erotic Arab novel

[Susana]

I've just come across this article on a new novel written by a Syrian female poet, Salwa al Neimi. . The title is 'Evidence of honey'. I understand it is about to be published in English and of course it is banned in most muslim countries but not all! and in fact the Tunisian newspaper Les Temps wrote a fantastic review on it....

The novel sounds great in itself but also because it includes many references on erotism by the classics of literature, mysticism and traditions of the Arab world, that is of course before the XVII century, the time when they took the turn for prudery (I think due to their diminished political power at that time).

...It is very interesting and ironic that in Spain, even to this day, when we want to describe something as utterly luxuriant and full of pleasures ('decadent' in English) we call it 'an Asian luxury' meaning the Arab/Turkish/Pesian world!! Obviously it must come from the time when they were in our country, before the XVI century as well as from their classic literature.

I can't wait to get hold of this book!

An anecdote: a very close friend of mine, original from Turkey, spent 15 years doing a PhD on the philosophy of leisure and pleasure....

[Susana]

I just thought, as an aperitif, while you wait for your copy of 'evidence of honey' I strongly recommend 'Aphrodite' by Isabel Allende, a book of aphrodisiac recipes with juicy stories... Hey, it could become the book of recipes for The Forest! The only such cafe in town!

[ravanwin]

[dan]

[swithun]

[dan]

[lucky]

You can add essential oils to food. With care.

Black pepper, ylang ylang, vetiver. All amazing aphros. I actually helped a friend (yes, friend) achieve orgasms again after a spate of months not being able to, using these oils.

True story.

A*

[Susana]

Christ, let's hear more of that!!!!


As a Brazilian friend of mine said: if only a good and sizable group of our people could be sent to the Middle East they would stop all these wars....

Shall we check all these on our selves first???

[Gandhi]

Sounds like an orgy's a brewin

[dan]

drop aphros not bombs...

[Susana]

Ha! I just came back from Marseille.... Of course I bought the book.
You may borrow it once I've read and fully enjoyed it. It may take me time though.... like when something is so good you try to savour it slowly...., lingering on every page.

(BTW it is in French but I think most of you studied French at school and probably you know more than you think you do. In any case I wouldn't trust it to be published here... risky)

[Gandhi]

there's only 2 things I need to know.
1. how erotic is it?
2.does it have pictures?

[Susana]

Answer:

1. I still have to find out. But do bear in mind that where I come from we already have a highly developed imaginary regarding the Arab/Turkish/Persian cultures (think 'One thousand and one nights', etc...). Even Spanish children are mesmerized by it (in an innocent way of course) because at Christmas it is the Three Wise Men (in Spain we call them the Magi Kings) the ones that arrive on the night of the 6th of January, on their camels, bringing the presents. And they can actually see them because there are cavalcades in every town. (my favourite was Baltasar because he is black and therefore soooo exotic...)

2. No, there aren't. But don't you find imagination much more exhilarating???

[Gandhi]

no

[milk]

http://www.laffont.fr/ForeignRights/Liv ... 462&col=15

the cover seems very bare *ducks*.

[Susana]

Oh yes, the cover is very graphic.

But if what you want is a stream of images then you will have to go for erotic comics. I don't know where you would find them here.... not in the library though (except for one dead sordid Japanese one that I found in Sighthill library of all places...., joyously placed among the graphic novels for teenagers... - I did tell them...). I have to say that the ones I've seen are much more pornographic than sensually erotic (typical authors are Manara and Rotundo)

And did you notice in the blurb of that text that UK does not have the rights to publish it? I mean I suppose they don't want it....

[amelia]

Oh I would LOVE to read that book. I would be working on my french AND my research into Arab eroticism. As a lover of dance I also became very interested as I learned Belly Dancing - arguably the most sensual erotic dance on the planet - how it fitted in/or didn't with Islam, historically, and now.

One of the books I am reading at the moment is one I got from the bellydancing shop near elephant house : DANCING FEAR & DESIRE Race, Sexuality, & imperial Politics in Middle Eastern Dance by Stavros Stavrou Karayannni. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Canada 2005. A perfect combo to your book and a timely find for me...and this posting.

It tells me what I want to know. I nearly left it at the cafe's library as I was so short of packing space in my luggage - but I couldn't leave it and carried it on the plane. No one said anything. I move that you can actually travel with suitcase, carryon luggage and a book in your hand - or maybe they just liked the picture on the front of the closeup of woman's toned abdomen, gold glittery boddace(?) and low skirt...

[amelia]

Oh I forgot. As you enter that bellydancing shop shop, there is a small bookcase immediately to your left hand side. Many of the books - at a glance - are related to this topic in some way if you wanna check it out.

[Newington Bandit]

[Gandhi]

i think I'll just stick to Hustler. haha