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sleeplessheartair's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gouricanread's review against another edition
4.0
As much as I enjoyed reading this book and got something out of it, I believe that it is dangerous to point to your childhood for every single thing. I don’t know if I will consider anything in this book as a guideline on living my life or navigating my relationship. However, I am sure that everyone can relate to some of the things that these couples go through and feel relieved at the universality of it.
sirierika's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.5
laurawileman's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
inkandinsights's review against another edition
5.0
Life does not have an instruction manual. Love life certainly does not have one.
That makes navigating the everyday complexities of emotions tied to relationships difficult to handle.
Also, we end up making mistakes that last a lifetime that cost us our happiness and peace of mind. If only there were a book that taught how to take better decisions when it comes to choosing a partner, living with a partner, even better, treating a partner the right way, life would be easier and happier.
In short, an instruction manual for love. Or, a course of love, as the title suggests.
This book does justice to the title. In fact, it does a good job of unraveling the beauty of relationships and also educates us to forge better relationships. It makes one - either married or single to understand what the other person could be undergoing when they are intertwined in a relationship.
It is not just "Think from the other person's shoes" cliche advice. In fact, this is not even a self-help or non-fiction book. This is a rare fictional book with a non-fiction angle to it.
I wish everyone who is yearning for a relationship, or is in a relationship, is going to be married soon, or is planning to marry soon, reads this book. It will make the world a better place.
Because, when our relationships are intact and are in harmony, rest of the world's problems seem trivial and easy to handle. The quality of our individual lives will also see a tremendous improvement.
That makes navigating the everyday complexities of emotions tied to relationships difficult to handle.
Also, we end up making mistakes that last a lifetime that cost us our happiness and peace of mind. If only there were a book that taught how to take better decisions when it comes to choosing a partner, living with a partner, even better, treating a partner the right way, life would be easier and happier.
In short, an instruction manual for love. Or, a course of love, as the title suggests.
This book does justice to the title. In fact, it does a good job of unraveling the beauty of relationships and also educates us to forge better relationships. It makes one - either married or single to understand what the other person could be undergoing when they are intertwined in a relationship.
It is not just "Think from the other person's shoes" cliche advice. In fact, this is not even a self-help or non-fiction book. This is a rare fictional book with a non-fiction angle to it.
I wish everyone who is yearning for a relationship, or is in a relationship, is going to be married soon, or is planning to marry soon, reads this book. It will make the world a better place.
Because, when our relationships are intact and are in harmony, rest of the world's problems seem trivial and easy to handle. The quality of our individual lives will also see a tremendous improvement.
ibxri's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
m_akbar's review against another edition
4.0
*Review ini untuk edisi bahasa Indonesia
Ini adalah buku tulisan de Botton kesekian yang saya baca. Setahu saya, ini pertama kalinya dia menulis novel. Buku-buku sebelumnya seperti Consolations of Philosophy, Status Anxiety, dan The Art of Travel saya sangat suka, dimana de Botton memberikan refleksi filosofis pada hal-hal keseharian. Hal ini juga muncul pada novel baru ini.
Novel ini bukan novel cinta pada umumnya, yang diisi karakter-karakter unik, dialog-dialog manis, plot yang penuh twist, atau adegan pertaruhan hidup-mati. Bukan. Novel ini, tampaknya dibuat de Botton sebagai antidot untuk kisah-kisah cinta bombastis ala Hollywood dan akun gosip. Karena kisah-kisah cinta bombastis itu hanya menyajikan yang luar biasa, tanpa mampu menyiapkan kita untuk menjalani perjalanan cinta yang "biasa-biasa saja", yang pastinya sebagian besar dari kita alami.
Sesuai judulnya, buku ini menceritakan perjalanan cinta. Dari bagaimana karakternya membentuk ide cinta, bertemu pasangan, menjalani hubungan, menghadapi rajukan, kejenuhan, pertengkaran, punya anak, berselingkuh, sampai menjalani terapi pasangan. Yang diceritakan adalah cerita cinta paling telanjang, paling "biasa", yang pastinya bakal meruntuhkan delusi-delusi favorit kita bahwa bertemu pasangan hidup bakal selalu menyenangkan.
Dan kita butuh buku semacam ini.
Buku ini sangat khas de Botton. Selain renungan filosofis, dia juga meminjam konsep psikoanalisis, teori kelekatan, dan prinsip terapi pasangan. Meskipun begitu, buku ini tetap asyik dibaca, karena penyampaiannya yang tidak menggurui. Karenanya, buku ini serasa hybrid antara novel dan essay, dimana cerita diselingi pemikiran dan pemaknaan.
