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Couplehood
The co-creator and star of the hit sitcom Mad About You offers his unique and hilarious brand of insight into the concept of couples and looks at love, marriage, and relationships from his zany point of view. 250,000 first printing. $150,000 ad/promo.
348 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
September 6, 2016
A quick, funny read. No plot, but more like a bunch of stand-up routines strung together. I enjoy this type of humor, so I liked the book. Some laugh-out-loud moments, alot of chuckles, and a few that were only ok. Good for an enjoyable few hours of reading.
August 17, 2009
I reread this over the weekend after running across it in a used bookstore recently. I just like Paul Reiser. There are no great insights, particularly, just his quirky brand of humor, but the thing that stands out for me, the thing that meant that I almost bought the book for the second time after all this time, is how straightforward it all is for him. How grateful he is and how lucky he feels to have met his wife and to have ended up with her. I think that's what I've been looking for all this time, is someone who said "really? You're picking me? Awesome." not because they're insecure or self deprecating but because they see something unique and wonderful in me. I like that spirit about Paul Reiser's humor--- yes, it's funny the things that make you fight or the tiny annoyances in the everyday, but the important thing in your relationship is that you still see that something amazing in your partner and think "how did I get this lucky."
September 8, 2021
Mad About You was one of my favourite shows from the 90s, not the top spot because that goes to Home Improvement and Everybody Loves Raymond however it comes pretty darn close. Loved Helen Hunt. Loved Paul Reiser.
I was a sucker for this book the moment I read the inside flap… it’s falling of your chair funny. I had to quote it.
Okay, you’ve picked up my book, but you’re not ready to commit. You’re looking at the little flap here, hoping to get a preview before you plunk down actual cash. I respect that. I would do the same thing myself.
But here’s the problem: it’s a flap. You can’t describe a whole book on a flap—look how thin it is.
I will tell you this, though:
Couplehood is about all the stuff that’s good and bad about being part of a couple.
It’s pretty funny.
my wife laughed.
You’ll understand it because I wrote it specifically for you. (And I’m not just saying that.)
The price is reasonable, especially if you compare it to what it would cost you to take time off from work and write your own book.
Worse comes to worst, you can say, “Well, the book was tedious, but I certainly enjoyed the flap.”
There. Does that help?
See. funny. Like shake with laughter funny. It was for me so don’t be mean :-)
Every page is just like the above quote. Rib-tickling.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #45 - The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
I was a sucker for this book the moment I read the inside flap… it’s falling of your chair funny. I had to quote it.
Okay, you’ve picked up my book, but you’re not ready to commit. You’re looking at the little flap here, hoping to get a preview before you plunk down actual cash. I respect that. I would do the same thing myself.
But here’s the problem: it’s a flap. You can’t describe a whole book on a flap—look how thin it is.
I will tell you this, though:
Couplehood is about all the stuff that’s good and bad about being part of a couple.
It’s pretty funny.
my wife laughed.
You’ll understand it because I wrote it specifically for you. (And I’m not just saying that.)
The price is reasonable, especially if you compare it to what it would cost you to take time off from work and write your own book.
Worse comes to worst, you can say, “Well, the book was tedious, but I certainly enjoyed the flap.”
There. Does that help?
See. funny. Like shake with laughter funny. It was for me so don’t be mean :-)
Every page is just like the above quote. Rib-tickling.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #45 - The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
November 16, 2009
This book was in the bathroom of Eric's parents' house and I read it each night when I brushed my teeth, over the three weeks that I stayed with them. Ug. Paul Reiser is so unfunny and nineties. And then, when he did make me laugh, I felt very nineties, and sort of like I had a yuppie sense of humor. A terrible experience all around. I will say that it did sound very much like him--I even sort of heard his voice in my head while I read it--which I guess is an accomplishment of some sort. Hence, the two stars.
September 19, 2018
This is the sort of book I would want to read slowly, savoring every bit of humor in it. As the title suggests, Childhood basically deals with the daily happenings of a couple's life together. I think I chose a perfect time to read the book. Now that I am married, I can read a part and chuckle to myself because of the resemblance with my life with my partner. It is so very interesting how the writer has managed to observe such small details of life and put it in the paper.
As the read the e-book, I have passages after passages marked in yellow highlighter because those were the parts I wanted to read with my partner. One thing to mention here, the novel does not have a plot, which is great in a sense that you will not feel burdened to finish it in one sitting. This is a book meant to be read for a long time, during coffee breaks or whike waiting for your lazy partner. This is a book meant for couples and single alike because who does not want a humorous version of the couplehood?
