Yes, Married: A Saga of Love and Complaint

by Judith Viorst

Yes, married;: A saga of love and complaint

152 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Judith Viorst is an American writer, newspaper journalist, and psychoanalysis researcher. She is known for her humorous observational poetry and for her children's literature. This includes The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (about the death of a pet) and the Alexander series of short picture books, which includes Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972), which has sold over two million copies.
Viorst is a 1952 graduate of the Newark College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. In 1968, she signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War. In the latter part of the 1970s, after two decades of writing for children and adults, Viorst turned to the study of Freudian psychology. In 1981, she became a research graduate at Washington Psychoanalytic Institute after six years of study.

Reviews

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Judith Viorst. Best known as an author of children's books, I also love her books on ageing through the decades. Although now more than a half Century old, Viorst imparts timeless wisdom about marriage and raising children with wit, style and linguistic turn of phrase.

What I love most about the book is that the author is an equal opportunity critic. She is just as likely to lambaste herself while lampooning her husband, Milton.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humor seldom ages well, but still it was kind of interesting to look back fifty years ago.

[Molly Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nonfiction book written by Judith Viorst, who may be best known by my generation as the woman who wrote the "Alexander" books. Written in the early 70s, Judith discusses domestic life (marriage and kids) and all the pratfalls that come with. Though it's difficult, now, to relate to some of the attitudes and common practices that were prevalent in the early 70s, as a piece of social history, it's quite interesting. It's especially funny to read what the Viorst family packs for a vacation (and how much less they'd need nowadays... a Kindle instead of a record player, pile of records, and boxes of books, for example.) Though some of the now-outdated attitudes make me cringe, when Viorst's humor shines through (and that's often) it makes it all worth it.

[Liz Finneyfrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Judith Viorst's books to my kids but didn't realize she'd written adult books. I could relate to so many parts of this book. I thought it was very funny and very real. I enjoyed every second of it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny!