Customer Reviews

The Best American Erotica 2002

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Like all good short story anthologies should, "The Best American Erotica 1999" delivers a wide variety of stories within the given genre to provide readers with enough food for thought to fill many banquet tables. Nearly all of the stories turned me on to some degree, but just as important, some made me laugh ("Is Your Husband Obsessed with On-Line Pornography," "Three Obscene Telephone Calls"), some made me want to cry ("Licking Our Wounds," "Doctor Fell"), some made me, well, you know ("Penetration'" "Picking up Daddy," "The Balm that Heals"). The one disappointment was "Tell Me What it Is." The writer of this story presented us with interesting, complex characters, but the ending seemed abrupt and made no sense. But in a book of over 20 short stories, it would be nearly impossible to like every story. That is the beauty of a short story anthology, though. If there's a story you don't like, just skip to the next one. But in this case, readers of this anthology probably won't be skipping many stories.

I was very disappointed in this book. I still have not finished it because there is nothing erotic in these writings. The Pearl that was written many years ago is a much better example of written eroticia. I'm sorry that I purchased it.

Here is Erotica for grown-ups, for people who think sex, besides being something to get hot for, is also something worth thinking about. In the vein of writers like Philip Roth, Henry Miller and Mary Gaitskill, this collection gives erotica its intellectual due. Sex is serious--as well as funny, hot and sad. Erotica is given the depth and complexity it deserves. Bravo Susie Bright! You are a genius!

Sorry to have to add my voice to the chorus of disdain, but its true. Previous editions of this series have been good so I'm not sure what went wrong here. But the stories included here are not sexy, intelligent or well-written.

This book just doesn't live up to its title. Quite dull, and a bit precious and highly uninspired throughout, with some stories difficult to read. Avoid.

I got this book at an European airport in January... then saw that Susie Bright dated her introduction February 2002. I guess this says something about the book. I thought the stories would be recently written stories, compiled by the author among the best published last year. It turns out that I had already read a few of them years ago, published on other compilations. I felt cheated. Of the whole lot, maybe two or three are interesting. Most are somber and tragic, not erotic. The kind that depresses you instead of excite you. If this is the best american erotica 2002, the rest must be really awful...!

Bad news for erotica lovers - I enjoyed 1 story in here. Just one! There are so many good erotica books I've read lately, like the Mammoth books, "Best Bisexual Erotica", "From Porn to Poetry", and so on. I can't imagine why "Best" American Erotica has such lousy stories.

Once again Susie Bright comes through with thought provoking and literate substance that gets you off in more ways than any other erotic writing collection on earth! They don't call it "Best" for nothing.

Though not all "storke and poke", this edition has balls a-plenty and is willing to take us to places we might sometimes find difficult to go. I found this batch of stories apropos of our times in a way that was strangely healing at an emotional level. Bravo!

I wasn't attracted to this book by the cover, but I'm glad I bought it. Susie Bright, as usual, is a terrific editor. You can always count on her to find and edit the best erotica around. The only downside is that these Best American Erotica are addictive. I want to go back and read all the editions I missed.

I must be a jaded old ..., but I found this collection profoundly disappointing. It has neither the breathless, fleshy, urgent explicitness; nor the tension-building, teasing, tempting aspects that good erotica needs. Steer clear.