As the read the e-book, I have passages after passages marked in yellow highlighter because those were the parts I wanted to read with my partner. One thing to mention here, the novel does not have a plot, which is great in a sense that you will not feel burdened to finish it in one sitting. This is a book meant to be read for a long time, during coffee breaks or whike waiting for your lazy partner. This is a book meant for couples and single alike because who does not want a humorous version of the couplehood?
April 3, 2018
Very charming. Reiser is a favorite if only because his role in my favorite movie. I never got into his comedy. My loss.
This was written in 1994. I was curious if Reiser was still married. To my delight, he is! Easier than ever to admire him.
This was written in 1994. I was curious if Reiser was still married. To my delight, he is! Easier than ever to admire him.
June 9, 2021
When I was in high school Mad About You was one of my favorite television shows. Although I am fairly sure I was not among the intended audience, I found the humor so relatable and I can say the same of this book. I still, in middle age, have not ever been part of a couple, and yet this humor was so easy to relate to and delightful that I breezed through the book in a single sitting. Considering it's age I expected it to be more dated, but while there were a few bits about technology that had not aged well, on the whole it was still surprisingly relevant, I guess people don't really change that much.
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A bestseller from the 1990s (After looking over the fiction bestsellers and being uninspired, I checked the nonfiction list and found this.)
2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A bestseller from the 1990s (After looking over the fiction bestsellers and being uninspired, I checked the nonfiction list and found this.)
October 13, 2012
GUFFAW-out-loud hilarious! A few times I couldn't catch my breath (might have been the asthma). Paul Reiser is a master at seeing the quirks in relationships..how things REALLY are...and seeing the funny in them. This is a very quick read (especially because the book starts out on page 145. "Don't be alarmed, this is not a mistake. Don't try to get your money back. You didn't miss anything. It's just that I know when I'm reading, I love being smack in the middle of the book. Pages behind me, pages ahead of me. It's too overwhelming to know there's so much left and you're only on page 8. This way, you can read the book for two minutes, and if anybody asks you how far along you are you can say, I'm on 151--and it's really flying. It just sails, baby!")
September 29, 2012
I read this book in TWO DAYS! I just honestly couldn't put it down. It was almost impossible! I loved every second of it. He keeps you on your toes laughing. I have NEVER laughed out loud at a book so many times. I'm pretty sure I laughed on every page. It is just a beautiful piece.
April 27, 2025
I remember this being a huge bestseller all over the place in the 1990's, when Reiser was at the height of his fame starring in Mad About You.
It a humorous book about married life. Funny, even though a lot of it is dated.
It a humorous book about married life. Funny, even though a lot of it is dated.
June 22, 2011
He's pretty much a stand up comedian in a book. He talks about the ups and downs you get in a relationship, particularly marriage. Almost all the reviews said this book would be laugh out loud funny. Sure it was funny, but it didn't live up to the hype for me. He definitely has the kind of humor most stand up comedians have, where they have to embellish their story with obviously unbelievable points just for the sake of being funny. I find that kind of humor to be tiring and somewhat desperate. There's no real story to the book; it's just a series of mini stories--just like in stand up comedy. Which is fine, but it doesn't keep me coming back for more. I can drop the book whenever I want, and if I feel like a chuckle or two, I'll pick it up again. All in all, I did feel the need to analyze my own relationship in the end, and so I guess the book did have some impact on me.
November 1, 2008
Have you ever thought you'd like to go back to the early 1990s and hear Paul Reiser do edgeless stand-up, but you can't be bothered to invent a time machine or even, really, to get out of your sweatpants and go out at night? Pick this up at any library sale or used-book store (Literally. Any of them.) and snuggle up with it on your couch. "Oh, Paul Reiser. It's so true that men don't know how to fix things anymore. And how poignantly that anecdote has captured the mutual unintelligibility of the genders. I also think my spouse is charming but mysterious. Don't we all? Time for some ice cream. Or a nap."
September 1, 2011
This is one of my favorite books ever!! I have read this book 3 times which is rediculous but it is over a period of 12 or so years so I forget some parts and then when I read it I honestly laugh so hard, I cry. One time I read it on a plane going to Mexico and I had tears running down my face from laughing and the stewardess came to check if I was alright. You will relate to almost everything in this book if you are married or have children. This would also be a great book for a wedding gift.
January 18, 2016
Update Jan 2016: Time and experience since my last reading have made me appreciate this book as much as I did as a teenager. Funny observations about relationships with significant others and also friends and people in general.
Review from Nov 2011: I read this as a teenager and remembered enjoying it, so I decided read it again. It has some laugh-out-loud parts, which actually were not really related to being in a couple but just show the humor of Paul Reiser. Although the subject matter of couplehood is timeless, overall the material felt dated.
