Essays in Love
by Alain de Botton
A novel in essays: a relationship from plane seat to break-up, each stage analysed with philosophy, Freud, Stendhal and dry humour. It is de Botton's first book and the one that invented his method; the chapter on romantic terrorism alone is worth it.
Read it if…
you want to think clearly about falling in and out of love.
Skip it if…
you want a love story; it is a dissection.
Three things you will actually use
- Love starts as projection and must survive the discovery.
- Jealousy and tactics destroy what they aim to keep.
- Heartbreak passes; the lesson may not.
Do this first
Read the chapter that matches the stage you are in.
Our verdict
A dissection of a love affair.
Compare with other Relationships books
Why You Will Marry the Wrong Person
The School of Life · Relationships
Short, dry, corrective.
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