Review of Love and Marriage

[Chinazo Anozie]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Love and Marriage" by Arthur Hartz.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Love and Marriage: Cartoons About Imperfect People Managing Their Most Important Relationships by Art Hartz is a non-fiction graphic novel that delves into relationships, why people are still single, and what men and women look for in partners, either sexual, romantic, or both. The author conveys most of his messages through illustrations and pictures that are very clear, and his brief notes before each chapter aid in understanding the cartoons.

I enjoyed the humour incorporated in this book; for example, some illustrations depict how women seemingly prefer excitement and risk to honesty and kindness, which is tagged as boring, even when there are glaring red flags with the former. There are also illustrations depicting how some women only care about a man’s status without learning more about his personality, men who select women solely based on their looks, and women who concede to lowering their standards in their attempts to find a partner. However, there were some jokes that I didn’t understand, and they just flew over my head.

One negative aspect is that the book doesn’t impart any new knowledge. It just talks about struggles in relationships that are already known, albeit in a fun way. I didn’t like that most girls who had difficulties finding Mr Right were drawn to be on the big side. The illustrations also didn’t follow a pattern, making it often difficult to understand the author’s point. There were several cartoons with different messages in each chapter, and I often had to go back to the author’s notes to remind myself of the main message.

All in all, this was a light, fun read. I particularly enjoyed a statement in one of the cartoons on page 62 that stated: “Men keep score with heartless conquests, women with heartless rejections.” There was also an illustration of a woman with a necklace made from men’s heads (don’t worry, it’s not as gruesome as it sounds) to depict those who saw dating as a sport. I’ll rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I took away a star because of the negative aspects I mentioned earlier.

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Love and Marriage
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[Sarah Zain]

You have expressed the points of the book in a detailed way. I liked the way you describe it. The title of the book and its cover made me think it introduces new viewpoints; I don't see much of this kind of reading very often , but from your review it seems taken from a lighter approach, it is not a heavy read. Wonderful review.

[Omneya Shakeep]

I just finished reading this book. Indeed, it was a very light read, but I did find a few words of wisdom from the author, especially in the introduction sections. I enjoyed reading your review. It is refreshing to read different perspectives on the same book. Excellent job! 

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I wish I can grab this book. It sounds like I can learn about what's the red flags and what is not. I enjoyed your amazing review, Chinazo!

[Chinazo Anozie]

You have expressed the points of the book in a detailed way. I liked the way you describe it. The title of the book and its cover made me think it introduces new viewpoints; I don't see much of this kind of reading very often , but from your review it seems taken from a lighter approach, it is not a heavy read. Wonderful review.

Thank you, Sarah!

[Chinazo Anozie]

I just finished reading this book. Indeed, it was a very light read, but I did find a few words of wisdom from the author, especially in the introduction sections. I enjoyed reading your review. It is refreshing to read different perspectives on the same book. Excellent job! 

Thank you, Omneya!

[Chinazo Anozie]

I wish I can grab this book. It sounds like I can learn about what's the red flags and what is not. I enjoyed your amazing review, Chinazo!

Thank you, Hazel!

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I wish I can grab this book. It sounds like I can learn about what's the red flags and what is not. I enjoyed your amazing review, Chinazo!

Thank you, Hazel!

You're welcome, Chinazo. I'm excited to read more of your reviews!

[Umesh Bhatt]

Seems to be a sort of help book on relationships. Thanks for the honest review.

[Elina Tshabalala]

Hartz discusses serious topics in the most engaging and fun ways. I like his style. One would easily mistake some of his books for children's books because of the catchy illustrations.

[Bettny Andrade]

Thank you very much for indicating the salient details of this book. Although I agree with what you mention, I would like to read this book to have my own point of view. Thank you very much for your excellent review.

[Ezra Dapaah]

The review shared on Love and Marriage is greatly written but I will love to read the book to my understanding of what the book carries in itself.

[Ajiferuke Ajibola]

An adult cartoon book filled with humour sounds like a book that I will love to read. I will love to know more about red flags. I hope the book reaches the right audience. Nice review.