Who needs romance when there’s webcams, the glory hole through which even your bits don’t need to look appealing.

Writers are indeed inspired not by love’s satisfaction but by its passion, and passion is all about suffering. Certainly, writing about passion and love is not quite what it used to be. Many serious writers seem embarrassed by love. But our culture doesn’t help a bit. De Rougemont must be turning in his grave at the proliferation of dating websites, chatrooms and TV dating programmes such as Would Like to Meet.

The internet has transformed the way we choose partners and perform the rites of love. If the modern world was already heading for a supermarket ethos of choice-choice-choice in relationships, the net has accelerated it to broadband speed.

What a time we live in. Imagine the stories we’ll be able to tell our grandchildren as they copulate with each other in virtual reality suits.