The Course of Love: A Novel Cover
Podcast Mentions

The Course of Love A Novel

Alain de Botton

“ We all know the headiness and excitement of the early days of love. But what comes after? In Edinburgh, a couple, Rabih and Kirsten, fall in love. They get married, they have children—but no long-term relationship is as simple as “happily ever after.”

Podcasts 2
Quotes 10
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The Viall Files

Podcast

The Viall Files

They said they were reading a book titled "The Course of Love" and described a scene where a couple roleplays a coffeeshop scenario that turned erotic for the wife.

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I'm reading, I read this book is called the course of love and in it, the husband and wife, they do a lot of like fantasy role play. And in the fantasy role play one time, the husband brought up like...

— Episode: E122 Slut Bot with Shan Boodram

Episode: E122 Slut Bot with Shan Boodram

They said they were reading a book titled "The Course of Love" and described a scene where a couple roleplays a coffeeshop scenario that turned erotic for the wife.

"

I'm reading, I read this book is called the course of love and in it, the husband and wife, they do a lot of like fantasy role play. And in the fantasy role play one time, the husband brought up like a character they both know, like somebody who worked at a coffee shop or something.

On Being with Krista Tippett

Podcast

On Being with Krista Tippett

Krista Tippett and Alain de Botton repeatedly highlighted the book as a nuanced exploration of modern love, presenting love as a skill that can be cultivated and critiquing romantic idealism. They noted its pedagogical narrative voice and the way it examined the challenges of long‑term relationships, such as the subtle project of self‑improvement between partners. The discussion conveyed a strong endorsement of its insightful perspective on love and relationships.

Highly Recommended

Episode: Alain de Botton — The True Hard Work of Love and R...

This novel was described as weaving a pedagogical narrative voice into its story of a relationship, highlighting themes of self-improvement and the challenges of maintaining love over time. Several quotes from this book were included in the podcast transcript, contributing to the discussion of the work of love and how expectations affect relationships.

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There's your most recent book on this subject is The Course of Love, which is a novel.

And you said at one point their relationship is secretly yet mutually marked by a project of improvement, which I think we all recognize.

And you said at one point their relationship is secretly yet mutually marked by a project of improvement, which I think we all recognize. And then there's this moment where you say, after the dinner party, Robbie is sincerely trying to bring about an evolution in the personality of the wife he loves. But his chosen technique is distinctive to call Kirsten materialistic, to shout at her and then later to slam two doors.

I mean there's this wonderful line from The Course of Love about these two parents, the children, the tired child inside each of them is furious at how long it has been neglected and in pieces.

Episode: [Unedited] Alain de Botton with Krista Tippett

This novel was discussed as a more mature exploration of the author's ideas on love, emphasizing the importance of viewing love as a skill that can be learned and improved. It describes the complexities and challenges of long-term relationships.

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their relationship is secretly yet mutually marked by a project of improvement

Robbie is sincerely trying to bring about an evolution in the personality of the wife he loves. But his chosen technique is distinctive, to call Kirsten materialistic, to shout at her, and then later to slam two doors.

the tired child inside each of them is furious at how long it has been neglected and in pieces.

Episode: Alain de Botton — A School of Life for Atheists

This was described as a novel with the theme of modern love, and it critiques romanticism as an enemy of love.

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romanticism is the single greatest enemy we face for love

Episode: Alain de Botton — A School of Life for Atheists

This novel explores the theme of modern love and challenges romantic ideals, presenting a more realistic perspective on relationships.

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The problem of modern love is one of his favorite topics and it's the theme of his novel The Course of Love.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.