'Sex is like money; only too much is enough.'

The title of this post is a quote from Couples, by John Updike. To my mind, no discussion of Sex and Marriage would be complete without referring (often) to the writing of John Updike.


Arguably the most talented living writer in the world, Updike writes about sex and marriage...A lot...in prose so extraordinary that his use of language sometimes completely eclipses the banal comings and goings of his characters. The ultimate Updike paradox is that within marriage, sex inevitably looses it's luster and becomes routine, while extramarital sex will almost inevitably end up angst-filled and destructive. His characters often wrestle with this paradox and ultimately all make their way to the inevitable conclusion that in a marriage, as nowhere else, there are irreconcilable opposites which must be accepted and endured... sometimes even enjoyed...but never resolved. Two novels, Couples and Marry Me are particularly pertinent to our topic, in addition, they're both set in the early 60s and sexy in a way today's novels rarely are. Read them, even if it's only for the prose.