Review from Nov 2011: I read this as a teenager and remembered enjoying it, so I decided read it again. It has some laugh-out-loud parts, which actually were not really related to being in a couple but just show the humor of Paul Reiser. Although the subject matter of couplehood is timeless, overall the material felt dated.
July 9, 2007
I seem to have gone through a period of books that were
meant to get me through certain "times", with some humor.
This one was a riot.
I absolutely LOVED Mad About You on TV and his humor
comes through in his books too.
I particularly loved the way he reacted to a noisy child
on an airplane ride and how it relates on when you read BABYHOOD- and he is now the father of a child on a plane.
meant to get me through certain "times", with some humor.
This one was a riot.
I absolutely LOVED Mad About You on TV and his humor
comes through in his books too.
I particularly loved the way he reacted to a noisy child
on an airplane ride and how it relates on when you read BABYHOOD- and he is now the father of a child on a plane.
August 1, 2010
I thought that this book was very funny. It had many anecdotes about marriage that seem to be universal, obviously Paul Reiser and I do not have parallel marriages, but his wit and comedy shine through the sometimes far-fetched jokes he tells.
Suggested for non-newlyweds not because they wouldn't get it, but I feel that the longer someone has been married, the funnier they will find the book.
Suggested for non-newlyweds not because they wouldn't get it, but I feel that the longer someone has been married, the funnier they will find the book.
October 6, 2012
I remembered reading this as a somewhat newlywed couple and us finding it hilarious. However, 16 years later....not so much. It was him doing stand up in a book and I like stand up and I like Paul Reiser however, I barely chuckled a time or two in the entire book. Maybe that's what marriage and kids have done to me :) I just wonder if I'm past this phase in my life and can't remember that any of this is or ever was true at one time.
August 10, 2012
So much of this book was funny because it was true to life in regards to relationships. I was definitely entertained. His honesty about enjoying sitting and not wanting to move was funny. He does not move even if he sits on something. In one instance he realized he sat on a remote control, scissors, a glove, and a tangerine. How can that be comfortable? He just doesn't care, doesn't bother him.
October 2, 2010
أعتقد أن هذا هو أول كتاب إنگليزي أقرأه بالكامل وبجدية.. باستثناء كتب الدراسة طبعاً. تذكرته بغتة البارحة وقررت أن أضيفه هنا. أحمل له معزّة خاصة :^)
وهو مسل جداً بالمناسبة. استعراض كاريكاتوري شيق لتعقيدات الحياة الزوجية.
وهو مسل جداً بالمناسبة. استعراض كاريكاتوري شيق لتعقيدات الحياة الزوجية.
January 14, 2020
Fans of the old Mad About You TV show will likely enjoy this and be brought back to why we loved the show. A bit over the top at times and getting a bit dated, but a fun little read if you can relate to being coupled with anyone for any length of time.
September 18, 2024
Lo arranqué solamente para confirmar que a mi padre le iba a gustar y terminé leyéndolo todo (incluyendo una parte en voz alta para mi familia) y riéndome mucho. Confirmado que mi padre lo va a leer. Yo le dije!!
April 1, 2013
If there’s one book that has more copies in print than ‘The Bible’, it’s Paul Reiser’s ‘Couplehood’.
“Go forth, my children, and spread this book far, spread it wide.”
“Yes, Lord Reiser. Your will shall be done.”
And so it was that every used bookstore and book sale across the world was peppered with copies of Paul Reiser’s ‘Couplehood’. His mug beamed up at readers everywhere, watching them, casting his eyes into their very souls, hypnotizing them to graze their fingers across the book’s binding.
“Pick it up. You’re destined to, weary reader. The Universe beckons.”
That’s why I read this book, at any rate. It had become something of a running gag between a few friends of mine as we always noticed, without fail, that this book graced the selection of any used book sale we came across. Would I have read it otherwise? No.
But what is this book, really? It’s a collage of short musings about life, relationships, and living the American dream (which seems to revolve around watching television). Though dated now, I don’t imagine this was all that funny when it came out. Sure, there were a few passages that made me chuckle, but for the most part, I glossed through this with a deadpan expression, the kind of solemn gaze one wears at some sort of memorial service.
To Reiser’s credit though, this book is very conversational in style and can easily be read in his voice. Having known him from the James Cameron masterpiece, ‘Aliens’, I had the character of Burke in mind when reading this, imagining his unassuming, observational voice letting me know that if we got through this together, we “could all come out as heroes, and everybody wins!”
