The Art of Marriage - Softcover

Treasure trove of advice, anecdotes, insights and experiences. It is relevant before and after exchanging vows * Daily Express * This is an upmarket guide to marriage. It's very good. It tells you some obvious things, and lots of things that are less obvious. For instance: don't pick your nose in front of your spouse. That's obvious. But why? Because it suggests that you no longer want them to fancy you. That's less obvious. And it tells you something else: that relationships are nuanced affairs. "Sex trouble is almost inevitable," she says. Then there are children. Parenthood "does not always draw couples close". She's interesting on adultery. When marriage was about "maintaining patrimony", adultery was sometimes tolerated. Now it's about love, it isn't * Evening Standard * In this witty book, Catherine Blyth - no sentimentalist - freewheels across history, sociology and literature, and makes a fresh case for matrimony as the best vessel in which to navigate the stormy seas of life * Sunday Telegraph * 'Holidays are times to indulge in self-help and Blyth's follow-up to The Art of Conversation dispenses lots of pithy and profound advice' * Closer * Written with a mixture of humour and historical perspective * Daily Telegraph * Lots of pithy and profound advice * Time Out * It's fun to read something which leaps about in lively fashion from Darwin's list of pros and cons of marrying to the 'things I hate about you' lists that Anthony Armstrong-Jones left about the house for Princess Margaret. What struck me above all is how good a writer Blyth is with her wry, wise and lyrical style. This led me to wonder when that novel so obviously trying to get out of her will see the light of day * Wendy Holden, Daily Mail *

Joining your life with another person's, until death do you part, is perhaps the biggest decision you can take. But once the vows have been sworn, the cake has been cut, and the honeymoon is over, what are the secrets of a lasting marriage? The Art of Marriage explains why marriage matters. This timeless institution still casts its spell, not thanks to the sentimental grip of tradition, but because it eases the ups and downs of existence and makes them meaningful. Each marriage is unique, so there are no universal laws for being a good husband or wife. But Catherine Blyth's insights and anecdotes gather wisdom from history, psychology, and couples who have been there, to show how best to negotiate the three-legged obstacle race that is married life. Whether it's upturned loo-seats, badly squeezed toothpaste, in-laws who should be outlawed, rows over the rubbish, or sly, wandering eyes, you will find a solution in this entertaining survivor's guide.