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Mae West called marriage a great institution but added that she was not ready for one yet.
Romantic love has spurred a million pens to pour out passion and longing. There is no shortage of anthologies of love poems. But conjugal love has never been thought romantic; necessary to the well-being of society of course, but sublime - never. '
Successful marriages', wrote Lord David Cecil, 'have seldom inspired successful poetry.'
Bel Mooney has set out to prove him wrong .For some time now she has been making a personal commonplace book, a selection of favourite passages in novels, poetry, diaries and letters, which deal with marriage in all its stages. She moves from theories of marriage as different as Bertrand Russell's and Sydney Smith's to proposals - when decisions have to be made. Then there are wedding days - and nights, followed by the daily round of domesticity and children. No marriage survives without complications absences, anger or sometimes infidelity. Yet sins can be forgiven and marriages can survive if accommodations are made. Finally, we have a large section which celebrates married love in all its complexities and, of course, the sadder realisation that one of each couple must die first, to be mourned, honoured and remembered
This is a richly varied anthology made richer by Bel Mooney's introduction and commentary.
It is a book for one half of every married couple to give the other, and for all those who are about to be, who have been, or who want to be - married. It will also fascinate anyone interested in what Bel Mooney describes as 'one of the greatest tests of character any o have to face.'
Romantic love has spurred a million pens to pour out passion and longing. There is no shortage of anthologies of love poems. But conjugal love has never been thought romantic; necessary to the well-being of society of course, but sublime - never. '
Successful marriages', wrote Lord David Cecil, 'have seldom inspired successful poetry.'
Bel Mooney has set out to prove him wrong .For some time now she has been making a personal commonplace book, a selection of favourite passages in novels, poetry, diaries and letters, which deal with marriage in all its stages. She moves from theories of marriage as different as Bertrand Russell's and Sydney Smith's to proposals - when decisions have to be made. Then there are wedding days - and nights, followed by the daily round of domesticity and children. No marriage survives without complications absences, anger or sometimes infidelity. Yet sins can be forgiven and marriages can survive if accommodations are made. Finally, we have a large section which celebrates married love in all its complexities and, of course, the sadder realisation that one of each couple must die first, to be mourned, honoured and remembered
This is a richly varied anthology made richer by Bel Mooney's introduction and commentary.
It is a book for one half of every married couple to give the other, and for all those who are about to be, who have been, or who want to be - married. It will also fascinate anyone interested in what Bel Mooney describes as 'one of the greatest tests of character any o have to face.'
Used availability for Bel Mooney's From This Day Forward