There are many books about passion. There are many books about marriage.
Very few books have the courage to explain why passion eventually gets postponed because someone forgot to move the laundry to the dryer.
The Married Kama Sutra is a slim, viciously observant little comedy grenade disguised as a sacred manual. Instead of exotic acrobatics and candlelit seduction, it catalogues the real “positions” of married life: the couch slump, the food coma, the toddler interruption, and the quiet mutual understanding that tonight… absolutely nothing is happening.
Written by humorist Simon Rich and illustrated by Farley Katz, the book is essentially a parody scripture for couples who know that the sexiest phrase in the English language might actually be: “I already took out the trash.”
Concept & Premise
The core joke is simple and perfect:
What if a lost chapter of the The Kama Sutra were discovered — but it described married life instead of erotic technique?
The result is a faux ancient manual cataloguing the most common “positions” in long-term relationships, including classics like:
- The Interrupted Congress
- The Beached Whales
- The Shifting of the Standards
Each entry treats everyday domestic absurdities with mock-sacred seriousness, describing mundane situations as though they were spiritual or erotic milestones. The joke lands because it replaces sensual mysticism with reality: shared exhaustion, shared leftovers, and shared Wi-Fi passwords.
The book was created by humor writer Simon Rich (a former writer for Saturday Night Live and contributor to The New Yorker) with illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Farley Katz.
Rich has built a reputation for surreal but emotionally precise comedy, and this book fits neatly into that tradition: absurd premise, painfully accurate observations.
Tone & Humor Style
The humor works because the authors commit completely to the bit. The entire book maintains the solemn voice of a classical text while describing situations that involve indigestion, fart etiquette, and remote-control disputes.
Key comedic techniques include:
- Deadpan sacred language
Everyday marital humiliations are narrated like ancient wisdom. - Hyperbolic seriousness
Minor domestic events are treated as cosmic relationship milestones. - Relatable escalation
Each scenario pushes familiar couple dynamics slightly further into absurdity. - Visual punchlines
Katz’s illustrations mirror classical Kama Sutra poses — but feature modern props like diapers, wine glasses, and television remotes. - Single-concept brilliance
The book revolves around one central joke, but refreshes it through dozens of small sketches.
The humor lands hardest for readers who recognize themselves in it — which is both the charm and the danger of the book.
Themes & Satirical Targets
Despite its lightness, the book skewers several cultural myths:
The Fantasy of Perpetual Passion
Popular culture loves the idea that romance remains permanently glamorous. This book quietly argues that romance often looks more like negotiating thermostat settings.
The Self-Help Relationship Industry
The tone mimics glossy relationship guides promising to “reignite intimacy,” but the advice here is closer to:
accept that you are both extremely tired.
Domestic Reality
Marriage in the book is not tragic — just gloriously mundane. The satire is affectionate rather than cynical.
Giftability
This book shines brightest as a gift object.
Perfect For
- Newly engaged couples with a sense of humor
- Married friends celebrating an anniversary
- Secret Santa exchanges in workplaces where everyone is partnered
- Fans of New Yorker cartoons or McSweeney’s humor
- Couples with kids, pets, or shared grocery lists
Probably Not For
- Extremely earnest romance readers
- Couples in the “we never fart in front of each other” stage
- Anyone expecting actual relationship advice
- Humor-averse relatives who panic at the phrase “Kama Sutra”
Physical & Visual Design
The book’s design is central to the joke.
It’s a short illustrated humor book (about 64 pages) filled with full-color spreads that mimic classical Kama Sutra artwork.
Each entry follows a simple format:
- One page: a faux-classical illustration
- Opposite page: a caption explaining the “position”
Katz’s drawings imitate traditional poses but substitute modern domestic artifacts — wine glasses, diapers, television remotes — which creates an immediate visual punchline before the text even lands.
Because each spread is self-contained, the book works perfectly for:
- flipping through at a party
- reading aloud with a partner
- leaving on a coffee table for curious guests
It’s the literary equivalent of a mischievous conversation starter.
Funniest / Most Memorable Moments
Without spoiling the best jokes, the book repeatedly nails painfully accurate situations:
- “The Interrupted Congress”
A perfectly timed attempt at intimacy instantly ruined by children, phones, or household chaos. - “The Beached Whales”
Two partners lying motionless after overeating, contemplating whether moving is worth the effort. - “The Shifting of the Standards”
A milestone moment when bodily politeness permanently collapses. - Accidental voyeurism scenarios
Moments where spouses catch each other doing something profoundly unromantic.
Overall Verdict
The Married Kama Sutra is a beautifully executed high-concept gag from two seasoned humor professionals. It’s short, sharp, and brutally observant about the realities of long-term relationships.
It won’t change your life.
But it might change how you feel about your partner falling asleep on the couch with a burrito.
As a secondary gift, stocking stuffer, or wedding add-on, it’s nearly perfect: quick to read, easy to share, and dangerously relatable.
In other words: the most important marriage manual ever written about the erotic power of loading the dishwasher correctly.
The Married Kama Sutra: The World’s Least Erotic Sex Manual is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, among other places.