essays in love summary

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• Essays in Love

Essays in Love  is a novel about two young people, who meet on an airplane between London and Paris and rapidly fall in love. The structure of the story isn’t unusual, but what lends the book its interest is the extraordinary depth with which the emotions involved in the relationship are analysed. Love comes under the philosophical microscope. An entire chapter is devoted to the nuances and subtexts of an initial date. Another chapter mulls over the question of how and when to say ‘I love you’. There’s an essay on how uncomfortable it can be to disagree with a lover’s taste in shoes and a lengthy discussion about the role of guilt in love.

The book is an intriguing blend of novel and non-fiction. As in a novel, there are characters and realistic settings, but these are blended in with a host of more abstract ideas. The book has attracted a particular following among those who have recently fallen in love ­- or come out of a relationship.

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Book Review: Essays in Love // Alain de Botton

As soon as the final word on the final page of Essays in Love ended, I felt a strong impulse to write about how this book made me feel, so here goes.

This book is a rarity. Feeling so content and warm when reading a book happens only on occasion, and this book has been successful in doing so. Written by Alain de Botton as his first novel in such a beautifully poetic manner, Essays in Love documents a passionate and tender relationship between a man and a woman, which happened coincidentally and ends inevitably. Told from the man’s perspective, his philosophical stance on love for his other half Chloe paints an intricate picture of how intense love can be. He marks each part of the relationship in chronological order, each chapter as a mini philosophical essay, going into great depth about simple details of their relationship such as seducing her, saying ‘I love you’, silently arguing through ‘romantic terrorism’ and wanting to commit suicide when it’s over. This all may sound slightly obsessive – which it essentially is – but through de Botton’s flowing and softly-spoken writing style, it’s as if the novel is being whispered to you (in the least creepy way possible).

The novel begins with their meeting on a flight, which sounds clichéd but it captures the surprise and coincidence love can bring. The characterisation of the speaker depicts him as a clearly highly intelligent and profound man, whose analytical thinking allows us directly into his mind and how well he can breakdown and evaluate love. As the chapters progress, so too does the relationship, which starts off awkward but grows and grows into a strong adoration for one another. His observations of the little mannerisms and physical attributes of Chloe which he found to be beautiful were extremely poignant, as are the moral questions he asks about love such as “If she really is so wonderful, how could she love someone like me?” and “Is it not my right to be loved and her duty to love me?”

The relationship between the speaker and Chloe is one of normality; it’s nothing spectacular. What really makes it so special, however, is the way the story is told in such detail and depth. Each sentence is sculpted so flawlessly; the last couple of chapters are particularly stunning, as the book doesn’t simply describe being in love, but also being out of love, and these chapters deal with getting over a break-up in such a raw and realistic manner. Describing Chloe’s affair with the speaker’s work partner Will was heart-wrenching to read, particularly due to how deep his affections for her were, but the beauty of it is how realistic it is – it’s not all magic and fairy tales, it’s just an ordinary relationship (if such a thing exists).

The book often references philosophers and analogies from philosophy which may be slightly confusing if you don’t have prior philosophical knowledge; however this does not affect the book as a whole. It can, at times, be quite challenging to grasp due to the scope of language used, but this generally makes the book so much more sophisticated.

Whether you are falling in, have fallen or have fallen out of love, Essays in Love will explain all the complexities, unanswered questions, underlying feelings and strange sensations love seems to entail. This book is a treasure, one which is highly underrated, and I am left blown away by its beauty. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to recommend this novel to everyone and anyone who’s willing to listen.

Alain de Botton

Essays in love.

'De Botton is a national treasure.' - Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black A unique love story and a classic work of philosophy, rooted in the mysterious workings of the human heart and mind. Perhaps it is true that we do not really exist until there is someone there to see us existing, we cannot properly speak until there is someone who can understand what we are saying in essence, we are not wholly alive until we are loved. A man and woman on a flight from Paris to London, and so begins their love story. From first kiss to first argument, infatuation to heartbreak, de Botton illuminates each stage of their relationship with a clarity both startling and tender. With the verve of a novelist and the insight of a philosopher, Essays in Love unveils the mysteries of the human heart. It is essential reading for anyone seeking instruction in the art of love.

The book's success has much to do with its beautifully modelled sentences, its wry humour and its unwavering deadpan respect for its reader's intelligence . . . full of keen observation and flashes of genuine lyricism, acuity and depth. Francine Prose, author of The Vixen and Lovers at the Chameleon Club

Witty, funny, sophisticated, neatly tied up, and full of wise and illuminating insights The Spectator

De Botton is a national treasure. Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black

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Alain de Botton: the three ingredients for love

The philosopher and author writes about the meaning of love and why the lonely are the real experts

If ever there was a time to celebrate love it's in the darker periods when we most need our faith restored. It's why Laura Lambert, the founder of ethical jewellery brand Fenton, decided to call on her favourite writers to compile an anthology of expressions of love - what it means and how it manifests itself.

Notes on Love was curated during the first lockdown, and was self-published in October, featuring contributions from high-profile names such as Candice Brathwaite, Elizabeth Day and Alain de Botton. Here, we share an abridged version of de Botton's essay on the three components that characterise love - and why the lonely are the best placed to be experts on the subject.

Alain de Botton: What is love?

One way to get a sense of why love should matter so much, why it might be considered close to the meaning of life, is to look at the challenges of loneliness. Too often, we leave the topic of loneliness unmentioned: those without anyone to hold feel shame; those with someone (a background degree of) guilt. But the pains of loneliness are an unembarrassing and universal possibility. We shouldn’t – on top of it all – feel lonely about being lonely. Unwittingly, loneliness gives us the most eloquent insights into why love should matter so much. There are few greater experts on the importance of love than those who are bereft of anyone to love. It is hard to know quite what all the fuss around love might be about until and unless one has, somewhere along the way, spent some bitter unwanted passages in one’s own company.

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When we are alone, people may well strive to show us kindness; there may be invitations and touching gestures, but it will be hard to escape from a background sense of the conditionality of the interest and care on offer. We are liable to detect the limits of the availability of even the best disposed companions and sense the restrictions of the demands we can make upon them. It is often too late – or too early – to call. A radical editing of our true selves is the price we must pay for conviviality.

All these quietly soul- destroying aspects of single life, love promises to correct. In the company of a lover, there need be almost no limits to the depths of concern, care, attention and license we are granted. We will be accepted more or less as we are; we won’t be under pressure to keep proving our status. It will be possible to reveal our extreme, absurd vulnerabilities and compulsions and survive. It will be OK to have tantrums, to sing badly and to cry. We will be tolerated if we are less than charming or simply vile for a time. We will be able to wake them up at odd hours to share sorrows or excitements. Our smallest scratches will be of interest.

In the presence of the lover, evaluation will no longer be so swift and cynical. They will lavish time. As we tentatively allude to something, they will get eager and excited. They will say ‘go on’ when we stumble and hesitate. They will accept that it takes a lot of attention to slowly unravel the narrative of how we came to be the people we are. They won’t just say ‘poor you’ and turn away. And instead of regarding us as slightly freakish in the face of our confessions, they will kindly say ‘me too.’ The fragile parts of ourselves will be in safe hands with them. We will feel immense gratitude to this person who does something that we had maybe come to suspect would be impossible: know us really well and still like us. Surrounded on all sides by lesser or greater varieties of coldness, we will at last know that, in the arms of one extraordinary, patient and kindly being worthy of infinite gratitude, we truly matter.

