Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses: Amazon.de: Isabel Allende: Englische Bücher

Amazon.com

There is something about reading suggestive material that awakens the senses--too often ignored in the fray of modern life--and fires the imagination. Perhaps it brings us back to those breathless, palpitating moments from childhood when puberty was a rosy smudge on the horizon and sex was an abstract term. Aphrodite is a long, savory, enthralling ode to sensuality.

In this bawdy memoir-cum-cookbook, Allende has put together an apothecary of aphrodisiacs, from snake's blood and rhinoceros horn to the more commonplace and more palatable oysters, "those seductive tears of the sea, which lend themselves to slipping from mouth to mouth like a prolonged kiss ... can be purchased in bottles, but there they look like malignant tumors; in contrast, moist and turgid in their shells they suggest delicate vulvae--a prime example of food that appeals to the eye." Chapters such as "Alligators and Piranhas"; "Supreme Stimulus for Lechery"; "Bread, God's Grace"; "Forbidden Fruits"; and "The Saucy Way to Foreplay" offer categorical listings on the aphrodisiac qualities of meats, spices, fruits and vegetables, and alcohol. A few chapters into the book, one begins to wonder what foods aren't considered erotic: "the shape of the wheat head is considered phallic, which proves human imagination knows no limits." Wine (no surprise there) is recommended because "it lessens inhibitions, relaxes, and fosters joy, three fundamental requirements for good performance, not only in bed but at the piano as well." However, as in many situations, moderation is key: too much and you may find your guest asleep in the soup.

Allende dismisses nouvelle cuisine in favor of earthier foods and more satisfying portions. More than 100 recipes are provided, from sauces and soups to hors d'oeuvres, supplemented with her voluptuous commentary. Recipes such as Mykonos Sauce, with walnuts, pistachios, basil, garlic, and milk; Widower's Figs; Filet Mignon Belle Epoque; and Alicante Cream Soup, with leeks, shrimp, oysters, paprika, and cream will have you in an apron (and perhaps not much else) in no time.

"If cookbooks make up part of your library," Allende notes, "books on eroticism should, too." And what more delightful combination of the two than Aphrodite, which provocatively underscores the relationship between sustenance and sexuality, and the aphrodisiac qualities of watching a man cook: "[Women] suppose that if he can remember how many minutes frog legs can tolerate in the skillet, how much greater reason he will have to remember how many tickles our G spot demands." Spiced with litanies of lust and longing from Anais Nin, W.B. Yeats, Pablo Neruda, and Lady Onogoro, and enriched with Allende's warm humor and lusty joie de vive, Aphrodite will tantalize your senses and engender lascivious grins. Recommended in delicious but moderate doses, this book is not for the faint of ... er, heart. --Jhana Bach -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verf�gbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

From Booklist

If this is just a cookbook, then Allende's novels are just potboilers! From the author of such incomparable novels as House of the Spirits (1985) and the highly evocative collection Stories of Eva Luna (1991) comes a luscious book about aphrodisiacs--" the bridge between gluttony and lust." To care less about food preparation with seduction in mind would not prohibit any appreciator of beautiful writing from thoroughly enjoying this extraordinarily seductive book. Yes, Allende does provide recipes, and many of them may spark chemistry between two individuals. But more important than the recipes are her historical and biological ruminations on the inseparability of food and eroticism. With her "sole focus [being] on the sensual art of food and its effects on amorous performance," the author wanders delectably through the ways food arouses the senses, citing tales and truths, folklore and science, and drawing into her discussions other topics such as the role of language in seduction, the need for physical touch, and the pleasures of drinking wine--an act that "lessens inhibitions, relaxes, and fosters joy, three fundamental requirements for good performance." Readers may view their lunch-time Big Macs and fries in a different light after enjoying Allende's pages, for, as she posits, "all of creation is one long uninterrupted cycle of digestion and fertility." Brad Hooper -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verf�gbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Alle Produktbeschreibungen

talking about your TASTE 28. Juli 2000

Von Ayako

Format:Taschenbuch

You will find every senses you have, tongue, eyes and all over your body. While I understand myself as very emotion- and sense-oriented, I am surprised how Isabelle uses her sensitiveness lying over cooking and physical-emotional sensuality. Hundreds of anecdotes she puts in the book could enrich and enhance your experiences. I am trying to translate into Japanese if Isabelle permitts.

