Nena O'Neill
George O'Neill
M. Evans & Co.
Open Marriage is truly a landmark book.
In 1972 it provided one of the first roadmaps toward having
relationships which have some of the principles that some of
us take for granted today--and I'm not just talking about
polyamory here.
The main point of this book is that a truly successful,
fully actualized marriage requires a relationship in
which each partner has a sense of individual identity,
isn't constrained by the social patterning of standard
gender roles, may want a certain amount of privacy, and
so on.
Independence, and mutual respect for each others
independence, form a basis for a trusting relationship
of equals, which promotes trust and emotional intimacy.
And, as more of a logical consequence than a central
point, they suggest that relationships can go on to
allow the people in it to have other loving and or
even sexual partners in some cases.
The O'Neills saw, as I do, loving other people outside
of a primary relationship as an extension of the natural
evolution of relationships. All and all, an excellent
book well worth reading for polyamorous and monogamous
people alike.
A reader writes:
Jennifer Gates' book, Survivors of an Open Marriage, is the autobiographical account of a decade-long open marriage that came about as the direct response to reading George and Nena O'Neill's book on Open Marriage. It's often explicit, sometimes surprising, and brutally honest. [The reader also rates the Gates book an 8 (Excellent).]
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