MARRIAGE IS HELL

by Kathrin Perutz ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 27, 1972

This is a glossy, mobile polemic which advances a great many quarter-truths which often sound like aphorisms -- ""The hells of marriage for men have largely been invented by themselves,"" or, more menacingly, ""The hands joined in marriage know not what the other hands do."" (It's probably better that way.) Miss Perutz (she's written four novels and one book on our beauty culture) states and hypothecates from here to a questionable there with a certain dilettante sophistication. Marriage has only survived ""through human sacrifice""; if not there's divorce and the faulty legislation which crimps it as well as aspects of our sexuality. Roles are rigidly preassigned -- then there are the splits between woman and wife, and also man and husband. As for children -- they're overindulged but then again ""Middle-class America has become a nation of child-haters."" There's a fair amount about Women's Lib but she also writes a chapter on homosexuality without acknowledging Gay Lib at all. Venereal disease continues only because of ""misdirected modesty"" (what -- no poverty, no fear, no ignorance?) and as for abortion, she'll tell you about her own -- two. Miss Perutz doesn't believe in books of advice on marriage. She really hasn't given any.

Pub Date: April 27, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1972

Categories: NONFICTION