2. Admiration

In Plato’s dialogue, The Symposium, the playwright Aristophanes suggests that the origins of love lie in a desire to complete ourselves by finding a long lost ‘other half’. At the beginning of time, he ventures in playful conjecture, all human beings were hermaphrodites with double backs and flanks, four hands and four legs and two faces turned in opposite directions on the same head. These hermaphrodites were so powerful and their pride so overweening that Zeus was forced to cut them in two, into a male and female half – and from that day, each one of us has nostalgically yearned to rejoin the part from which he or she was severed. We don’t need to buy into the literal story to recognise a symbolic truth: we fall in love with people who promise that they will in some way help to make us whole. At the centre of our ecstatic feelings in the early days of love, there is a gratitude at having found someone who seems so perfectly to complement our qualities and dispositions. We do not all fall in love with the same people because we are not all missing the same things.

Our personal inadequacies explain the direction of our tastes

The aspects we find desirable in our partners speak of what we admire but do not have secure possession of in ourselves. We may be powerfully drawn to the competent person because we know how our own lives are held up by a lack of confidence and tendencies to get into a panic around bureaucratic complications. Or our love may zero in on the comedic sides of a partner because we’re only too aware of our tendencies to sterile despair and cynicism. Our personal inadequacies explain the direction of our tastes. We hope to change a little in their presence, becoming – through their help – better versions of ourselves.

We shouldn’t expect to get there all by ourselves. We can, in certain areas, be the pupils and they the teachers. We usually think of education as something harsh imposed upon us against our will. Love promises to educate us in a very different way. Through our lovers, our development can start in a far more welcoming and energising way: with deep excitement and desire. Love gives us the energy to construct and hold on to the very best story about someone. We are returned to a primal gratitude. We thrill around apparently minor details: that they have called us, that they are wearing that particular pullover, that they lean their head on their hand in a certain way, that they have a tiny scar over their left index finger or a particular habit of slightly mispronouncing a word... It isn’t usual to take this kind of care over a fellow creature, to notice so many tiny touching, accomplished and poignant things in another. This is what parents, artists or a God might do. We can’t necessarily continue in this vein forever, the rapture is not necessarily always entirely sane, but it is one of our noblest and most redemptive pastimes – and a kind of art all of its own – to give ourselves over to appreciating properly for a time the real complexity, beauty and virtue of another human being.

One of the more surprising and at one level perplexing aspects of love is that we don’t merely wish to admire our partners; we are also powerfully drawn to want to possess them physically. The birth of love is normally signalled by what is in reality a hugely weird act; two organs otherwise used for eating and speaking are rubbed and pressed against one another with increasing force, accompanied by the secretion of saliva. We can only start to understand the role of sexuality in love if we can accept that it is not – from a purely physical point of view – necessarily a uniquely pleasant experience in and of itself, it is not always a remarkably more enjoyable tactile feeling than having a scalp massage or eating an oyster.

Through sexual love, we are accepted for who we really are

Yet nevertheless, sex with our lover can be one of the nicest things we ever do. The reason is that sex delivers a major psychological thrill. The pleasure we experience has its origin in an idea: that of being allowed to do a very private thing to and with another person. Another person’s body is a highly protected and private zone. We’re implicitly saying to another person through our unclothing that they have been placed in a tiny, intensely policed category of people: that we have granted them an extraordinary privilege. Sexual excitement is psychological. It’s not so much what our bodies happen to be doing that turns us on. It’s what’s happening in our brains: acceptance is at the centre of the kinds of experiences we collectively refer to as ‘getting turned on.’ It feels physical – the blood pumps faster, the metabolism shifts gear, the skin gets hot – but behind all this lies a very different kind of change: a sense of an end to our isolation.

In general, civilisation requires us to present stringently edited versions of ourselves to others. It asks us to be cleaner, purer, more polite versions of who we might otherwise be. The demand comes at quite a high internal cost. Important sides of our character are pushed into the shadows. The person who loves us sexually does something properly redemptive: they stop making a distinction between the different sides of who we are. They can see that we are the same person all the time; that our gentleness or dignity in some situations isn’t fake because of how we are in bed and vice versa. Through sexual love, we have the chance to solve one of the deepest, loneliest problems of human nature: how to be accepted for who we really are.

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Essays in Love

By: Alain de Botton

• Narrated by: James Wilby
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• 4.4 out of 5 stars 4.4 (299 ratings)

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Publisher's summary

Essays in Love is a stunningly original love story. Taking in Aristotle, Wittgenstein, history, religion and Groucho Marx, Alain de Botton charts the progress of a love affair from the first kiss to argument and reconciliation, from intimacy and tenderness to the onset of anxiety and heartbreak.

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The 13 chapters of The Art of War , each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.

The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary

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By: King James Bible

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• Length: 82 hrs and 53 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 986
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 781
• Story 5 out of 5 stars 774

This newer edition of the King James Bible published in 1769 is usually preferred by most that read it over the older 1611 version. This 1769 edition is highly sought after due to being more reader/listener friendly than the 1611 since many typos were fixed.... We hope your new audio bible will go everywhere with you and be a blessing for years to come.

• By José de Ribera on 12-17-20

The Girlfriend

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• Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,413
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,249
• Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,245

The doorbell rings, just days after my beloved husband’s sudden death. I don’t recognise the woman on our doorstep, with her blonde highlights, a diamond bracelet identical to my own and a bouncing baby boy in her arms. As I show her inside, I notice her eyes grow wide as she takes in our spacious hallway, and the big squashy sofas that we all used to pile on. She glances at the silver-framed family photos and my little daughter hiding behind my skirts. She looks at me, her blue eyes serious. ‘I’m sorry’ she says. ‘I am your husband’s girlfriend. And this is his son.'

• By Karyn Cavanaugh on 02-22-23

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• Sue Brewer and the Birth of Outlaw Country Music
• By: Rachel Bonds, Holly Gleason, Dub Cornett
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• Overall 5 out of 5 stars 238
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• Story 5 out of 5 stars 228

Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson. Before they were household names, these budding legends called Sue’s Nashville apartment—lovingly dubbed the “Boar’s Nest”—home. Sue’s place was an intimate staging ground where a new breed of singer-songwriters—wounded souls, wayward upstarts—would spur each other on to tap into something bigger, realer.

Best audio experience in a long time!!!

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By: Rachel Bonds , and others

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But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.

Contrary to common reviews

• By Karen on 05-21-21

By: Shirtaloon , and others

By: Amanda Wilkin

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Climate activist Shirley Watts has dedicated her entire life to protecting the planet for future generations. But constantly fighting for Mother Earth has taken its toll over time, leaving her in a precarious relationship with her adult daughter, Lela. When Shirley’s latest climate stunt lands her in serious legal jeopardy, Lela reluctantly lets Shirley stay with her and her boyfriend while awaiting her upcoming trial.

recording broke up a lot

• By Michael on 03-31-24

The Narrator

By: K. L. Slater

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• Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,946
• Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,801
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When the call came it seemed like the answer to my prayers. My career as a voice actor had been over for months and me and my little girl Scarlet were living back at my mum’s place. I felt like a failure professionally—and with Scarlet having problems at school, as a parent as well. So, when I was asked to narrate a new book by disappeared novelist Philippa Roberts I jumped at the chance, even if it meant leaving Scarlet with my ex, Hugo, for a few weeks. Hugo, with his perfect new home and his perfect new girlfriend Saskia. But this isn’t a dream come true. It’s a nightmare.

Love but it's a production issue!

• By Mary on 09-02-22

American Dreamer: Who Was Jay Gatsby?

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Just before the small-time bootlegger Max Gerlach died, he tried to reveal his secret: he was the inspiration for the mysterious Jay Gatsby. It’s a nice story, but was he telling the truth? Veteran reporter Joe Nocera and producer Poppy Damon investigate this century-old literary mystery and uncover untold secrets about the Great American Novel.

