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How long does it take to read Marriage, a History?

Stephanie Coontz

Marriage, a History by Stephanie Coontz takes about 8 hours 4 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.

About 8 hours 4 minutes

A week or two of reading

First published 2005. 440 pages, about 121,000 words.

17 days at 30 minutes a day

Estimate based on 275 words per page.

At other speeds

Slow, 150 words a minute 13 hours 27 minutes
Average, 250 words a minute 8 hours 4 minutes
Fast, 400 words a minute 5 hours 3 minutes

The page count is the median across 7 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.

About the book

Just when the clamor over “traditional” marriage couldn’t get any louder, along comes this groundbreaking book to ask, “What tradition?” In Marriage, a History, historian and marriage expert Stephanie Coontz takes readers from the marital intrigues of ancient Babylon to the torments of Victorian lovers to demonstrate how recent the idea of marrying for love is—and how absurd it would have seemed to most of our ancestors. It was when marriage moved into the emotional sphere in the nineteenth century, she argues, that it suffered as an institution just as it began to thrive as a personal relationship. This enlightening and hugely entertaining book brings intelligence, perspective, and wit to today’s marital debate. “Provocative, erudite and entertaining. What makes this book so important is its honesty and courage. It raises the important debates about marriage in America to a higher level.” —Chicago Tribune “Engrossing . . . Coontz is at the top of her writing game here.” —The Seattle Times

Subjects: Huwelijk, Geschiedenis (vorm), Marriage, History, Nonfiction, Sociology

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