Synopsis
Allende wrote this book as a way of reconnecting with the world after the death of her daughter. An infectious celebration of life, lust, and food, it provides recipes for aphrodisiacs, as well as poems, stories, personal anecdotes, and tips on how to attract a mate.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1998-03-01 |
| Size | | Length: | 315 pages | | Height: | 10.0 in | | Width: | 6.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 30.4 oz |
Publisher's Note
New York Times-bestselling author Isabel Allende celebrates the pleasures of the sensual life in this rich, joyful and slyly humorous book, a combination of personal narrative and treasury of erotic lore. Under the aegis of the Goddess of Love, Isabel Allende uses her storytelling skills brilliantly in Aphrodite to evoke the delights of food and sex. After considerable research and study, she has become an authority on aphrodisiacs, which include everything from food and drink to stories and, of course, love. Readers will find here recipes from Allende's mother, poems, stories from ancient and foreign literatures, paintings, personal anecdotes, fascinating tidbits on the sensual art of foodand its effects on amorous performance, tips on how to attract your mate and revive flagging virility, passages on the effect of smell on libido, a history of alcoholic beverages, and much more. An ode to sensuality that is an irresistible blend of memory, imagination and the senses, Aphrodite is familiar territory for readers who know her fiction.
In Aphrodite, Isabel Allende brings her storytelling powers to a highly personal and charmingly idiosyncratic look at the intertwined sensual arts of food and love. Blending personal reminiscence with folklore from around the world, historical legends, and memorable moments from literature - erotic and otherwise - Allende spices her narrative with equal portions of humor and insight. Assembling a feast of fascinating facts about the aphrodisiac powers of food and drink, Allende serves them up with both convincing admiration and due irreverence. She offers suggestions, both ancient and modern, for luring a lover, kindling sexual ardor, prolonging the act of love, and reviving flagging virility. Dipping into the cauldron of history, she reports on the lascivious appetites of everyone from the emperor Nero to Catherine the Great to France's notorious Madame du Barry.
New York Times-bestselling author Isabel Allende celebrates the pleasures of the sensual life in this rich, joyful and slyly humorous book, a combination of personal narrative and treasury of erotic lore.Under the aegis of the Goddess of Love, Isabel Allende uses her storytelling skills brilliantly in Aphroditeto evoke the delights of food and sex. After considerable research and study, she has become an authority on aphrodisiacs, which include everything from food and drink to stories and, of course, love. Readers will find here recipes from Allende's mother, poems, stories from ancient and foreign literatures, paintings, personal anecdotes, fascinating tidbits on the sensual art of foodand its effects on amorous performance, tips on how to attract your mate and revive flagging virility, passages on the effect of smell on libido, a history of alcoholic beverages, and much more. An ode to sensuality that is an irresistible blend of memory, imagination and the senses, Aphroditeis familiar territory for readers who know her fiction.
Industry Reviews
"[A] lighthearted blend of memories, recipes and research on aphrodisiacs is a celebration of the senses and a testament to her recovery....[I]ncludes recipes by Ms. Allende's mother....[A] playful, practical guide that shuns the exotic and focuses on ingredients that can be found in most grocery stores."
Wall Street Journal - Elizabeth Bukowski (03/20/1998)
"Much of the book is derivative and on too many occasions just factually wrong....In the second half of 'Aphrodite', Allende is more persuasive as she...explores her private storehouse of food and romantic memories. The book is lavishly produced, well translated...and includes a fun compendium of aphrodisiac recipes..."
Los Angeles Times Book Review - Diane Ackerman (04/26/1998)
"An elegant grandmother ponders the erotic side of food and the most delicious aspects of eros....The tales and anecdotes she offers whet the appetites; and her tidbits of erotic lore are food at least for thought, and perhaps more....Illustrations, tastefully sensual, are provided by Robert Schechter. Peden's translation has verve and immediacy."
Holt
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