On Love - by Alain de Botton (Paperback)

About the Book

"Plotting the course of an affair from the initial delirium of infatuation to the depths of suicidal despair, through a fit of anhedonia--defined in medical texts as a diseae resulting from the terror brought on by the threat of utter happiness--and finally through the terrorist tactics employed when the beloved begins, inexplicably, to drift away, this 'tour de force pelasure...[is] a dissertation/novel on romantic narcissism that's both intellectually stimulating and emotionally touching" (Kirkus Reviews)." -- cover.

Book Synopsis

On Love is globally bestselling novelist-philosopher Alain De Botton's iconic debut--the novel that launched his decorated literary career; and a funny, profound, and searingly true-to-life exploration of love.

A man and a woman meet over casual conversation on a flight from Paris to London, and so begins a love story--from fist kiss to first argument, elation to heartbreak, and everything in between. Each stage of the relationship is illuminated with starling clarity, as de Botton explores emotions often felt but rarely understood. Now, in tandem with the arrival of The Course of Love--de Botton's first novel in twenty years and one about mature love--we celebrate the timeless debut about young love that serves as The Course of Love's precursor and companion.

Reissued with a brilliant introduction by the New York Times bestselling author of How Should a Person Be?, Shelia Heti, On Love is a contemporary classic that should be read by anyone who has ever fallen in love.

Review Quotes

"Smart and ironic . . . The book's success has much to do with its beautifully modeled sentences, its wry humor, and its unwavering deadpan respect for the reader's intelligence . . . full of keen observation and flashes of genuine lyricism, acuity and depth." --Francine Prose, New Republic

"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 On Love, a first novel by Alain de Botton, who seems to have been born to write." --Amanda Heller, Boston Globe

"An intricate deconstruction of a love affair done in an intellectual, Seinfeldian style . . . The commentary hits the nail on the head." --Amy Sohn, The Week

"Witty, funny, sophisticated, neatly tied up, and full of wise and illuminating insights." --P. J. Kavanagh, Spectator

"I doubt if de Botton has written a dull sentence in his life." --Jan Morris, New Statesman

"A dazzlingly original, erudite and witty journey through all the vagaries of romantic love. A total delight." --Josephine Hart, author of Sin and Damage

"The smart and funny On Love is just the strong cup of coffee needed to clear your head after a sticky sweet like The Bridges of Madison County. On Love is romantic reality." --News & Observer

"A tour de force pleasure of a first novel . . . A dissertation/novel on romantic narcissism that's both intellectually stimulating and emotionally touching. A very promising debut." --Kirkus Reviews