By: Sarah A. Denzil

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It’s Christmas Day at Wilder House, and three magical winter weddings are set to begin. But as the tables are arranged, and the food is prepared, a perfect storm hits, cutting every guest from the rest of the world. Most little girls dream of the perfect wedding. But this bride stumbles alone into the snow, her silk train dragging through dirt, her hands bloody from the murder she just committed. Now there is at least one killer roaming the unforgiving landscape surrounding Wilder House. Who else will die on Christmas Day?

a little bit of wicked fun

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• Overall 3 out of 5 stars 42
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It’s the middle of the night in Tehran when Michael arrives at the apartment of his ex-girlfriend, Shima. He finds her anxiously awaiting a mysterious visitor and fears he’s interrupted a tryst, only to gradually learn that the truth is much stranger and more sinister. What follows is a series of cunning detours in this atmospheric and elusive odyssey that challenges expectations and assumptions at every turn.

• By Chad on 03-29-24

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One of the great, but often unmentioned, causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kinds of chairs, walls, buildings, and streets that surround us. And yet, a concern for architecture is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. Alain de Botton starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.

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This is a book about an almost universal anxiety that is rarely mentioned: an anxiety about what others think of us, about whether we're judged a success or a failure, a winner or a loser. This is a book about status anxiety. Best-selling author Alain de Botton asks, with lucidity and charm, where our worries about status come from and what, if anything, we can do to surmount them.

False Advertising!

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Aside from love, few actvities seem to promise us as much happiness as going traveling: taking off for somewhere else, somewhere far from home, a place with more interesting weather, customs, and landscapes. But although we are inundated with advice on where to travel, few people seem to talk about why we should go and how we can become more fulfilled by doing so.

Dull, suggestions for better alternatives

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El placer del amor [Essays on Love]

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Un día gris cualquiera, un hombre cualquiera y un vuelo de lo más aburrido entre París y Londres...y de repente, ese hombre levanta la vista y ve a Chloe, su vecina de asiento, una joven de ojos verde agua, hombros quebradizos y uñas mal cuidadas. Cuando el avión aterriza, él ya sabe que esa es la mujer de su vida. Es más: su amor es único y va a ser eterno. 

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Much of today's media tells us to be thinner, richer, and more successful. This book tells us how to be nicer. Niceness may not have the immediate allure of money or fame, but we can all benefit from practical advice on how to be more patient, better at listening, less irritable, and less defensive. This is a guidebook to the uncharted landscape of niceness, gently exploring the key themes of this often overlooked quality.

What listeners say about Essays in Love

• 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.4 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 180
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.5 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 170
• 4.5 out of 5 stars 4.3 out of 5.0
• 5 Stars 152

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews, amazon reviews.

• Overall 5 out of 5 stars
• Performance 4 out of 5 stars
• Story 5 out of 5 stars

• Maria L. Lantin

Every relationship you've ever analyzed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I wouldn't recommend this book to all my friends but I know that some of them would enjoy it as much as I did. It's for romantics that think too much sometimes. It's for realists that love to fall in love nevertheless.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Essays in Love?

There are many memorable moments...but perhaps what stands out now after a couple weeks is the way intimacy in the couple is revealed and lost. The fight scenes are funny in a "oh yeah, I've been there" kinda way.

Have you listened to any of James Wilby’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It was my first James Wilby book and I enjoyed his reading very much.

Who was the most memorable character of Essays in Love and why?

I guess it was the main male character because he's so introspective to the point of absurdity but also insightful.

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5 people found this helpful

• Performance 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly plucks and weaves love's nuances

What did you love best about Essays in Love?

The story is engaging. There are really good points made, great references, and de Botton analyzes the nuances of falling in and out of love with the perspective and depth of someone who's lived a thousand lives. The narrator's voice is very attractive.

What does James Wilby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice. Very warm and theatrical (not in an exaggerated way) at the same time.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. It was so hard to even go to sleep. I had my Audible on sleep timer several times but didn't want to miss anything to grogginess. So I would relisten the same parts the next day. This book is so wise.

Any additional comments?

Definitely listen to this.

3 people found this helpful

• Andre Mendes

One day binge

Simply could not put this book down. There are so few stories, love stories fewer still, that capture real life so well. The book itself is a beautiful mix of philosophical topics with narrative that makes for such an enlightening and enjoyable listening experience. Very well performed, I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a realistic love story.

2 people found this helpful

• Overall 1 out of 5 stars
• Performance 1 out of 5 stars
• Story 1 out of 5 stars

• Blanche Matula

what a creep

the author is an egotistical jerk who spends the entire book bemoaning how he has fallen madly and passionately in love with a woman who has the nerve to exist as herself rather than his idealized intellectual equal.

1 person found this helpful

• Story 4 out of 5 stars

I love this story.

I like the life nugget sprinkled through out this love story. It’s so real. Need to listen to it again.

• Overall 4 out of 5 stars

Not really a novel

it was more of a reflection on human behaviour written partly in a story format. It was still a very moving book

If there was ever to be a road map on the topic of love and relationships, this would be it. This, second only to The Course of Love, another classic.

• Overall 2 out of 5 stars
• Story 2 out of 5 stars

• carla freeman

I have enjoyed many of de Botton's books but this one is tedious, disappointing. Not worth it.

• Reem Alsmaiel

Enjoyable read

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I liked how it captured the man’s point of view throughout the relationship journey. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding love in all its stages.

• Ana Pliopas

Embracing ambiguity of love

Via an interesting and quite ordinary love story de Botton invites us to reflect on one of the most important aspect of life: romantic love.

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Essays in Love MP3 CD – MP3 Audio, September 13, 2016

Essays in Love is a stunningly original love story. Taking in Aristotle, Wittgenstein, history, religion and Groucho Marx, Alain de Botton charts the progress of a love affair from the first kiss to argument and reconciliation, from intimacy and tenderness to the onset of anxiety and heartbreak.

• Language English
• Publisher Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio
• Publication date September 13, 2016
• Dimensions 6.5 x 0.63 x 5.5 inches
• ISBN-10 1531871917
• ISBN-13 978-1531871918
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (September 13, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1531871917
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1531871918
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.5 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 0.63 x 5.5 inches
• #25,914 in Books on CD
• #133,367 in Parenting & Relationships (Books)
• #1,416,912 in Literature & Fiction (Books)

About the author

Alain de botton.

Alain de Botton is the author of Essays in Love (1993), The Romantic Movement (1994), Kiss and Tell (1995), How Proust can Change your Life (1997), The Consolations of Philosophy (2000) The Art of Travel (2002), Status Anxiety (2004) and most recently, The Architecture of Happiness (2006).

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The Course of Love review – philosophy overload

Alain de Botton ’s first novel in 23 years – his quirky, autobiographical debut, Essays in Love , was written when he was just 23 – again takes love as its theme. Like its predecessor, it explores the myths and minutiae of courtship and relationships. It charts a couple’s marriage from the first flowering of attraction and the glow of the proposal to the everyday business of life as husband and wife. It maps the small shifts in their sex life and explores the way in which habits and behaviour which once endeared them to one another become sources of irritation and frustration.

Rabih and Kirsten’s story is an intentionally ordinary one. They meet, they fall in love, they marry, they encounter small obstacles in their personal and professional lives, they have children. One of them is unfaithful. The marriage strains but does not crack.

