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Much Ado About Loving: What Our Favorite Novels Can Teach You About Date Expectations, Not So-Great Gatsbys, and Love in the Time of Internet Personals [Hardcover]

Jack Murnighan , Maura Kelly
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Book Description

January 3, 2012
This smart and charming hybrid of lit and love is filled with hilarious relationship advice borrowed from the most famous characters in literature.

From Dido to Jane Eyre, the characters of great literature are trying to figure out how to have healthy, happy relationshipswith varying degrees of successjust like the rest of us. But the worlds best-known heroes and heroines didnt go through all their trials and tribulations for naughtand now, thanks to Much Ado About Loving, we can learn from their foibles, misadventures, and eventual triumphs.

Much as things have changed since the days when Jane Austen was writing, a lot about love has stayed the same. And so timeless literary classics contain many great lessons about romance that are as relevant today as they ever were. In this unique relationship guide full of humor and pathos, Maura Kelly and Jack Murnighan reflect on the renowned novels that have given them the most insight into their romantic lives. In chapters like Lightbulb in August: How to Have a Clue When Hes Just Not That Into You, they use Faulkner to discuss early warning signs a relationship isnt going to work out. In Infinite Gesticulating: Why Do Men Talk So Much? they cite David Foster Wallace as an example of the male propensity to bloviate, but also have some suggestions for how to deal with it.

Witty, wise and well-read in equal measures, Kelly and Murnighan will appeal to lovers of Candace Bushnell as much as to hard-core literary types with their entertaining, erudite, and engaging style.

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Much Ado About Loving: What Our Favorite Novels Can Teach You About Date Expectations, Not So-Great Gatsbys, and Love in the Time of Internet Personals + Dirty Minds: How Our Brains Influence Love, Sex, and Relationships
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Free Press (January 3, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1451621248
  • ISBN-13: 978-1451621242
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As I've been told on more than one occasion, my expectation that a courtship will mimic a Victorian novel's plot might lean toward the unrealistic. But when seeking advice to bolster [my] love life...I shy away from current romantic self-help books...Enter Much Ado About Loving, in which dating blogger Maura Kelly and sex columnist Jack Murnigan comb classic literature for love lessons." --Elle


"A treat for any book lover, happily mated or cheerfully single." --USA Today


"A clever, amusing hybrid of lit crit and relationship advice." --Publisher's Weekly


"Like a Cliff Notes for the lovelorn, as told by two authors who've 'been there.' Much Ado is as sage as it is funny. " --Lucinda Rosenfeld, "Friend or Foe" columnist at Slate and author of the novels, I'm So Happy for You and The Pretty One


"Ill take my advice from Toni Morrison over Suzanne Somers any day, even if it doesnt come in bullet-point format, with a weight-loss chart. Wisdom rarely does. [Much Ado About Loving] is a clever mash-up of dating advice and literary discussion, with the authors alternating chapters and subjects...Thats probably the first time Virgil has been used for romantic advice, at least in this century - and that alone is an achievement. " --The New York Daily News


"I find reading novels to be more entertaining than reading advice columns, so why not combine the two? Dear Jane instead of Dear Abby." --Columbus Ledger-Enquirer


"In Much Ado About Loving: What Our Favorite Novels Can Teach You About Date Expectations, Not-So-Great Gatsbys and Love in the Time of Internet Personals, authors Kelly and Murnighan demonstrate that most literary classics contain great lessons about romance that are still relevant today... The authors take a magnifying glass to some of literatures great and not-so-great hookups, injecting some of their own dating triumphs and faux pas, both relatable and comical." --The New Jersey Monthly


" Much Ado About Loving plumb[s] great literature for relationship advice."
New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Jack Murnighan has a Ph.D. in medieval and renaissance literature from Duke University. His book, Beowulf on the Beach helped tens of thousands of readers rediscover their love of the classics. His two previous books, The Naughty Bits and Classic Nasty, were critically acclaimed tours of sexuality in the history of literature. He lives in New York City.

Maura Kelly has been a staff writer for Glamour, a daily dating blogger for Marie Claire, and a relationships columnist for amNew York. Her work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, More, The Boston Globe, and Rolling Stone. She received her BA in psychology from Dartmouth College and her MFA in creative writing. She lives in New York City.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Free Press (January 3, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1451621248
  • ISBN-13: 978-1451621242
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Quite good - I'm really enjoying reading this. Lakeview Girl  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Maura Kelly and Jack Murnighan are funny and insightful. Domenica Ruta  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, funny, and honest January 3, 2012
Format:Hardcover
I was a little skeptical at first, but was won over by both authors' knowledge of literature and the human heart. Humorous, self-effacing, and smart; you couldn't ask for a better guide to the classics and to romance. I'd recommend this for anyone who likes love stories, in particular.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining read about literature and lifestyle February 14, 2012
Format:Hardcover
I can live without money, but I cannot live without love. - Judy Garland

I am an unapologetic reader of romance books. I often skim the pro-romance blogs when they counter attack the criticism that romance has no literary value. I skim to keep abreast of what is being said but then I move on as I don't care what anyone thinks of my reading material. I read for escapism.

