From Publishers Weekly
Using drawings, quizzes and quotes from famous philosphers, de Botton presents a postmodern look at the ups and downs of a love affair. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review
"The Romantic Movement sheds light on the nature of relationships . . . The method of telling much and showing little produces a good deal of wit, cogency, and humor."--John Updike, The New Yorker

"A reader gets whiffs of Donald Barthelme, Julian Barnes, Woody Allen, the films of Eric Rohmer . . . Mr. de Botton borrows exuberantly, and well, from his forebears . . . therein lies the buoyant charm of the approach."--Lisa Zeidner, The New York Times Book Review



Review
"The Romantic Movement sheds light on the nature of relationships . . . The method of telling much and showing little produces a good deal of wit, cogency, and humor."--John Updike, The New Yorker

"A reader gets whiffs of Donald Barthelme, Julian Barnes, Woody Allen, the films of Eric Rohmer . . . Mr. de Botton borrows exuberantly, and well, from his forebears . . . therein lies the buoyant charm of the approach."--Lisa Zeidner, The New York Times Book Review



Review
"The Romantic Movement sheds light on the nature of relationships . . . The method of telling much and showing little produces a good deal of wit, cogency, and humor."--John Updike, The New Yorker

"A reader gets whiffs of Donald Barthelme, Julian Barnes, Woody Allen, the films of Eric Rohmer . . . Mr. de Botton borrows exuberantly, and well, from his forebears . . . therein lies the buoyant charm of the approach."--Lisa Zeidner, The New York Times Book Review



Book Description
In The Romantic Movement, Alain de Botton explores the progress of a love affair from first meeting to breaking up, intercut with musings on the nature of art of love. The relationship between Alice, an advertising executive, and Eric, a banker, is examined at every stage, supplemented by quizzes and line drawings by the author and commentary by a chorus of great philosophers, from Descartes to Plato to Aretha Franklin. The Romantic Movement will charm readers and lovers alike with wit, insight, and intelligence.



About the Author
Alain de Botton was born in Switzerland in 1969, educated at Cambridge, and lives in London. He is the author of The Romantic Movement (Picador) and How Proust Can Change Your Life. His first novel, On Love, was published in fifteen countries, and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Fiction.

FROM OUR EDITORS

With a sure feel for the sentiments of men & women, the author of On Love tells the story of Alice & Eric & their bumpy relationship, revealed through amusing drawings & a chorus of thoughts about love, from such authorities as Plato & D.H. Lawrence.

ANNOTATION

The author of the critically acclaimed On Love offers an utterly delightful book that once more takes up the eternal theme of love. Alice, disappointed with men and searching for answers, meets Eric and embarks on an affair that is catalogued in all its thrills and pitfalls.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Alice is disappointed by men and searching for answers when she meets and embarks on an affair with Eric. Her romantic predicaments and emotional swings give rise to a host of questions. Why is jealousy sometimes a good thing? At what stage can one disagree with a lover's opinion, without giving offense? Must there always be an issue of power between people? And, perhaps most important of all, what is the link between love, sex, and shopping? With a sure feel for women and men, Alain de Botton reveals the lovers' characters; he also provides a chorus of thinkers about love, from Descartes and Rousseau to Plato, D. H. Lawrence, and Aretha Franklin. As Alice begins to evaluate Eric as a prospective mate, her thoughts are amusingly illustrated by a succession of drawings and charts.

FROM THE CRITICS

John Updike

"'The Romantic Movement' sheds light on the nature of relationships....The method of telling much and showing little produces a good deal of wit, cogency, and humor." -- The New Yorker

Pico Iyer

"A spendhal of death's nineties dating scene...'The Romantic Movement' is that rarest of artifacts, a novel that smiles." -- Time Magazine

Lisa Veidner