.... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Dr. B. C. Burrows
Good reality check
Alain is an excellent writer, relating a realistic love story (with a sad ending, like many) whilst analysing it philosphically. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2009 by O. R. Rendon Rhompson
Well written but narrow
Alain De Botton is never less than an interesting writer and this book is no exception. However, it is comfortably my least favourite of his books because I can relate to it... Read more
Published on 22 May 2009 by Adrenalin Streams
Eloquence and intelligence serving a poor perspective
The intelligence of Alain De Botton (ADB hereafter) is unquestionable, after reading most of his other books I picked this one up while writing a book on the subject of love... Read more
Published on 4 May 2009 by Theis Egeberg
not uninteresting but limited
This is neat exploration of romantic love in the 21st century (though its modernity is coloured by rather conservative, conformist notion of interaction). Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2009 by gabrial
Absolutely brilliant book which masterfully analyses the very...
I have read most of De Botton's works and this to me is, quite unquestionably, my favourite. But it's not just for De Botton fans, by any means... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2009 by Mr. T. White
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