While the book is being promoted as a novel rather than a work of philosophy, De Botton’s interests as an essayist, in work, sex, happiness, in how we live and what we live for, are still very much to the fore. The narrative is intercut with a series of italicised interjections, unpicking the couple’s motivations and impulses, dissecting their decisions. For example: “Nature imbeds in us insistent dreams of success”; and “The accusations we direct at our lovers make no particular sense. We would utter such unfair things to no one else on earth.”

The contrast between these passages and the world of the characters makes for some appealing juxtapositions. Sometimes the observations are acute and telling – De Botton is good on the politics of laundry, the compromise of domesticity – but there’s an insistence on universality that borders on the smug.

He lays out his thesis, that society builds in us the expectation that our stories will play out in certain ways, that it’s healthy and necessary to document disappointment and disillusionment, that so much of the tension in a marriage is self-generated, a product of the gulf between the life people feel they should be living and the life they are living.

The Course of Love is at its strongest when De Botton steps back and allows the couple to breathe. There’s a lot of truth and humour in his account of the earliest days of their marriage as he highlights the intricate web of pressures, both self-imposed and external, that lead them to make certain choices. Rabih loves Kirsten, but he’s also tired of a life alone. They marry, in part, because they feel it is time to marry, that they are in the marrying stage of their lives, and in the beginning, for both of them, marriage is a kind of performance: they are both playing roles, the choices they make shaped as much by their own emotions as by their family histories, their upbringings, the city in which they live, and the paths their peers are going down.

While Rabih and Kirsten’s story is always engaging and there’s an ease and believability to them as a couple, the outside voice comes to feel grating and intrusive after a while, in its pronouncements and the narrowness of its outlook, in its continual desire to pin down the mess and complexity of the human experience, to bind it and box it.

The Course of Love is published by Hamish Hamilton (£14.99). Click here to buy it for £11.99

• Alain de Botton
• The Observer

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49 pages • 1 hour read

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Chapters 31-39

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Summary and Study Guide

Colleen Hoover’s Ugly Love (2014) is a standalone romance novel set in contemporary San Francisco. The story predominantly alternates between the primary characters Elizabeth Tate Collins and Miles Mikel Archer . Tate, a registered nurse pursuing her master’s degree, is in her early 20s. Miles, an airline pilot, is in his mid-20s. The chapters from Tate’s point of view are set in the present, while the chapters from Miles’s point of view are set six years in the past. The third person narrative voice is direct and unflinching, but Miles’s chapters incorporate a poignant poetic narrative in addition to prose . Through Tate and Miles’s clandestine romance, Hoover explores the themes of The Duality of Pleasure and Pain , Relationship Boundaries Versus Emotional Walls , and Fear and Control as Roadblocks to Love .

Hoover is a New York Times bestselling author based in Texas. She has written many romance novels and romantic thrillers for both adults and young adults, including Reminders of Him (2022), It Starts With Us (2022), Verity (2021), It Ends With Us (2016), November 9 (2015), and Confess (2015). Hoover has redefined the contemporary romance genre through the incorporation of complex characters who face intense emotional dilemmas. Her novels are popular for their incisive, honest, and exciting stories of love that endure despite people’s human flaws. Through her novels, Hoover explores deeper themes of grief and loss, forgiveness, the effects of trauma, resilience, and domestic violence.

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This guide refers to the 2014 First Atria Paperback edition.

Content Warning: The novel contains depictions of explicit sex, emotional manipulation, and violence.

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Plot Summary

Elizabeth Tate Collins, 23, relocates from San Diego to San Francisco to pursue a master’s degree in nursing while working in the ER as a registered nurse. She plans to live with her older brother, Corbin, in his luxury apartment. When she arrives at the apartment, Corbin, an airline pilot, is away at work. Tate meets Cap, the outgoing elevator attendant who becomes her best friend. She also runs into Dillon on the elevator, a sleazy married man who wants to sleep with her. Just when she thinks she is in the clear, she heads to Corbin’s apartment only to find an intoxicated man blocking the door and crying inconsolably. She calls Corbin while she tries to get into his apartment. Corbin calls Miles, his friend who lives across the hall, to help Tate, but Corbin realizes the drunk man in the hall is Miles. Miles tells Tate to let him into the apartment. Corbin is usually overprotective of his sister, so Tate knows Corbin must trust this man. Tate helps Miles into the apartment as he’s drunkenly weeping and saying the name “Rachel.” She finally goes to bed.

When Tate wakes up the next morning, Miles confronts her. He’s angry and wants to know what happened between them. He’s afraid they “hooked up.” Corbin comes home, and Tate assures Miles that nothing happened, so he should try being nicer to her. Corbin and Miles help Tate move her belongings into the apartment. Miles reintroduces himself to Tate so that they can start afresh, but he doesn’t talk to her much while they’re moving her things.

Miles joins Tate and Corbin for Thanksgiving at their family home, and Miles cuts his hand on the ladder while Corbin is hanging lights. Tate stitches his hand for him, and Miles kisses her. He immediately tells her not to let him do it again. Late at night, they both find their way to the kitchen and work out their sexual tension by coming to an agreement. They’ll sleep together, but Tate can’t expect to learn about Miles’s past or have a future with him. Tate wants to set her own rule as well but can’t think of one to counter. She accepts his proposal.

Tate and Miles act like a teen couple, sneaking around to have sex. However, after each intimate encounter, Miles kicks her out of his apartment. When Miles is away working, he doesn’t text or call Tate at all. As their relationship progresses—or rather, falls into a pattern of intense physical chemistry, lots of sex, and then heartache—Hoover shows Miles’s point of view six years in the past.

During his senior year of high school, Miles is instructed to help a new girl, Rachel from Phoenix, find Mr. Clayton’s English class. Miles sees Rachel with her beautiful hair and eyes. He instantly falls in love with her and texts Ian that she’s going to have his children. In an unfortunate twist, Miles and Rachel find out their parents are planning to marry each other. Miles thinks that his dad was cheating on his dying mother with Lisa, Rachel’s mom, on his business trips to Arizona. Miles’s dad later reveals that he and Miles’s mom had planned to divorce long before he started seeing Lisa. However, when Miles’s mom got sick, he wanted to stay by her side. Rachel and Miles pursue a relationship together with careful rules to avoid getting caught by their parents. They also agree not to have sex, but they do, and Rachel gets pregnant.

Miles and Rachel wait until after graduation to tell their parents the news. Although their parents are furious, Miles disregards them and stays with Rachel. He applies for family housing at the university Rachel wants to attend, and they get approved. Rachel has the baby boy, named Clayton after their English teacher, and Miles is happier than ever. His dad tells him he’s proud of Miles and that his mom would be too. On the drive home from the hospital, light gets in Miles’s eyes, and the car ends up in a lake. Miles only has time to save either Rachel or the baby. Rachel wants him to save Clayton, but Miles saves her instead. She is furious, and they’re both grief-stricken at the loss of their child. They try to be together through the sadness and pain, but Rachel soon leaves Miles with only a note explaining that she can’t be with him anymore because it’s too painful: Every time she sees Miles, she sees Clayton. Miles shuts himself off from love as a result. The day he was crying on the floor outside of Corbin’s apartment would have been his son’s sixth birthday.

Tate can sense that Miles is a good person with a painful history, but he refuses to talk about his past. She feels especially wounded the night they have unprotected sex, and afterwards, he slams the door and leaves her alone without explanation. Miles is upset because when he had unprotected sex Rachel, she got pregnant. Despite their on-and-off again dynamic throughout the novel, Miles acts very much like an overprotective boyfriend. After Tate and Miles’s dramatic unprotected sex scene, they don’t talk for a while. When Miles sees Tate studying with one of her male nursing friends, Miles barges into Tate’s apartment and demands to know if she’s sleeping with him. Although Miles is bothered by the idea of Tate being with someone else, he still won’t admit that he wants to be in a relationship with her.