That said, the humor is very clean-cut and safe. It’s the kind of observational musing about inanimate objects humans use on a daily basis that just doesn’t sit with me. I can make jokes about remote controls for television sets too, but there’s a reason I don’t.
Maybe people into this type of humor will find enjoyment with this book, who knows? For me, even though the repetition of seeing this copy floating around everywhere finally made me cave in and buy it, I’ll admit that it was a “bad call”, friends. It was a baaaaad call.
That said, I’m going to go find solace away from this subpar cultural cornerstone. Got any advice, Mr. Reiser?
“Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh? Why don't we try that?”
“Go forth, my children, and spread this book far, spread it wide.”
“Yes, Lord Reiser. Your will shall be done.”
And so it was that every used bookstore and book sale across the world was peppered with copies of Paul Reiser’s ‘Couplehood’. His mug beamed up at readers everywhere, watching them, casting his eyes into their very souls, hypnotizing them to graze their fingers across the book’s binding.
“Pick it up. You’re destined to, weary reader. The Universe beckons.”
That’s why I read this book, at any rate. It had become something of a running gag between a few friends of mine as we always noticed, without fail, that this book graced the selection of any used book sale we came across. Would I have read it otherwise? No.
But what is this book, really? It’s a collage of short musings about life, relationships, and living the American dream (which seems to revolve around watching television). Though dated now, I don’t imagine this was all that funny when it came out. Sure, there were a few passages that made me chuckle, but for the most part, I glossed through this with a deadpan expression, the kind of solemn gaze one wears at some sort of memorial service.
To Reiser’s credit though, this book is very conversational in style and can easily be read in his voice. Having known him from the James Cameron masterpiece, ‘Aliens’, I had the character of Burke in mind when reading this, imagining his unassuming, observational voice letting me know that if we got through this together, we “could all come out as heroes, and everybody wins!”
That said, the humor is very clean-cut and safe. It’s the kind of observational musing about inanimate objects humans use on a daily basis that just doesn’t sit with me. I can make jokes about remote controls for television sets too, but there’s a reason I don’t.
Maybe people into this type of humor will find enjoyment with this book, who knows? For me, even though the repetition of seeing this copy floating around everywhere finally made me cave in and buy it, I’ll admit that it was a “bad call”, friends. It was a baaaaad call.
That said, I’m going to go find solace away from this subpar cultural cornerstone. Got any advice, Mr. Reiser?
“Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh? Why don't we try that?”
April 7, 2024
Paul Reiser's a riot. If you're looking for a Bible of Coupledom, the search is over. It's amazing that I can relate to nearly every point he brings up. It's also amazing that I can hear his voice reading the book in my head. I'm not sure if that's because I watch too much "Mad About You" or because of Reiser's conversational writing style, but either way it's almost creepy.
The only gripe I have with Couplehood is Reier's excessive use of random capitalization. The copy editor in me screams at the many, many needlessly capitalized terms, phrases, and exclamations throughout the 348 pages (it's really a short book -- it starts on page 145. Don't worry, all is explained in the "Author's Warning."). If it were used sparingly, the capitalization would emphasize his points better.
But this is about laughs, not punctuation, and Couplehood definitely supplies plenty. It should be required reading for all newlyweds.
My favorite part (a friend of mine always is saying this):
"These are the two authorities running the whole show -- They and The Guy. The Guy, I believe, is president of They."
The only gripe I have with Couplehood is Reier's excessive use of random capitalization. The copy editor in me screams at the many, many needlessly capitalized terms, phrases, and exclamations throughout the 348 pages (it's really a short book -- it starts on page 145. Don't worry, all is explained in the "Author's Warning."). If it were used sparingly, the capitalization would emphasize his points better.
But this is about laughs, not punctuation, and Couplehood definitely supplies plenty. It should be required reading for all newlyweds.
My favorite part (a friend of mine always is saying this):
"These are the two authorities running the whole show -- They and The Guy. The Guy, I believe, is president of They."
February 28, 2015
The best part is the first 142 pages.... then it drags on from there. Kind of like watching the wheels of a bus roll next to you on a long trip through the desert. I found myself wondering why I was reading the book. Maybe because it only cost me a buck and I wanted to get my monies worth. Maybe because I had watched a live performance by Reiser, as opposed to being dead, and enjoyed his type of humor. Or maybe, and this is a long shot, but maybe I wanted to hear about his working life with Helen Hunt. You know just something to hear about her that would make me like her a little less.
What I discovered while reading his book was that I had forgotten about a lot of things while I was married. If your in my boat don't dwell on these - you will finish the book.
The lesson: If you want to read about Helen Hunt - just get a book about Helen Hunt.
