A review by jo_siah
The Course of Love by Alain de Botton

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was an engrossing tale that followed the life of a fairly uninteresting man who meets a woman and makes a life with her. Almost voyeuristic, the author does a wonderful job of revealing the inner workings of the characters’ minds while also describing the mundane aspects of corporate, familial and romantic relationships. Despite it being very heteronormative, it was easy to follow along and relate to, with a lot of the book providing analysis on areas such as attachment and communication styles, expectations and societal norms and painted a very honest (grim) picture of what I imagine is the reality of so many love stories.