When Tate eventually reveals her true feelings to Miles, he replies that he was upfront with her from the beginning and is not interested in a relationship. Corbin learns about Tate and Miles’s sexual relationship when he walks in on them in the apartment. Corbin is angry but learns to accept them together. Tate thinks Miles is opening up emotionally, but just when they’re on the verge of a breakthrough, he closes down again. Tate moves out to her own apartment a few blocks away. She says goodbye to Miles, but he acts completely emotionless and unaffected when she leaves. Two weeks later, Miles shows up at her door when she is settling into her new place.

After his best friend Ian’s berating and Cap’s encouragement, Miles decides to visit Rachel. Rachel is happily married to a man named Brad and has a baby girl, Claire. She tells Miles that she understands what he’s feeling, but those feelings don’t have to consume his life. When Miles realizes he’s missing happiness with Tate, he asks Corbin for her address and shows up to confess some of his history and feelings. Miles professes his love, and Tate cries tears of happiness. Miles wipes her tears and kisses her.

Six months later, Miles takes Tate and Cap up in an airplane. Miles has known Cap for much longer than he has let on, and this will be Cap’s first time in an airplane. After Cap gets off the plane, Miles comes back and gives Tate a key to his apartment. He asks her to move in with him. She says yes, and then he also proposes to her. She happily accepts.

The Epilogue takes place about two years later. Tate and Miles have a baby girl named Sam after Cap’s real name, Samuel. Miles was afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle loving another baby again, but when he sees and holds Sam, he knows he is capable of love and true happiness again. Tate is happy, and Miles has the family he always wanted.

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Read our detailed notes below on the essay “Of Love” by Francis Bacon. Our notes cover Of Love by Francis Bacon summary and explanation.

Of Love by Francis Bacon Summary

Bacon opens the essay by claiming that the love or romance shown on the stage, plays, and theatres is highly unrealistic, far from reality. On stage, love is portrayed as a noble trait leading to joy and excitement. It often brings tragedy and sorrow. However, in the real life, love does the real disasters by bringing dark and foreboding. History has a record that all the great, noble, and worthier man who has done something great in the life have refused this week passion and keep themselves and their business away from such things.

Bacon illustrates the example of Marcus Antonius, a member of Roman royalty who was given a chance to rule over 1/3rd of the empire, and Appius Claudius, the second member of royalty who was given the other 1/3rd of empire, to explain the destructing effects of love. The former was the man of ambition and power, however, amorous, impulsive, and restrained. He had little or no control over his heart and wandered in pursuit of love and lust. While Claudius was a sober, sage and wise man of great wisdom. He never brought himself disgrace while rushing towards quixotic desire.

Bacon quotes the Greek philosopher Epicurus who promoted self-control, self-discipline, and restraint in one’s life. He warned his followers against chasing the worldly desires and says that “we are sufficient for one another”. By this, he conveys a message that one must live his life fully, without indulging into conflicts with others. One should not avenge other and must restrain himself from other such misdeeds. He expresses his disproval for a man of great worth who bowed in front of a woman he loves and makes themselves small and miserable.

Bacon, furthermore, talks about the unfettered love that destroys the man. He says that such love devalues the man and make them insignificant in front of others. Moreover, Bacon argues about romantic poetry in which the writer exaggerates the beauty of his beloved unnecessary. To him, such exaggeration is only suitable for romance and writing; they are not applicable in practical life. A paramour who detriments his discriminating influence to transfer flattering words to his woman evidently negotiates with his intellect, and judging power. A proud man will never make his beloved to rule over him by pouring sugarcoated words on her. For Bacon, a wise man must not love as it is impossible to be wise and to love at the same time.

In an unrequited love, the praises and compliment of a man for his beloved woman appear to be a weakness of his character. Moreover, when her woman doesn’t feel responding the paramour, she treats his love as a pitiable weakness of his character. The love of man can result in two things: either the woman will respond to him in the same way or will create an inward feeling of insignificant in a woman for the man. So, Bacon warns, the man before falling in love should understand one thing that it doesn’t harm anything but man’s self-esteem.

Those who see the world as nothing but a place to fulfill their carnal desires destroy themselves. They losses both affluence and wisdom in search or sexual pleasures in the world. Bacon argues that such passions are overwhelmed in the period of prosperity than of adversity. Carnal pleasures get accentuated in the time of both happiness and distress and can be called as “child of folly”. However, these sensual pleasure when are uncontrolled can lead to the destruction of business, wealth, and health.

The army men seem to have a special attraction for love as they have for the wine. Bacon discusses the men’s nature and argues that men have a special inclination towards love for other. He makes his love universal by expanding it towards everyone, no matter such love gentle and kind and people who have some spiritual and religious belonging have this kind of love. In the end, Bacon says that the love that arises from marriage is the root cause of mankind’s creation, while love in friendship makes it perfect but lust corrupts it and embarrass it.

Of Love by Francis Bacon Literary Analysis

The essay “Of Love” is an argumentative essay written by Sir Francis Bacon. Bacon in this essay argues about the various ills of falling in love. He particularly argues about the carnal pleasures and its consequences.

Sir Francis Bacon is a well-known English Essayist and philosopher. He devoted himself to writing along with scientific work and wrote sixty essays. This essay, Of Love, is regarding the love. Love, in today’s world, have influenced a large number of people. The objective of Bacon in this essay is to demonstrate the effect of love on all kinds of people. No matter who you are, you will fall in love with somebody and this love will definitely have an effect on you, and sometimes love makes one do senseless things.

Bacon then talks about the sensual love that drains one’s intelligence. For some people, love is nothing but a source of Carnal pleasure. However, such love if lasted long has hard consequences.

Bacon then talks about the noble and kind love the spiritual people possess. They don’t love a single person or group of people but the entire universe. They are more inclined towards every creation in the universe. Another kind of noble love that Bacon argues about is the love between husband and wife. This love is further dignified with the love of friends.

Conciseness, straightforwardness, wittiness, and compact opinions are the merits that Bacon’s essay cover. The methodical way of inscription makes his essay logical and rational. The subject matter that he argues about is taken from real life experiences and is a hot topic of discussion in every time. The readers find his essay more welcoming and pleasurable. The use of the Latin proverb in his essay shows his high knowledge regarding the Latin language, and it also adds colors to his writing.

More From Francis Bacon

• Of Adversity
• Of Ambition
• Of Discourse
• Of Followers and Friends
• Of Friendship
• Of Great Place
• Of Marriage and Single Life
• Of Nobility
• Of Parents and Children
• Of Simulation and Dissimulation
• Of Superstition
• Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature

Ugly Love Summary, Review, Themes, Quotes and Characters

“Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover is a contemporary romance novel that delves into the complexities of love, pain, and the past, focusing on the tumultuous relationship between Tate Collins and Miles Archer.

Quick summary : Tate Collins moves to San Francisco, meeting brooding pilot Miles Archer. Their tumultuous relationship is overshadowed by Miles’s tragic past with love, Rachel. As Miles confronts his pain, he finds a chance at love with Tate, leading to their eventual reconciliation and family.

Ugly Love Full Summary

This is a story about a girl named Tate who moves from San Diego to San Francisco to study nursing and work in an ER. She moves in with her older brother Corbin, who is an airline pilot, in his fancy apartment. 

When she gets there, Corbin is away for work, but she meets Cap, the elevator guy, who becomes her bestie. 

She also meets this creepy married dude named Dillon in the elevator who tries to hit on her.

