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The Course of Love

An unforgettable story of love and marriage from the author of bestselling novel Essays in Love

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The Course of Love

By: Alain de Botton
Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt
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About this listen

Penguin presents, the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Course of Love by Alain de Botton, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

From one of our great thinkers on modern life and the human condition - an unforgettable story of love and marriage from the author of bestselling novel Essays in Love as well as The Consolations of Philosophy, Religion for Atheists and The School of Life

'The Course of Love probes the very heart of marriage
, its shifts and squalls, its great adventure, with such forensic tenderness. I laughed a lot, too' Deborah Moggach

'Engaging, sympathetic, acutely perceptive...
There's a refreshing honesty in what de Botton has to say' Guardian

'Anyone who is, has been, or would ever like to be, in a satisfying, successful relationship, would do well to read de Botton' Irish Independent

'He debunks the myth of the happily ever after
with a painfully familiar, often hilarious detailing of petty arguments, the occasional extra-marital fling, the moments of loneliness and the declining frequency of sex... It's not only hugely enjoyable but life enhancing too' Daily Mail

Modern love is never easy. Society is obsessed with stories of romance, but what comes after happily ever after?

This is a love story with a difference. From dating to marriage, from having kids to having affairs, it follows the progress of a single ordinary relationship: tender, messy, hilarious, painful, and entirely un-Romantic. It is a love story for the modern world, chronicling the daily intimacies, the blazing rows, the endless tiny gestures that make up a life shared between two people. Moving and deeply insightful, The Course of Love offers us a window into essential truths about the nature of love.

Contemporary Contemporary Romance Dark Humour Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Romantic Comedy Women's Fiction Comedy

Critic Reviews

Alain de Botton's gift is to prompt us to think about how we live (Jeanette Winterson)
Curious, humorous and dazzling... It contains more human interest than most fiction (John Updike on 'How Proust Can Change Your Life')
His prose is lovely: clear, gently persuasive, light of touch

Alain de Botton likes to take big, complex subjects and write about them with thoughtful and deceptive innocence

All stars
Most relevant
It may not be the only way to look at love, but it certainly is a valuable one. Very wise and quite ambitious in its scope, not to mention enjoyable, witty, elegantly expressed and not without some genuine suspense.

Modern love primer

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I can't say enough how great this book is, as it provides a through mature look at what's in our hearts. Love.

A must for the study of love

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the story was great and had little bits of insight along the way that didn't take away from the beauty of what was being read to you.

LOVED IT,

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Easy to listen and follow. Narrator did a good job across all characters.
I was curious to hear this book after listening to an interview with the author where his concept and perception/philosophy of how moments and our actions in our relationships will change, distort or potentially blow up love/relationships
There are lots; male or female, will be able to take away from this book cleverly disguised as a fictional story were you can’t help but like and relate to the main characters daily grind with work/love/kids/marriage.

Easy to listen

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Thought provoking and echoes real life. Well put together and overall a good experience. I felt a sense of hopelessness at the end, but maybe that's just me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Course of Love?

Rabih's spiral after Kirsten mentions she has lunch with another man.

What about Julian Rhind-Tutt’s performance did you like?

Well-rounded.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, absolutely.

Any additional comments?

Overall a great listen, definitely recommend anyone in a long term relationship or looking to settle down.

After listening to this I was upset for two days

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