I Don't (1607)

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### From Publishers Weekly In breezy, irreverent prose, Squire (_The Slender Balance_) catalogues the history and religious significance of the institution of marriage from Adam and Eve to the Renaissance and beyond. Writing as if gossiping with a girlfriend, Squire argues that marriage was developed to establish paternity by controlling the sex life of women. We learn that the men of Athens had _hetaera_ (courtesans) to entertain them, concubines for their daily need and wives with whom to breed legitimate children; the women of Rome, on the other hand, learned how to use their power to threaten male rule of society. The New Testament offers equality to husband and wife, at least in the marriage bed; the association of lust with Eve's original sin can be attributed to Augustine. Squire explores sixth-century penitentials on sexual sins, adultery in the Middle Ages and the intersection of wife and witch during the Renaissance inquisitions. Readers are left questioning whether our modern idea of love matches might end up as a chapter in a future book about the incarnations of marriage. Love may not be the answer, but for now, it is the story. _(Aug.)_ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ### Review "Wickedly funny...As we head into the presidential election, you may find yourself channeling Squire as you puzzle out your feelings about the Obama [and] McCain marriages..."**--_New York Times Book Review_** "Delightful... Squire has a deft touch... More than a few laugh-out-loud moments, [and] filled with fascinating tidbits." **--NPR.org** "Fascinating... Valuable insight into an institution that has recently been transformed yet again."**--_The Boston Globe_** "Very amusing...[A] passionate intellectual manifesto."**-- _Library Journal_** “Squire archly reconsiders the disobedient Biblical helpmeet Eve (‘Shouldn’t the buck stop with the senior officer, not the assistant?’), as well as witches, bitches, nymphomaniacs, concubines, clerics, cuckolds, and others … Take this potent, hugely entertaining book to bed.”—**_O_ Magazine** “Lively and a pleasure to read”**_—Kirkus Reviews_** "In breezy, irreverent prose, Squire catalogues the history and religious significance of the institution of marriage ....as if gossiping with a girlfriend...."**_—Publishers Weekly_** “A sardonic and delightful romp through the history of conjugality, from day zero on. An illuminating book for those who want to know their history, rather than just repeat it: anyone in a marriage or just contemplating the possibility will want to take notes. Also perfect for couples therapists’ waiting rooms, throwing at your spouse, and Valentine's Day.”—**Laura Kipnis** “Written with an incisive wit and an unshowy audaciousness, _I Don’t_ is an absolutely compelling read—a must for anyone, man or woman, who has wondered about the war between the sexes and the truce that is marriage. Steeped as her book is in historical detail, Susan Squire proves herself to be that rare breed: a scholar with a light touch, writing with a deftness and fluency that lifts her comprehensive knowledge and closely informed readings to the level of literature. This is a book that informs while it entertains the reader—a truly original take on its subject.”—**Daphne Merkin, author of _Enchantment _and _Dreaming of Hitler _**