Review: The Romantic Movement: Sex, Shopping, and the Novel

The Romantic Movement: Sex, Shopping, and the Novel by Alain de Botton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Similar de Botton setting, character types and philosophy. London, two successful people, and love through literary eyes and philosophy. Two people brought together through ordinary circumstances and the dissection of their courtship. She is completely more into him than he is into her. It's not a spoiler to share that the relationship eventually fails because after all this is Alain de Botton not some YA BS. One thing I can say about the characters is that they grow, they evolve and by the end of the book I no longer wanted to slap Alice- well I did but not for the same reasons I had in the beginning.

Alice is your typical needy, emotional and over-thinking 24 year old girl in a profession beyond her years. Eric is a self-centered, successful and almost ten years her senior aloof man. She was frequently awe struck and he was frequently frustrated by her youth and naiveté. Their little more than a year relationship is stripped of all emotion and analyzed for our reading pleasure and it is both educational and enlightening.

In a few days I'll know if this can be added as one of my favorites. The female version of his [b:On Love|23426|On Love|Alain de Botton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347724102s/23426.jpg|14280312] both are amazing in their own ways. This one was much more difficult for me to read because the female character made me want to slap her all the time for being such a total wimpy sap. But as a whole it makes some great observations about life and love and that horrible transition from young 20 year old in the professional world to young woman. Young woman in love to young woman who understands mature love. While I still strongly dislike the character of Alice and hope I was never her, I still think she is a great character who evolves very believably.



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