I requested to review MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING because of its reference to "literary classics" that can teach us about love, romance, and relationships. This book is designated for someone in the dating scene. But I still enjoyed reading it because the "literary classics" give the same message as "trashy" romances - there is much ado about loving. I believe it will be useful for my teens as they come of age in romance.

Likewise, MUCH ADO ABOUT LOVING gave me a few chuckles and tender moments. Recommended read for those who enjoy books about literature, lifestyle, and even pop culture.

The publisher provided an ARC for this review.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Just in Time for V-Day January 4, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a delightful read. I think anyone who loves literature and is intrigued by relationships and romance will thoroughly enjoy this book.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Ex-Wife in the Attic? January 4, 2012
By N MAURO
Format:Hardcover
Finally, proof that our dating dysfunctions have historical resonance! With needlepoint accuracy and humor, Much Ado about Loving probes the sources of our rather wobbly modern romantic trajectories.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Those in Search of Love January 15, 2012
By Deirdre
Format:Hardcover
As a happily married person, I was not sure what I was going to get out of this book. However, what I got was insight into relationships, both romantic and other types (friends, etc.). It also created a new reading list for me as I want to rediscover the books mentioned in Much Ado About Loving. Finally, in this world of not having enough time, each chapter stands on its own as a good read.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Loving Cup Overfloweth January 13, 2012
By Basia
Format:Hardcover
Stands out in a field of rather dreary dating advice manuals. Turns out our modern foibles in love are actually classics after all. Heavy issues, light touch.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"Much Ado" skillfully mines a collection of classics to provide you with romantic insights that are wise and funny. And you are re-introduced to some great books in the process. A job well done.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Much Ado About Loving by Jack Murnighan and Maura Kelly January 16, 2013
Format:Paperback
Is there anything that great literature can't do?

According to Maura Kelly and Jack Murnighan* it can teach us some very important lessons about love. I tend to agree.

Kelly and Murnighan take turns writing the chapters and telling us about their hits and misses in the dating world. They share the triumphs and the failures. All along they tie their romantic adventures to the stories and lessons in classic literature.

The chapter names made me chuckle and inspired me to keep reading:

Love in the Time of Online Dating
Why Too Much Emailing Can Be Dangerous

Overly Great Expectations
Why Idealizing Someone Can Come Back to Bite You

The Brief Wondrous Life of My Last Relationship
Are Men Genetically Coded to Cheat?

I'm quite fond of books about books and this one was a delight to read.

*Why aren't these two dating? I wondered that throughout the whole book!

To see more of my reviews please visit [...]
Thanks, Jennifer
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, quick read
Reading this book is like listening in on a conversation between two smart, irreverent friends who are very familiar with all of the books we were supposed to have read in college. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Holden Caulfield
5.0 out of 5 stars Self-help for smartypants
Maura Kelly and Jack Murnighan are funny and insightful. I was surprised by how much romantic angst this lovely book eased!
Published 1 month ago by Domenica Ruta
1.0 out of 5 stars Booooooooring
Before valentines day was to come i was in anticipation but now i read this book with much regret at first i would never judge a book by its cover but now i see it as it is and for... Read more
Published 4 months ago by nicolasdog
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun book!
The writers definitely hit the nail on the head (multiple times!) with their small treatise on modern love. I felt less alone after reading this. Read more
Published 5 months ago by netineti
4.0 out of 5 stars Quite good
Amusing, clever, funny and well-written. Quite good - I'm really enjoying reading this. Particularly appreciate having the perspective of both a male and a female author.
Published 8 months ago by Lakeview Girl
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and witty
Like some of the other reviewers, I too was skeptical at first. As an academic, I typically HATE popular treatments of scholarly subjects, usually dumbed down to pointlessness. Read more
Published 15 months ago by rcarey96
1.0 out of 5 stars Not a fan
Tries way too hard, and falls flat. Also, I didn't know until after I read this book that Maura Kelly feels that attacking people for their appearance on her blog for Marie Claire... Read more
Published 15 months ago by T. R. Streetman
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