Author Botton's Book
Reviews
How Proust Can Change Your Life
Part biography, part literary critique, part self-help primer, this lovely little book describes the lessons one may learn from one of the masterworks of 20th century literature and its queer (in more ways than one) author. Chapter titles include "How to Take Your Time," "How to Open Your Eyes," "How to Suffer Successfully," and the all-important "How to Put Books Down." De Botton deals with literature and philosophical issues in a light, pleasant manner...
Kiss & Tell
An ex-girlfriend accuses the narrator of being incapable of empathy. While in a book store sometime later, he decides that he will write the biography of the next person who enters his life. He meets a woman by the name of Isabel Rogers and the story begins. True to his word the narrator begins to write her biography. With such chapter titles as, “The Early Years”, “The Early Dates” and “In Search of an Ending”, Kiss & Tell mainly revolves around the...
On Love
The story begins when the nameless narrator, sitting in a British Airways jet, on its way from Paris the London, shares a sandwich with his fellow passenger, Chloe. By the time they reach the luggage carousel at the airport, he realizes that he is in love. Their relationship progresses and provides a framework for Alain de Botton to reflect upon the joys and sorrows of romantic love, life and the nature of desire....
The Consolations of Philosophy
A light introduction to some of history's great thinkers. The life and times of six philosophers are related to the modern condition. Did their philosophy make them better people and help them live wisely? In some cases. Whether or not it will help the reader is a matter for the reader's judgement, and well worth the effort of finding out.
Socrates offers us consolations for unpopularity; Epicurus, consolations for poverty; Seneca, (poor fellow) conso...
Botton booklist
The Romantic Movement
The Romantic Movement charts the relationship of a man and a woman. More specifically it charts the relationship of Alice, a young and somewhat idealistic advertising executive, and Eric, a slightly older and more cynical banker. The novel begins with Alice who finds herself single and lonely in a world of seemingly happy couples. She meets Eric at a dinner party and their relationship begins. At first they are in love with love, later they are in lo...