What I discovered while reading his book was that I had forgotten about a lot of things while I was married. If your in my boat don't dwell on these - you will finish the book.
The lesson: If you want to read about Helen Hunt - just get a book about Helen Hunt.
April 12, 2016
I read this book over ten years ago. I used to be a huge fan of the show 'Mad About You' and I really liked Paul Reiser. Just to give a bit of context to my review...I'd have been a teenager when I bought this, and hadn't gotten around to reading it. Then one day, I was looking for something to distract me having just broken up with my boyfriend of the time (sigh...young love and it's keen sting) ...Anyways my point is I was
not
in happy place when I started this book, and within 10 minutes of reading I was laughing out loud. A lot. If you enjoy or ever have enjoyed any Paul Reiser comedy, this book is cleverly written with witty observations on; not only how it is like in a long term relationship, but also how we are as people. Sharp, cleaver & laugh out loud funny.
April 14, 2024
This book is such a treat. 5/5 stars easy.
Initially intrigued by the title, I picked this up in a used bookstore in Riverside, California and bought it after skimming 2-3 pages. It did not disappoint. With its quick pace, readability, and irresistible comedic voice, I flew through this book in a day.
Reiser does such a good job of portraying couplehood (basically marriage or a long-term relationship) in a realistic yet funny-as-hell manner. It felt like I was reading a standup script (in a good way) and I giggled so damn hard throughout. I guarantee you will too! It also gave me some insight into the dynamics of long-term relationships and why folks enjoy them.
Amazing! Will read again.
Initially intrigued by the title, I picked this up in a used bookstore in Riverside, California and bought it after skimming 2-3 pages. It did not disappoint. With its quick pace, readability, and irresistible comedic voice, I flew through this book in a day.
Reiser does such a good job of portraying couplehood (basically marriage or a long-term relationship) in a realistic yet funny-as-hell manner. It felt like I was reading a standup script (in a good way) and I giggled so damn hard throughout. I guarantee you will too! It also gave me some insight into the dynamics of long-term relationships and why folks enjoy them.
Amazing! Will read again.
September 12, 2009
Tenang aja, meski tercatat buku ini berakhir pada halaman 348, tapi buku ini dimulai pada halaman 145!!!
Jadi sebenarnya buku ini terdiri dari... halaman *males cari kalkulator*
Anyway, Paul Reiser cuma mau memotivasi orang yang tidak hobi baca, biar baru baca halaman pertama aja serasa udah berhasil baca setengah buku, hehehe...
Buku ini seperti kumpulan monolog stand up comedian yang menelanjangi kebiasaan2 buruk kita (dan pasangan kita). Sangat universal, berlaku untuk semua ras dan gender, dan sangat menohok, hok, hok...
Jadi sebenarnya buku ini terdiri dari... halaman *males cari kalkulator*
Anyway, Paul Reiser cuma mau memotivasi orang yang tidak hobi baca, biar baru baca halaman pertama aja serasa udah berhasil baca setengah buku, hehehe...
Buku ini seperti kumpulan monolog stand up comedian yang menelanjangi kebiasaan2 buruk kita (dan pasangan kita). Sangat universal, berlaku untuk semua ras dan gender, dan sangat menohok, hok, hok...
December 16, 2013
I like Paul Reiser a lot but found Couplehood to be a disappointment. Maybe if I had heard him read the book it would have been better, with his natural inflections and timing.
The book was so disappointing, with what seemed like contrived humor rather than real-life humor, it came off as stilted. My rating and review are based on a partial reading. I just could not get through it.
Sorry, Paul Reiser and fans.
Earl B. Russell
Author of Cold Turkey at Nine: The Memoir of a Problem Child
The book was so disappointing, with what seemed like contrived humor rather than real-life humor, it came off as stilted. My rating and review are based on a partial reading. I just could not get through it.
Sorry, Paul Reiser and fans.
Earl B. Russell
Author of Cold Turkey at Nine: The Memoir of a Problem Child
March 15, 2009
This was a re-read. I had it back when it came out and didn't keep it. Found it at the friends of the library book sale for about $0.50 and wondered whether it would be funnier now that I have my own long-term relationship experiences. And those parts were cute enough. But at least half the book was unrelated random stand-up routines. I do like that he's more genial than today's comics. But nothing stuck in my head.
November 18, 2011
Very funny! I related to him so well I just kept nodding and bursting with laughter with every page of the book. Sometimes I couldn't stop laughing and it was a tad embarrassing when it happened in a room full of people. So funny, witty and charming. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I'm not sure I've laughed so hard from reading a book ever before this. Very good. Very quick and easy and light but so funny you might want to wear a diaper while you read - in case you pee your pants.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews