Dimensions
128 x 198 x 14mm
Love is a central theme in the autobiography we each write as we try to understand our lives; but it is hard to say what we mean by love. We usually become only more uncertain the more we think about it. It is intimately connected with our vision of happiness; yet there is no one we are more likely to hurt, or be hurt by, than the person we love.
The opening phase of "being in love" - the stage of romantic passion - tends to dominate our vision of what love is. Yet what we most want is lasting, long-term love. This book is, in part, a subtle exploration of the awkward passage from romance to mature love.
In a series of lucid discussions, Armstrong traces the leading ideas that, from Plato to Freud, via Stendhal and Tolstoy, through to evolutionary psychology, have shaped how we think and feel about love. And these are ideas that continue to offer insights into our conditions as lovers today. What might it mean to say that "love is irrational"? Can there be a "right person" for me? How does infatuation differ from the real thing?
