The Art of Marriage : A Guide to Living Life As Two

Read Catherine Blyth's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community. A witty, thought-provoking celebration of why marriage still matters-and how to make yours work-from the author of The Art of Conversation. Today we no longer get married for the reasons our grandparents did: because our families say so, because we must marry to leave home, to have sex, to have financial security. So in this modern age, why marry at all? The Art of Marriage seeks to answer this question, in an enchanting guided tour of the three-legged race that is married life. With anecdotes from history, the latest research, and insights about couples who stayed the course, Blyth offers entertaining advice on how to enjoy a successful marriage and answers vital questions such as can housework improve sex life? Why should husbands argue? And why must wives relax? In the age of "Bridezillas" and over-the-top destination weddings, it is all too easy to lose sight of the greater meaning of saying "I do." A wedding is not an end-it's not about the race for the ring, or planning a blow-out event-it's the beginning of a journey, full of questions and mystery, and different for each couple. As Catherine Blyth so eloquently puts it, "Each story has at least two sides. Reconciling them is the art of marriage." A witty, thought-provoking celebration of why marriage still matters-and how to make yours work. Taking anecdotes from history, the latest research, and insights about couples who stayed the course, writer and journalist Catherine Blyth offers an engaging tour of married life with entertaining advice on how to enjoy a successful marriage. She also shows how to deal with wandering eyes or in-laws who should be outlawed, and answers vital questions such as: Can housework improve sex life' Why should husbands argue' And why must wives relax' In an age when skeptics like Elizabeth Gilbert and Lori Gottlieb urge us to "beware" or to "settle," The Art of Marriage offers heartfelt inspiration. Readers will learn why marriage still casts its spell, and how-with optimism and some tactics-it can be better than ever An argument in support of marriage draws on historical anecdotes and modern research as well as the insights of couples to share counsel on topics ranging from infidelity and intimacy to conflicts and the views of leading skeptics