- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Faber and Faber; New edition edition (15 Mar 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0571196977
- ISBN-13: 978-0571196975
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.4 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 470,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Sadomasochism was the sexual phenomenon of the 1990s, a major influence on art, fashion, literature and thought. But for too long masochists themselves have taken things lying down. Now, for the first time, a writer challenges the myths about masochism to reveal a striking picture of human longing, curiosity and eroticism.
About the Author
Anita Phillips writes essays on contemporary sexuality and art, as well as literary fiction. She has worked for some years as a freelance editor, while collaborating with artists and writing her first novel. The Virtues, the Vices and All the Passions was published by Polygon in 1991. She has a doctorate from Queen Mary College, London, and lectures widely both in academic and art contexts. She co-edits a literary journal, interstice, and has published numerous articles and short stories.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A female masochist writes about masochism, being a masochist, the history of masochism, the state of masochism as it is today. The history is very well charted, from the first pronouncement of the term masochist, and back before we ever knew such terms existed. All genres are covered, films, books, poetry, psychobabble. Some well known "sex shrinks" take a well deserved pasting, and the myth of masochism as a perversion or disease is blown out of the water. Want to feel a happy fluffy and contented masochist? Read this book. Some blazing faults lie in this book however, I have never seen the film "Blue Velvet" so painfully misunderstood or creatively re interpreted, and when I sent it to a very educated masochist male friend of mine, he also found faults that I couldn't have, to do with Ms Phillips references to Dante. It's got a lot of gaffes in, a fair few howlers too, but any intelligent sentinent masochist will chuckle at em like you do at the errors in the Guardian, overall though, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is feeling frail, peculiar, or just self-doubting about being a masochist. Grab your favourite chocolate bar, a sharp needle and lie back and read this book, it's worth it!
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are a masochist, or have masochistic leanings, or know a friend who does, read this book. It blows away all the psychobabble and reinvents masochism as something to be mildly content about. This book covers all genres, but sadly gets some things wildly wrong, for instance, David Lynch I think would be incensed at the creative interpretation of his central character in Blue Velvet, hey ho, such things are open to misinterpretation, I guess anyone could misinterpret David Lynch's films. That aside, this book traces the historical aspects of masochism, goes right to the heart of things and explains the strange judgemental attitudes of those who seek to condemn it, and offers masochism as a fairly sane place to be, head space wise. I read this book and drew a lot of strength from it. The research is very comprehensive, but alas there are no "vox pop" views, just the views of one female, but therein lies the kernal of the matter. The author debates masochism in relation to the female psyche. I lent this book to a male masochistic friend though, and he found plenty of food for thought in it. A defence of masochism? it surely is, a tad flawed in some of it's references, but that's to be expected in terms of the wideness of the field that the author covers in researching the many aspects of masochism. Tis good for all that, read and enjoy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book deserves to be much better known. I discovered it very much by accident, and had not seen any references to it. I found it beautifully written, with an elegant style, and (perhaps because I don't have the erudition of other reviewers) I noticed no flaws or gaffes. Phillips has not aimed it at a 'popular' audience, and this is probably why it makes no attempt to present 'examples' of masochism, which always attract readers in a 'Sunday Newspaper' way. But what she says makes really good sense, and it would be great to think that it will assist in the liberalization of people's critical views of the sexuality of others (or even of their own). The inclusion of pain in consensual sex is a natural consequence of the nature of sex itself, as a highly sensual phenomenon. Pain is simply a logical extension of sensuality. [Phillips doesn't mention the phenomenon of tickling, which can also be painful, but there are surely links.] The problem with erotic pain is that it seems too close to punishment pain, illness pain, or accident pain, and it thereby becomes a source of embarrassment and disapproval. For those genuinely interested in understanding their erotic urges and sensations, and for those willing to accept hitherto perceptions of perversion as normal, this book will provide a banquet of ideas and inspiration.
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