With my own impending marriage rapidly approaching in sixteen days, I have picked up several books on the topic in the last few weeks. In an attempt to learn more about the nebulous institution I recently picked up a copy of Marriage, a History; from Obedience to Intimacy or How Love Conquered Marriage.
The book certainly lives up to the title, it is very much a history, and reads similarly to some college text books I have come across. Unlike The New Wife, which I would happily lend to a friend about to enter into marriage and wifehood, I would hesitate to lend out Marriage, a History to any one who was not a history major (or equally crazy, and even then I would have my doubts).
It is a slow, plodding read, not to be attempted in one sitting. I could see the book being of value if one was taking a history class on the middle ages and picked the obscure “culture” (as opposed to art, music, literature, religion, government, etc.) as an obscure topic to write about.
Occasionally there is something great like on page 118: “The few manuals directed at husbands invariably sound more like tips for training a horse than building a marriage.”
If I am not mistaken, Marriage, a History, like Sex with Kings and Seduction, also has the story of Cleopatra in it. Sex with Kings talks about the affairs that Cleopatra had with Caesar and Mark Anthony. Seduction points out Cleopatra was ugly and used her innate Goddess-seduction powers to get into bed with them. Marriage, a History shows that love took the back burner as she was motivated by politics and a desire to get the power that she craved.
Marriage, a History does not seem to care if Cleopatra liked, or even loved Mark Anthony when she eventually married him. Coontz simply points out the political mess surrounding the union. Emotion is left out of the book, although it was certainly not left out of the political intrigue.
Adding to the dryness, the book concludes with one hundred pages of endnotes and documentation. I would recommend the book for a library or as supplemental readings for a women’s studies or history class. It is an interesting read, but rather dry at best.
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