The title essay is by far the best one. In it I think the author was a bit more honest, left a lot of the pop culture overuse behind and gave an interesting folklore a modern day lense. While there are a few moments of this in the series, I think this was the most successful. I got through it from being stubborn and thinking surely this will get better, she WILL have a revelation and it just never came.

Also a pet peeve of memoir occurred and that lost a star instantly. I hate it when they set the scene, give you just enough and then judge the reader for wanting the details? The author chooses the narrative and could have chose to not include any of it. But, they did. You’ve got questions. Now you are naughty for even thinking about asking!

Author states they are a narcissist a few times and I don’t think it was in a flippant manner.

Though I sometimes got lost in their analogies and allusions (listening on audiobook probs didn't help with this for me), I ultimately thoroughly enjoyed Hauser's reflections on the role of romantic love in our lives, and we often experience it at the expense of other loves and humans in our lives, illustrated through their life stories.

Hauser does love drawing comparisons to films, shows, and books throughout the novel (and I can't blame them b/c who hasn't heard me related a life experience to an episode of HIMYM??), so some recommended reading/watching that aren't necessary prerequisites but might enhance your appreciation of certain chapters:

The X-Files
The Philadelphia Story
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Rebecca by Dauphne du Maurier
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

***fav quotes***
"Late capitalism is not a good moment for believing in either of these kids of magic. As an adult, the real world often disappoints me. I'm a person who prefers to live in my head, in books and fantasies, where everything shines slightly brighter than reality." (1:47:19)

"Perhaps I knew better than to look for the man behind the curtain...There are inconvenient truths behind the curtain of most American dream stories. Capitalism seldom offers a free balloon ride. Stories of someone rising up are often at the expense of someone else we don't talk about. That's the wizardry of most lovely stories, the slight of hand, the misdirection, the "look over here, not over there.'" (1:57:30)

"What if boundaries and borders are actually the only way people can love each other equally and freely? What if without those boundaries, love becomes an act of humanitarian aid." (3:30:27)

"Because we have diluted ourselves that a human can be happy living alone with one or two other people in this world, but we need so much more than that." (7:28:12)

"Maybe good love stories don't crowd out all the other narratives in the room." (7:37:45)

"I'm starting to think that living a dramatic, story-worthy life and happiness are, at worst, mutually exclusive, and at best, giving each other a run for their money." (8:31:15)

3.5?