As she’s trying to get into her bro’s apartment, she finds this guy, Miles, drunk and crying in the hallway. It turns out Miles is a friend of Corbin’s. She calls her brother, who trusts Miles enough to let her let him into the apartment. Miles is super emotional and keeps saying the name “Rachel.”

The next day, Miles is all paranoid, thinking they “hooked up,” but Tate assures him nothing happened. They help her move her stuff in, and then it’s Thanksgiving. 

During the holiday, Miles cuts his hand, Tate stitches it up, and they share a kiss. They make a deal to have a casual relationship, but Tate shouldn’t expect anything more.

The story switches to show Miles’ past, where he fell in love with a girl named Rachel back in high school. They had a baby, but due to a tragic car accident, the baby died. Rachel couldn’t handle it and left him, and he’s been messed up ever since.

So, Tate and Miles keep their casual relationship going, but it’s kinda rocky. Tate starts to feel hurt because Miles is super hot and cold with her, like one minute he’s all caring and the next he shuts her out. Miles gets super jealous when he sees Tate with a male friend, but still won’t commit to her.

Eventually, Tate can’t handle it anymore and tells Miles her feelings. He still says he’s not down for a relationship. So Tate moves out and her brother, who had found out about their “thing,” is mad but eventually gets over it.

Two weeks after she moves out, Miles shows up at her door. He had visited Rachel, who’s moved on and is married with a kid. Rachel tells Miles he should move on too. So, Miles decides to go after Tate, tells her about his painful past and how much he loves her.

Fast forward six months, Miles takes Tate and Cap on a plane ride. After the ride, he gives her a key to his place and proposes. She says yes. In the end, they have a baby girl named Sam, and it turns out Miles can actually love again and be happy. 

And they all live happily ever after. 

Sort of. 

• Elizabeth Tate Collins : The primary female character, a registered nurse in her early 20s pursuing her master’s degree in nursing.
• Miles Mikel Archer : The primary male character, an airline pilot in his mid-20s.
• Corbin : Tate’s older brother, also an airline pilot, with whom Tate plans to live in his luxury apartment in San Francisco.
• Cap : The outgoing elevator attendant in Corbin’s apartment building, who becomes Tate’s best friend.
• Dillon : A sleazy married man who shows interest in Tate.
• Rachel : A girl from Miles’s past, significant to his backstory.
• Ian : Miles’s friend, mentioned in context with his high school years.
• Lisa : Rachel’s mother, who becomes involved with Miles’s father.
• Clayton : The name of Miles and Rachel’s baby, named after their English teacher.
• Brad : The man whom Rachel later marries.
• Claire : Rachel and Brad’s baby girl.
• Sam (Samuel) : Cap’s real name and the name of Tate and Miles’s baby girl.

Alright, folks, let’s dive into Colleen Hoover’s “Ugly Love,” a book that’s got the internet buzzing like a bee in a bonnet. 

Now, I’ve had my share of Hoover experiences – “November 9” was a wild ride, and “Maybe Not” surprisingly knocked my socks off. But “Ugly Love”? 

It’s like a rollercoaster that I’m not sure if I loved or just tolerated. Let’s unpack this, shall we?

First up, the pros: Hoover’s writing is like sliding into a warm bath – easy, comforting, and you don’t want to get out. I zoomed through the last three-quarters of this book in one go. 

It’s the perfect pick-me-up for those days when you’re feeling a bit blah and need a story that doesn’t make you overthink. The plot’s got this magnetism, even when it dips into the realm of the ridiculous.

Miles and Tate’s story is… well, it’s something. Imagine a love affair with more baggage than a cross-country flight. 

Hoover throws us into the deep end of their complicated, often doomed, arrangement. The flashbacks to Miles’s past are like watching a car crash in slow motion – you can’t look away. 

And the verse-style prose? 

It’s a bold move, not everyone’s cup of tea, but hey, it shakes things up.

But let’s chat about Tate, our leading lady. 

Honestly, she’s as exciting as watching paint dry. She’s meant to be this everywoman character, but she comes off more like a placeholder than a person. 

Her narrative voice feels like it’s stuck in a teenage diary, which is a bit jarring when you’re reading scenes that are definitely not for the high school crowd. 

It’s New Adult but with a strong YA aftertaste – like a cocktail that can’t decide if it’s for grown-ups or not.

Now, Miles, our leading man, he’s not the bad boy I was bracing for. He’s more ice than fire – a bit clueless, but not the toxic heartthrob I was expecting. 

And that’s a good thing. He’s upfront about what this whole thing is, which is more than I can say for a lot of romance novel heroes.

The latter part of the book gives us a peek into Miles’s head, and honestly, those bits shine. 

Maybe it’s Hoover’s knack for writing male POVs, but those chapters added some much-needed depth.

So, why pick up “Ugly Love”? 

If you’re in the mood for a book that’s like a gossip session with your best friend – easy to get into and hard to put down – this is it. The flashbacks add layers to the story, and while the ending didn’t have me reaching for the tissues, it’s got a punch that might hit you right in the feels.

But, a heads up: if you’re expecting Shakespeare, you might want to keep looking. The characters can be a tad dim, and the writing sometimes feels more high school than young adult . 

It’s a mix of heavy themes and light, almost cutesy prose that’s a bit of an odd duck in the New Adult pond. 

But hey, that might just be what makes it stick in your mind longer than your average romance novel.

In short, “Ugly Love” is a bit like that weird flavor of ice cream you try on a whim – not everyone’s going to love it, but it’s definitely an experience.

1. The Power of Emotional Healing and Confronting the Past

The character development of Miles showcases how imperative it is for an individual to face their traumas and past instead of running from them or suppressing them. 

Miles’s inability to discuss his pain surrounding the loss of his child and Rachel’s departure leads him to build emotional walls, shutting himself from potential happiness and love. It is only when he confronts his past, meeting Rachel again, that he starts to genuinely heal. 

This is a significant lesson on the importance of addressing and processing emotional traumas. Ignoring or suppressing them doesn’t make them go away; instead, it can lead to emotional and psychological distress. 

Confronting and working through past pain, possibly with therapy or counseling, can bring about healing, allowing individuals to move forward and embrace life and relationships more fully.

2. Communication is the Foundation of Relationships

Throughout the book, Tate and Miles’s relationship goes through several ups and downs, primarily due to their lack of clear communication . 

Their agreement to have a physical relationship without discussing emotions or the past eventually leads to emotional turmoil. This underlines the fact that even in the most casual relationships, communication is essential. 

By setting clear boundaries, understanding each other’s expectations, and frequently checking in on each other’s emotions and thoughts, relationships can navigate the challenges and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and heartaches. 

Clear communication leads to trust, understanding, and a stronger bond between partners.

3. The Transformational Power of Love and Support

Cap’s role as a supportive figure for Tate and the eventual support Miles receives from Tate shows how pivotal love and support can be in a person’s life. 

Their bond helps them navigate through the challenges and uncertainties of life. Cap’s unconditional friendship for Tate, and later Miles’s realization of Tate’s unwavering love for him, showcases how love and support can be transformative. 

It acts as a reminder that everyone needs a support system – whether it’s friends, family, or significant others. 

Having someone to lean on, confide in, or simply share life’s moments with can make the journey easier, more meaningful, and provide the strength needed to overcome challenges.

