How to be happy, though married

A serious little book of this title first appeared in 1885, written by the Reverend E.J. Hardy. Oscar Wilde praised it extravagantly: ‘It is a complete handbook to an earthly Paradise, and its author may be regarded as the Murray of matrimony and the Baedeker of bliss.’

Most of the humour in Reverend Hardy’s original manual was confined to the title. Otherwise his book was typical of its 19th-century ilk: religious, reproving and decidedly coy not just about sexual matters but the nitty-gritty details of married life.

Times have changed and our needs within marriage have changed with them. If anything, marriage asks more of us than it did one hundred years ago. Now the same person who washes the socks is also expected to be a tender lover and psychological counsellor.

Help is at hand. Throughout the ages, marriage manuals have given excellent (and appalling) advice on how to find and keep a spouse. This new anthology includes extracts from these sometimes unintentionally hilarious books, often juxtaposing very modern advice with ancient wisdom of a thousand or five hundred years ago. This book provides something really useful and thought-provoking, as well as entertaining, for anyone contemplating or living in the state of matrimony. It’s also a wonderful new source of fresh material for wedding speeches.

Sample spreads:
1. Preliminaries and Contents
2. How to Choose a Mate
3. Bed and Other Blessings
4. Emotional Caretaking

Copies are available from Mamelok Press.

Michelle Lovric is available for interview or comment - contact details are on the Contacts Page