Kommentar |

War diese Rezension f�r Sie hilfreich?

Nein

Not her usual 19. Juni 2000

Von Fatima Filgueira

Format:Gebundene Ausgabe

Ms. Allende is an excellent novelist. Her books are sexy, romantic, and surreal. Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses, is more like a text book or a coffee table book. A good book full of sexy recipes with exotic ingredients and interesting insights about her personal life, with comments about her husband and her upbringing. Definitely worth reading for any Allende fan.

Too delicious to put down 27. Februar 2000

Von Mari

To say I love this book would be putting it mildly; I just adore it. The recipes are sinfully delicious (and calorie-laden), and the tales are tastefully erotic and funny, just as I expected from the author. If you haven't bought it, do it now; even if you don't like it, you still could learn a useful thing or two.

This is a very funny look at how food and eroticsm mix

I loved this book! Allende's sense of humor and eroticsm make this book flow smoothly over many different topics, all covering food and lust! Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 22. Oktober 1999 von Juri Yamagata (lojurive@hotmail.com)

A sensual, funny and passionate look at food and the senses

This book breathed with sensuality and passion. I really enjoyed that it was a mature woman taking hold and getting lost in her senses. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 14. Oktober 1999 von Kathleen Stevens

Beautiful book, literary failure ...

I was really dissapointed by Allendes latest book. I am an avid reader, and besides "Paula" I've read all her books. Lesen Sie weiter...

Ver�ffentlicht am 31. Juli 1999 von peej@booklover.com

Amazing! My cooking will never be the same!

Ms. Allende is my new hero! I have always enjoyed her fiction- filled with passion, humor and wit- and this book is no different. I applaud Ms. Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 28. Juli 1999 ver�ffentlicht

Delightful and scintillating prose for the senses .

Isabel Allende's prose is truly delightful. Her gift for weaving all the elements of this book together is incredible. Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 19. Juli 1999 ver�ffentlicht

A Feast for the Senses

Like an 11 course meal, Aphrodite is filling and sumptuous, rich in diverse flavorful insights, which one can only expect from a well-prepared feast. Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 10. Juli 1999 ver�ffentlicht

Absolutely beautiful!

It reminds me of Diane Atkinson's "A Natural History of the Senses." It has that same lovely, poetic language depicting a person's relationship to the world around him:... Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 18. Mai 1999 ver�ffentlicht

Exquisite

This is not a book you want to read on the subway to work. It is an incredibly stimulating, erotic encyclopedia of the powers of the senses. Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 7. Mai 1999 ver�ffentlicht

A fun and flavorful look at our cooking habits

When Isabel read from her book the audience was laughing and enjoying every bit of it. Later when I was on vacation I read it from cover to cover and I found it excellent as a... Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 1. April 1999 ver�ffentlicht

The most sensual book I've read in years

It's been years since I've read anything with a combination of fantastic recipes, good humour and fun. I force myself to read a chapter per day only, so this marvel lasts longer. Lesen Sie weiter...

Am 28. M�rz 1999 ver�ffentlicht

Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Weitere Ausgaben

Produktinformation

Mehr �ber den Autor

Produktbeschreibungen

Amazon.com

From Booklist

Welche anderen Artikel kaufen Kunden, nachdem sie diesen Artikel angesehen haben?

Tags

Eine digitale Version dieses Buchs im Kindle-Shop verkaufen

Kundenrezensionen

Kunden diskutieren

Neue Diskussion starten

Lieblingslisten

�hnliche Artikel finden

Anhand des Sachgebietes nach �hnlichen Produkten suchen:

Ihr Kommentar