• “Love isn’t always pretty. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it’ll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you’re back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way.”
• “God gives us the ugliness so we don’t take the beautiful things in life for granted.”
• “When life gives you lemons, make sure you know whose eyes you need to squeeze them in.”
• “I didn’t fall in love with you… I flew.”
• “Sometimes not speaking says more than all the words in the world.”
• “Ugly love becomes you. Consumes you. Makes you hate it all. Makes you realize that all the beautiful parts aren’t even worth it. Without the beautiful, you’ll never risk feeling the ugly. So you give it all up. You give it all up. You never want love again, no matter what kind it is, because no type of love will ever be worth living through the ugly love again.”
• “It’s the beautiful moments like this that make up for the ugly love.”
• “The pain will always be there. So will the fear. But the pain and fear are no longer my life. They’re only moments.”
• “But the second she opened her eyes and looked at me, I knew. She was either going to be the death of me… or she was going to be the one who finally brought me back to life.”
• “If I were capable of loving someone… it would be you.”

Final Thoughts

“Ugly Love” masterfully weaves a tale of love, pain, and healing. Colleen Hoover’s storytelling captivates readers as she delves deep into the emotional journey of two individuals overcoming their past. The story serves as a testament to the power of love and its ability to heal even the deepest wounds.

Read our other summaries

• Without Merit Summary and Key Lessons | Colleen Hoover
• Attached | Summary and Key Lessons
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People Summary and Key Lessons
• Make it Stick | Summary and Key Lessons
• Made To Stick | Summary and Key Lessons

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A team of Editors at Books That Slay.

Passionate | Curious | Permanent Bibliophiles

Love Actually

By richard curtis.

• Love Actually Summary

The movie revolves around the personal relationships of a variety different protagonists, and how they manage to overcome their difficulties and find love in time for Christmas.

Billy Mack is a rock-and-roll singer who is releasing his Christmas single in the hopes that it will become number 1. While he seems like he might just be over the hill, he does manage to make the single a hit and celebrates Christmas with his long-time manager and friend, Joe .

Juliet and Peter are a recently married couple. Peter’s best friend is Mark , who does not appear to get along with Juliet. Mark is also the cameraman for their wedding so when Juliet stops by at his house one day to see the recording, she realizes that he only filmed her throughout, indicating that he harbors feelings for her. On Christmas day, he comes by to tell her he loves her and she gives him a parting kiss.

Jamie , a crime novelist, has recently been cheated on by his girlfriend. He goes to France to write, where he meets Aurélia, a Portuguese housekeeper. They develop feelings for each other despite not being able to communicate in the same language. When he returns back to the UK, he attempts learning Portuguese, traveling to Portugal to propose to her.

Harry and Karen are a highly successful, happily married couple with children. Harry employs a new secretary, Mia, who is much younger and begins to flirt with him. He likes the attention so much that he buys her a Christmas gift, an expensive necklace, which Karen discovers and assumes is her present for Christmas. However, on Christmas, Karen receives a Joni Mitchell CD and realizes that the necklace must have been for another woman. She confronts Harry and he admits he was a fool, but Karen feels betrayed.

David is the new Prime Minister of the UK and Natalie is a member of his staff. He feels attracted to her and she to him. However, the President of the US comes on a visit and makes sexual advances towards Natalie. Feeling betrayed, David has Natalie moved to another department. When she sends him a Christmas card expressing her romantic interest in him, he goes to her house and they attend her niece and nephews' Christmas play.

Daniel 's wife has recently died and he is attempting to raise his stepson Sam. Sam is in love with a classmate, Joanna, and Daniel urges him to tell her how he feels. They both go the airport where Joanna is getting ready to leave for the US, and she gives him a kiss.

Sarah and Karl have been working together for years and are attracted to each other. One day they decide to get together but Sarah is interrupted by a call from her mentally ill brother. The evening ends abruptly and later Karl wishes her a merry Christmas but does not pursue anything else. Sarah spends Christmas with her brother.

Colin is a waiter who has been unlucky in love. He decides to go to America to find love, convinced that American girls love British guys just for having British accents. He meets Stacey, Jeannie, Harriet, and Carol-Anne, beautiful American women who invite him to stay with him during his trip.

John and Judy are body doubles taking part in a sex scene for a film. However, they have a connection and end up pursuing a relationship offscreen.

Love Actually Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Love Actually is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for Love Actually

Love Actually study guide contains a biography of director Richard Curtis, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Love Actually
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Wikipedia Entries for Love Actually

• Introduction

Sacha Baron Cohen & Isla Fisher's Divorce Has Been in the Works for Years, Insider Claims

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Friend Reveals Alleged Incident That Led to Her Split from Husband Ryan Anderson

14 Actors Who Passed on Iconic Roles (1 Lost a $250 Million Payday & So Many Missed Out on Playing Superheroes!)

Cole Brings Plenty Dead - '1923' Actor Passes Away at 27, Was Reported Missing Days Ago

Lizzo Pens New Essay About Her Feelings Amid Controversy Over 'I Quit' Statement

Lizzo is opening up about her feelings and how she overcame “rules” ingrained in her since childhood.

The 35-year-old singer recently alluded to various controversies surrounding her and declared, “ I didn’t sign up for this s-it. I QUIT. ”

However, days later, she clarified what she meant by saying she quits , confirming that she’s not quitting music.

Now, Lizzo shared a Tumblr post of an essay she penned, where she talks about her feelings and how she was essentially taught to suppress her own feelings when she was a kid.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Melissa hated her feelings,” the essay on her Tumblr page began. “She buried them in a chest in the 5th grade (along with her ability to express them). Other peoples’ feelings on the other hand was her forte. She could process, decipher and regurgitate other peoples emotions effortlessly.”

Lizzo went in to talk about how when she was a child, she would have to help mediate family fights, and there were three rules, “1.) Don’t cry. 2.) Stay neutral; Deescalate 3.)Don’t take anything personal. This isn’t about you.”

She shared one particular instance where she broke all the rules, then how after her father passed away, she still wouldn’t break the rules, and how “Traumas began to compact on Melissa, as they do.”

After putting pain into rock music, she started to find “reason and purpose” in her voice.

Lizzo concluded, “Melissa began to fall for her feelings. Her feelings gave life purpose. They weren’t always logical, as feelings seldom are. They were sloppy and embarrassing and rude and so fucking uncomfortable. But they were hers. And they were real. And when she sat alone sipping wine, staring at the moon…They were the only ones still by her side. Ready to break the rules for her because they loved her. And she finally loved them back.”

Check out Lizzo’s full essay below…

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Screen Rant

Discovery’s new captain is “tough to like but hard not to love”, says star trek director.

Star Trek: Discovery director Doug Aarniokoski: predicts fans will warm up to Captain Rayner just as they did to Captain Shaw in Star Trek: Picard.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

• Captain Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 may be abrasive at first, but fans will grow to love his driven and determined character.
• Director Doug Aarniokoski predicts that Rayner has the potential to become a beloved breakout character, similar to Captain Liam Shaw from Star Trek: Picard.
• Despite being rough around the edges, Captain Rayner is compared to Quint from Jaws - fans may not like him at first, but will root for him in the end.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's new series regular, Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), is a character fans may not like at first but they will grow to love, predicts director Doug Aarniokoski. Rayner was introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, "Red Directive," as the Captain of the USS Antares. In Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," directed by Aarniokoski, the abrasive Rayner is demoted for insubordination, but Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) offers Rayner a lifeline as her new First Officer aboard the USS Discovery .

Doug Aarniokoski was a guest on The 7th Rule podcast with Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk to discuss directing Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 . When Lofton insightfully compared Captain Rayner to Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) from Star Trek: Picard season 3 , who fans disliked at first but became a beloved breakout character, Aarniokoski agreed that Rayner has the same potential. Read their conversation and watch The 7th Rule video below:

Doug Aarniokoski: He's amazing. [He's] new to the ship. New to the crew. New to the cast. Season 5, there's a lot of history backing into that. And it's so interesting that you saw a Shaw, if you will. I mean, look, Shaw is Quint. Quint in Jaws. You hate that guy. You hate Quint when he comes on the ship, and he's like, 'Let's catch that shark.'

