Books › The Commitment
The Commitment
First published 2005 · 336 pages
A laugh-out-loud, deeply personal exploration of what it means to tie the knot when you've spent your life untangling the rules.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels like sitting at a chaotic, deeply loving family dinner table where nothing is off-limits. It moves at a brisk, rollicking pace, fueled by sharp humor and candid observations about the messy realities of modern domesticity. The tone is irreverent yet profoundly affectionate, balancing laugh-out-loud moments with genuine introspection about societal expectations and queer identity. The prose is conversational and sharp, effortlessly weaving between the innocent logic of a six-year-old, the stubbornness of a partner, and the varied choices of straight siblings. It is a warm, lively experience that will delight readers who appreciate witty, thought-provoking reflections on how we define family, commitment, and ourselves in a changing world.
- Mood
- warm
- lively
- thought-provoking
- convivial
- Tone
- wry
- humorous
- candid
- irreverent
- affectionate
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- redefining family · the meaning of marriage · navigating societal expectations · queer domesticity · intergenerational dynamics
- The writing
- Sharp, conversational, and highly comedic, blending personal anecdote with sharp social observation.
- The arc
- Moves from humorous resistance and familial pressure to a thoughtful reevaluation of what commitment truly entails.
- Who it's for
- Readers looking for a laugh-out-loud, deeply personal exploration of modern family life and queer relationships.
Content notes
- societal homophobia
About the book
Dan Savage’s mother wants him to get married. His boyfriend, Terry, says “no thanks” because he doesn’t want to act like a straight person. Their six-year-old son DJ says his two dads aren’t “allowed” to get married, but that he’d like to come to the reception and eat cake. Throw into the mix Dan’s straight siblings, whose varied choices form a microcosm of how Americans are approaching marriage these days, and you get a rollicking family memoir that will have everyone—gay or straight, right or left, single or married—howling with laughter and rethinking their notions of marriage and all it entails.
I can't shake the feeling that I've lived this moment before.
Description from Open Library.
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