I just spent the last hour reading the entire book, and it’s easily Rob Bell’s worst. If you’ve every read a book about marriage you won’t find anything new or interesting here. (It’s joyful, it’s painful, it’s a unique relationship, give the other person the benefit of the doubt, he/she might change, encourage each other, don’t make your fights public, etc.)

I didn’t underline or make notes on anything. It’s very average. The only thing new is the reference to ‘zimzum,’ but that’s just a $20 word and new way to frame material that’s all been covered before.

The book jumps back and forth between traditional writing and a conversation between Rob and his wife Kristen. It’s a little clunky. I imagine they had a conversation and then Rob filled in all the gaps.

I’m also confused by who the publisher thinks the audience is. Is it for Christians? If so, why is there so little reference to Scripture or Rob Bell’s experience as a pastor? Why should we listen to him and his wife? It just reads like a conversation between two people who’ve been married for a few years. (For how long I have no idea. Maybe they said but I don’t remember.) It could have been written by anybody. Why do I care what they think?

Read “The Meaning of Marriage” by Tim Keller or “You and Me Forever” by Francis Chan for a more challenging and informative discussion on Christian marriage.