Cirroc Lofton: Then you start easing onto him. You start liking him.

Doug Aarniokoski: You start going, ‘I understand who this guy is.’ This guy’s just driven. He’s got a directive. He’s got a target. He knows what he’s firing at. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got the experience. You may not like that he’s rough around the edges, but at the end of the day, he’s trying to catch the shark. He’s trying to catch the shark. And I think that Shaw had that in Picard, and I think you’re gonna see in Discovery, a character that is tough to like, but eventually you’ll see is hard not to love.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Is captain rayner star trek's next captain liam shaw, discovery could have a new breakout character on its hands.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 may catch lightning in a bottle with Captain Rayner the way Star Trek: Picard season 3 did with Captain Liam Shaw. Thanks to clever writing by Picard showrunner Terry Matalas and his writers' room, and the gruff charisma of Todd Stashwick, Liam Shaw went from a character fans loathed to someone audiences are now demanding to see brought back to life. Shaw stole scenes from Patrick Stewart's Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Frakes' Captain Will Riker, and Liam's monologue confessing his backstory as a survivor of the Battle of Wolf 359 was one of Star Trek: Picard season 3's most riveting moments .

Rayner may end Star Trek: Discovery season 5 as one of the show's most popular characters.

Callum Keith Rennie's Captain Rayner has a different arc on Star Trek: Discovery , one seemingly of redemption and possible integration into the close-knit family of the USS Discovery. Like Shaw in Picard , Rayner enters Discovery immediately at odds with Captain Burnham and her methods. Shaw never became a subordinate to Picard the way Rayner does to Burnham, but the pointy-eared Kellerun brings a similarly challenging dynamic and intriguing friction to Discovery's captain and crew. Commander Rayner, as he is now ranked, is someone to keep an eye on, and Rayner may end Star Trek: Discovery season 5 as one of the show's most popular characters if Rayner is indeed like Captain Liam Shaw.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 streams Thursdays on Paramount+

Source: The 7th Rule

• Category: Events

Save Big During the Annual Microsoft Store Spring Sale

• Microsoft Store Spring Sale starts today and runs through April 18, 2024.
• Save up to 80% on select Xbox games such as Baldur’s Gate 3 , EA Sports FC24 Standard Edition , and NBA 2K24 .
• Get deals on select Surface devices and save up to $500.

We’re excited to bring you the return of the annual M icrosoft Store Spring Sale now through April 18, 2024! The Spring Sale is full of great savings across console and PC games as well as amazing deals on your favorite TV shows, apps, and more. So, if you’ve been waiting to add titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 , Modern Warfare III , and EA Sports FC 24 to your library, or wanting to build up your PC gaming library with Persona 3 Reload , Lies of P , and Forza Motorsport , jumping into the Microsoft Store Spring Sale is the best time to do so. Read on for more info.

Great Deals on the Games You Love to Play

Save up to 80% on select Xbox digital games  

Whether it’s adventure, fantasy, or sports, you can save on select Xbox games during the Microsoft Store Spring Sale. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power with Baldur’s Gate 3 . Get the most authentic soccer experience with over 700+ teams and 30+ leagues playing together in EA Sports FC 24 Standard Edition . Or recreate some of Kobe Bryant’s captivating performances in NBA 2K24 for Xbox Series X|S .  This is just a sampling of what’s on sale — check out all the great Xbox game deals here .

Save up to 35% on select PC games  

Elevate your play with hundreds of deals on select PC games . Create unique driving conditions on world-famous tracks with Forza Motorsport Premium. Navigate a web of lies, monsters, and untrustworthy figures in the thrilling Lies of P . Chase the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fight for your friends, and leave your mark in Persona 3 Reload .

Shop Xbox consoles and Xbox controllers  

Whether you are new to gaming or it’s time for an upgrade, Spring Sale is a great time to pick up your next Xbox Series S – the best value in gaming or the Series X – the fastest, most powerful Xbox console ever!

Time for a new controller? Check out the Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 controllers or the Artic Camo Special Edition wireless controller and more!

Stay Entertained Through Spring and Beyond

Save up to 50% on select movies and TV shows  

Spring Sale is the hub for all your entertainment needs! Whether it’s family movie night or binging your favorite TV show, there’s something for everyone. Check out great offers on popular movies and TV shows like “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” “Spider-Man 3-Movie Collection,” “Sisu,” and more!

Save up to 30% on select creativity, productivity and entertainment apps  

Enhance your audio experience with popular apps like Dolby Access and DTS Sound Unbound or jump into Movie Maker- Video Editor to edit or create videos from your photos, video clips, and music with high-quality, full HD support.

Cast your favorite entertainment from your phone to your big screen with AirR e ceiver AirPlay Cast DLNA — now exclusively available on Xbox. You can find these apps and many more available during the Spring Sale .

Save on select Surface devices and Microsoft PC accessories

Whether you’re working from home, on-the-go, or kicking back on the couch, Surface devices are designed for all the ways you work, learn, and play. Check out these great deals on select Surface devices:  

• Save up to $600 on select Surface Laptop 5 13”. Offer runs March 31 through April 14, 2024.
• Save up to $500 on select Surface Laptop 5 15”. Offer runs April 14 through April 28, 2024.
• Save up to $500 on select Surface Pro 9. Offer runs April 7 through April 21, 2024.
• Save up to $700 on select Surface Pro 9. Offer runs April 14 through April 28, 2024.
• Save up to $500 on select Surface Laptop Studio 2. Offer runs April 14 through April 28, 2024.
• Save up to $150 on select Surface Laptop Go 3. Offer runs April 14 through April 28, 2024.

Get the most out of your Windows PC with select Microsoft accessories now up to 20% off! Visit here for a full list of Microsoft accessories on sale now .  Protect your devices with Surface Complete

Keep your new Surface or Xbox up and running with accidental damage protection from drops, spills, and cracked screens. With Microsoft Complete, if something goes wrong, you’re covered — simple as that.

• Save 30% on Surface Complete 2-, 3-, and 4-year plans with purchase of eligible Surface Laptop 5. Offer runs March 31 through April 28, 2024.
• Save 40% on Surface Complete 2-, 3-, and 4-year plans with purchase of eligible Surface Pro 9. Offer runs April 7 through April 21, 2024.

Made easy with Microsoft Store: Free personal shopping and set-up appointments

If you’re having trouble choosing from the right Xbox console to get, getting your accessories to work right, or setting up your console with Game Pass, Microsoft Store product experts are readily available to support all your gaming needs. To schedule a free, online appointment, visit microsoft.com .

Don’t wait! Jump on these deals before the Microsoft Store Spring Sale ends April 18.

Select deals are available in the US only. Timing and prices may vary by region. Visit your Microsoft Store location online for more details on availability and pricing . Offers valid for a limited time, while supplies last. Not valid on prior orders or purchases; cannot be transferred or otherwise redeemed for cash or coupon code(s). May not be combinable with other offers. Refunds will take into account the discount. Price discount does not include taxes, shipping or other fees. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time. 

• 343 Industries
• Age of Empires
• The Coalition
• Compulsion Games
• Double Fine
• The Initiative
• inXile Entertainment
• Mojang Studios
• Ninja Theory Ltd
• Obsidian Entertainment
• Playground Games
• Turn 10 Studios
• Undead Labs
• World’s Edge
• Xbox Wire DACH
• Xbox Wire en Español
• Xbox Wire en Francais
• Xbox Wire em Português
• Xbox Wire Japan

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