Official Review: Eros of the Senses by Ada Ardor
Posted: 17 May 2016, 13:59
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Eros of the Senses" by Ada Ardor.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Eros of the Senses by Ada Ardor is both a sensual and erotic exploration of sexual intimacy that’s heightened through external stimuli in the form of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. The term “Eros” is the name of the Greek god of love and it’s also the Greek word used to express sexual love. As such, Ardor’s book is aptly named.
Eros of the Senses consists of twelve vignettes that present various scenarios to the reader. The vignettes are varied in both presentation and in character but have little in the way of introduction, back story, character development or plot as each vignette introduces one or more character in the middle of, or about to participate in, a sexually-intimate act. The phrase, “sexually-intimate act” is a fitting one because not each vignette is about sex per se. In Writer Likes to be Watched, for example, the writer masturbates in front of her computer while others on the world wide web watch, thereby heightening her own sexual arousal.
While the book could hardly be accused of offering little in the way of variety and sexual situations, some of the best ones and certainly the more poignant ones are those where Ardor seems to really connect with her innermost feelings, producing something that is almost spiritual in essence like in Forest Nymph, where Lucinda finds herself all alone in the woods and seeks to satisfy herself under a sun-dappled canopy of branches. In contrast, The Oldest Love Poem is quite poetic in its beauty, where restorer/translator, Maya, dreams of the ancient rite of sacred marriage written by the priestess, Anya, for the Sumerian king, Shu-Sin. In this vignette, the words and imagery are vivid and flow beautifully, making it a treat for the senses. Under the Wisteria is touching in its innocence, where young Lena takes the new boy, Clay, to her secret pond and the innocence of their friendship slowly blossoms into young love. In Winter in New England, lovers Rose and Bastien traipse through the crisp New England snow before returning to his cabin to make love.
Given Ardor’s ability to shade her carefully-chosen words with just the right nuances, Eros of the Senses is certainly a feast for the senses and there is also a satisfying equality between the sexes in those vignettes featuring couples, where pleasure is both given and taken by both partners. However, what is somewhat disappointing about the book’s content is that it lacks exploration into different kinds of sexual intimacy such as that between an older couple, together for a great number of years. The sexual act may be less frantic and less physical, yet their intimacy would be born from years of togetherness, all the more tender. The sexual intimacy between a couple from different cultures would have also made for an interesting element to explore or what about a couple where one of the partners is blind and “sees” viscerally through touch and smell?
Although Eros of the Senses has the odd typographical error, this did not distract from the book’s intent. Beautifully written and subtle of nuance, it offers both spiritual and physical fulfillment which is why I’m giving it 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Eros of the Senses
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3 out of 4 stars
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Eros of the Senses by Ada Ardor is both a sensual and erotic exploration of sexual intimacy that’s heightened through external stimuli in the form of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. The term “Eros” is the name of the Greek god of love and it’s also the Greek word used to express sexual love. As such, Ardor’s book is aptly named.
Eros of the Senses consists of twelve vignettes that present various scenarios to the reader. The vignettes are varied in both presentation and in character but have little in the way of introduction, back story, character development or plot as each vignette introduces one or more character in the middle of, or about to participate in, a sexually-intimate act. The phrase, “sexually-intimate act” is a fitting one because not each vignette is about sex per se. In Writer Likes to be Watched, for example, the writer masturbates in front of her computer while others on the world wide web watch, thereby heightening her own sexual arousal.
While the book could hardly be accused of offering little in the way of variety and sexual situations, some of the best ones and certainly the more poignant ones are those where Ardor seems to really connect with her innermost feelings, producing something that is almost spiritual in essence like in Forest Nymph, where Lucinda finds herself all alone in the woods and seeks to satisfy herself under a sun-dappled canopy of branches. In contrast, The Oldest Love Poem is quite poetic in its beauty, where restorer/translator, Maya, dreams of the ancient rite of sacred marriage written by the priestess, Anya, for the Sumerian king, Shu-Sin. In this vignette, the words and imagery are vivid and flow beautifully, making it a treat for the senses. Under the Wisteria is touching in its innocence, where young Lena takes the new boy, Clay, to her secret pond and the innocence of their friendship slowly blossoms into young love. In Winter in New England, lovers Rose and Bastien traipse through the crisp New England snow before returning to his cabin to make love.
Given Ardor’s ability to shade her carefully-chosen words with just the right nuances, Eros of the Senses is certainly a feast for the senses and there is also a satisfying equality between the sexes in those vignettes featuring couples, where pleasure is both given and taken by both partners. However, what is somewhat disappointing about the book’s content is that it lacks exploration into different kinds of sexual intimacy such as that between an older couple, together for a great number of years. The sexual act may be less frantic and less physical, yet their intimacy would be born from years of togetherness, all the more tender. The sexual intimacy between a couple from different cultures would have also made for an interesting element to explore or what about a couple where one of the partners is blind and “sees” viscerally through touch and smell?
Although Eros of the Senses has the odd typographical error, this did not distract from the book’s intent. Beautifully written and subtle of nuance, it offers both spiritual and physical fulfillment which is why I’m giving it 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Eros of the Senses
View: on Bookshelves
Like babika1962's review? Post a comment saying so!