Customer Reviews

The Lover's Companion: Art and Poetry of Desire

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You will find erotic art alongside erotic poetry - almost 160 pages worth. Generally, the erotic art is featured on one page while the accompanying poem is on the facing page. The book is divided into chapters: Awareness; My Body; Your Body; Our Bodies; Nobody's Perfect; Why Fight It?; One-Night Stands; You're not With Me; and Enduring Love.

Each work of art and poem is accompanied by commentary and, in case the commentator ( Dr. Ruth Westheimer) doesn't tip you off, this anthology has a purpose. The back cover explains the general idea:

"With a keen eye and her trademark titillating humor, Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer explores how art and verse can enhance desire in this lush literary aphrodisiac. The selections, compiled by editor Charles Sullivan, couple great works of art and poetry throughout the ages and from around the world."

Don't expect scholarship from the good Dr. That's not what she's about. The art and paintings give her a springboard to dispense whatever advice relates to the chapter at hand. Either you like Westheimer or you don't, but it's hard for me to see what's not to like. You can skip every single one of her asides and still enjoy the poetry and art.

Calling the poems erotic comes with a qualification: The poems tend toward the classical and literary rather than explicit, though there's a little of that too. The art also shows some restraint, but the collection nevertheless includes a beauty from Japan and the explicit "Couple" by Picasso. In general, if there is explicitness, the art is more so than the poetry, but there's a little of everything having to do with love, sex and relationship. The focus isn't sex, per se, but everything having to do with sex.

For this and a host of other reviews of erotic books, visit PoemShape and click on Books, Criticism and Reviews.

I have given this book as a shower/wedding gift to friends who have been married for the second time. Illustrations are excellent and poetry well selected.