Charles Dickens classic Bleak House features the Bagnets, a married couple who have been together for decades. In the Bagnets, say Murnighan and Kelly, Dickens paints a portrait of a couple who obviously know how to make a relationship work. In the novel, the authors say, Dickens offers hints as to what helps to keep a marriage sweet: offering frequent compliments, learning to trust your spouse's opinion, and working to make things as pleasant as possible for the other person. In "Bleak House," that's as simple as Mr. Bagnet trying to make a fuss for his wife's birthday, and Mrs. Bagnet, in return – despite knowing that her husband is going to buy subpar meat and then cook it poorly – sitting quietly and refraining from interfering.