Satu poin minus saya adalah terjemahan bahasa Indonesianya. Gaya menulis de Botton memang cukup puitis dan padat makna, bahkan hampir seperti aforisme, sehingga menerjemahkannya cukup sulit. Meskipun begitu, jika pembaca mau bersabar menghadapi terjemahannya, banyak bongkahan pelajaran menarik yang dapat diambil dari buku ini.
"Kita tidak perlu terus berlaku bijak agar menjalin hubungan yang baik. Kita hanya perlu menguasai kemampuan untuk sekali-sekali mengetahui dengan santun dan menyenangkan bahwa dalam satu-dua hal, kita memang kurang waras", The Course of Love, Alain de Botton
Ini adalah buku tulisan de Botton kesekian yang saya baca. Setahu saya, ini pertama kalinya dia menulis novel. Buku-buku sebelumnya seperti Consolations of Philosophy, Status Anxiety, dan The Art of Travel saya sangat suka, dimana de Botton memberikan refleksi filosofis pada hal-hal keseharian. Hal ini juga muncul pada novel baru ini.
Novel ini bukan novel cinta pada umumnya, yang diisi karakter-karakter unik, dialog-dialog manis, plot yang penuh twist, atau adegan pertaruhan hidup-mati. Bukan. Novel ini, tampaknya dibuat de Botton sebagai antidot untuk kisah-kisah cinta bombastis ala Hollywood dan akun gosip. Karena kisah-kisah cinta bombastis itu hanya menyajikan yang luar biasa, tanpa mampu menyiapkan kita untuk menjalani perjalanan cinta yang "biasa-biasa saja", yang pastinya sebagian besar dari kita alami.
Sesuai judulnya, buku ini menceritakan perjalanan cinta. Dari bagaimana karakternya membentuk ide cinta, bertemu pasangan, menjalani hubungan, menghadapi rajukan, kejenuhan, pertengkaran, punya anak, berselingkuh, sampai menjalani terapi pasangan. Yang diceritakan adalah cerita cinta paling telanjang, paling "biasa", yang pastinya bakal meruntuhkan delusi-delusi favorit kita bahwa bertemu pasangan hidup bakal selalu menyenangkan.
Dan kita butuh buku semacam ini.
Buku ini sangat khas de Botton. Selain renungan filosofis, dia juga meminjam konsep psikoanalisis, teori kelekatan, dan prinsip terapi pasangan. Meskipun begitu, buku ini tetap asyik dibaca, karena penyampaiannya yang tidak menggurui. Karenanya, buku ini serasa hybrid antara novel dan essay, dimana cerita diselingi pemikiran dan pemaknaan.
Satu poin minus saya adalah terjemahan bahasa Indonesianya. Gaya menulis de Botton memang cukup puitis dan padat makna, bahkan hampir seperti aforisme, sehingga menerjemahkannya cukup sulit. Meskipun begitu, jika pembaca mau bersabar menghadapi terjemahannya, banyak bongkahan pelajaran menarik yang dapat diambil dari buku ini.
"Kita tidak perlu terus berlaku bijak agar menjalin hubungan yang baik. Kita hanya perlu menguasai kemampuan untuk sekali-sekali mengetahui dengan santun dan menyenangkan bahwa dalam satu-dua hal, kita memang kurang waras", The Course of Love, Alain de Botton
anabatel1's review against another edition
2.0
I really, really, really wanted to like this book. I love "The School of Life" and I was excited to see what Alain had to say on romantic relationships.
I liked the way the book was written – going back and forth between describing real-life scenarios that happen between the characters and then explaining it in a more abstract way, explaining why they acted in such way and what a better way of dealing with a conflict would have been.
However, I found it hard to read. Really hard. Some sentences were 8-10 rows long on my Kindle and I couldn't keep my focus for that long. In the end, reading felt like a chore.
I'm glad I picked it up because it did shed some light on why we behave in certain ways in a relationship, and why being a "Romantic" is just not realistic.
I liked the way the book was written – going back and forth between describing real-life scenarios that happen between the characters and then explaining it in a more abstract way, explaining why they acted in such way and what a better way of dealing with a conflict would have been.
However, I found it hard to read. Really hard. Some sentences were 8-10 rows long on my Kindle and I couldn't keep my focus for that long. In the end, reading felt like a chore.
I'm glad I picked it up because it did shed some light on why we behave in certain ways in a relationship, and why being a "Romantic" is just not realistic.
franceswilde95's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5