Love in the Western World

What it is about

Love in the Western World is Denis de Rougemont’s essay, from the revised English edition of L'Amour et l'Occident, on the Tristan myth and the Western habit of setting passion against marriage. He traces how a story of doomed, adulterous desire shaped ideals of romance that treat obstacle and intensity as proof of love. The book is cultural criticism of passion’s mythology, not a manual for making a marriage work and not a dismissal of every strong feeling. Readers who want history of an idea will find more here than readers seeking weekly couple exercises.

Questions it can answer

• How does the Tristan myth shape Western ideas of passion versus marriage?
• Why might obstacle and intensity be mistaken for proof of love?
• How is this cultural essay different from a practical marriage guide?

What you will not find

• Communication drills or conflict-resolution steps
• A complete ethnography of non-Western marriage
• Advice on whether a particular couple should stay or leave