Blanche EbbuttDon'ts for Wives

In 1913, women were expected to wear smotheringly hot full length dresses in order to be considered decent. Most women did not work outside of the home, being expected to be happy in their role as wife and mother. In most of the world, women didn't even have the right to vote. Surely any marital advice given at this time would seem incredibly outdated or, at the very least, charmingly quaint, in the year 2011? It was with this attitude that I first opened the pages of 'Don'ts For Wives' by Blanche Ebbutt. It did not take me long to realise just how wrong I was. While some of the tips are no longer relevant to the average reader - those having to do with how to deal with servants, for example - much of the wisdom within this volume is as relevant today as it was then. I found myself taking note of many pieces of advice, with the intention of attempting to remedy my behaviour within my own marriage.Much chastened, I moved onto  Don'ts For Husbands  with a more open mind. Once again, I was surprised at how relevant much of Ms Ebbutt's advice is to today's relationships and the progressiveness of some of the points, considering the era in which the book was written.It is a shame that these books have been so unknown for so long, as I feel that the advice in them is more relevant to a newly married couple than a dozen books of the  Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex  persuasion. I would venture to go so far as to state that a copy of each of these books should be given to the happy couple as a wedding present (or perhaps a housewarming gift for those in less formal arrangements). Certainly anybody in a permanent relationship should consider reading them. You will be surprised at just how much you are doing wrong.

Cute book from about 100 years ago with then-current advice about how to keep a marriage going. Some of it is outdated, some of it is timely. The outdated stuff is kind of funny. The timely stuff can be thought provoking about gender roles in a marriage. Can be good for some laughs.Biggest thing between this and its companion book is the fact that the books (and the type in them) is very small. The book is about the size of your hand. Because of that, the type inside the book is also very small. We could read it, but others may not be able to.Fun book, and well worth the few bucks for entertainment purposes. Best of luck with your shopping decision.

The pair of little books "Dont's for Wives/Dont's for Husbands" sheds an amazing light into the common sense approach to marriage that has worked through the ages. My husband and I got a kick out of them. Written in 1913, before Women's Sufferage had brought women the right to vote in some areas, the advice is remarkably well balanced and I'd say rivals Dr. Laura's in the areas of courtesy bringing bliss! Patience is a theme, as is compromise, appreciation of each other's differences in opinion, turning off your ego, and realistic statements about love not being bought, and making sure you stay on the same "team" with your spouse.Buy these books as a pair, the differences are also entertaining. Only the "Wives" version has a chapter on "Avoiding Discord"! The author aptly states, "Takes two to quarrel, don't be one of them!"

I got this, along with the Don'ts for Husbands (also sold here) as a small, inexpensive wedding anniversary gift for some friends of mine. They both loved them! While these were written in the early nineteen hundreds, some of the advice still rings true, and that which doesn't makes for a humorous read. Would probably make a great wedding gift too. These are perfect for when you don't want to spend too much, but still want to give a fun and relevant gift.

This is a really small book. It is full of big things to keep in mind in a relationship though. My husband thought it was going to say things like "Make your husband a sandwich when he's hungry," and other sorts of anti feminist things. It takes a lot from the bible and other well known sources of marriage help. I recommend it to all wives. It helps keep me in check when I expect too much from my husband. It's helped with some issues and serves as a reminder marriage is not 50/50, it's 100/100, because if both of you are not all in, marriage is bound to fail.

Nice little gift for young couples. Buy the husband version together.

We bought two of these for our two girls who are both married. It was part of their Christmas stocking stuff. Yep we still do stockings for everyone regardless of their age... Anyway, it was a lot of fun reading some of the stuff in the books. They are super tiny so be sure you know what you're getting. I did and was fine with the size, in fact it was an advantage for me because of how I wanted to gift them.

Definitely early 20th century, but more balanced than you might expect. You have (paraphrased), "Stay out of his way when he gets home, he doesn't want to be bothered after a hard day's work," but you also have, "Tell him what you think, you have a right to your opinion." My favorite is (also paraphrased), "Even though you can buy jelly in the store, the pleasure he takes in eating yours makes it worth the trouble to make it yourself." That's right. Make your own jelly. Good for a chuckle.

This should be read at all schools across the country at last a detailed book for everyone to follow

Bought it as a bit of fun for guests. Of course it was all true fifty years ago, but life moves on.

Funny little stocking filler

This is an attractive little book which will feet easily into pocket or handbag. The hard cover makes it able to take wear and tear. As it is a light hearted gift for a bride I have only had a quick glance at the text and it is very much 1913 attitudes. I think the modern day brides will find it amusing. That is my purpose. I like it.

Great advice and reminders for married women to lead a successful marital life!