Customer Reviews

The Memoirs of a Shy Pornographer (New Directions Classics)

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This book has two plots reflecting themes that run throughout much of Patchen's work: the absurdity of the "profane" civilized world and the importance of focusing on the "sacred" or natural world to bring meaning, order, and purpose to human existence. The device Patchen chose for the first theme is that of censorship of erotic content in literature. It is from this that the book derives its title. When this book was written in 1945, books were often published in the US with ellipses substituting for erotic content. The beginning of the book tells the story of a first novel of innocent love, called The Spool of Destiny, written by Albert Budd of Bivalve, New Jersey. An unscrupulous editor changes the book's name to The Spill of Desire and substitutes **** and . . . . for Albert's innocent words throughout the text in such quantity that the book must be published overseas. Albert becomes a best-selling pornographer who everyone wants to meet and make love to.

About half-way through the work Albert meets and falls in love with another innocent, Priscilla, and the story moves from the profane life of New York society to a sacred love that works miracles and heals all wrongs. This is the most moving part of the book and Patchen's best portrayal of this mystical, transformational love that inspires so many of his poems. I think many readers might give up this book in the first half and miss this gem of prose writing embedded in the second half.

If you like Patchen's poetry, you must read this book. If you haven't read Patchen before, stop whatever you are doing and either read this book or a book of his poetry. He is truly a great American author and this is his most approachable novel. This review is dedicated to Miriam, Kenneth Patchen's wife and inspiration, who died in 2001.

I have always liked Kenneth Patchen poetry. This novel has a wonderful title. I would almost have to read it solely on the basis of the title. It is not the greatest prose I ever read but it was a very engaging tale. I have to admit that the whole time I was reading it I kept thinking to myself I bet Bob Dylan read this book. A lot of the names and imagery was reminiscent of the lyrics of Dylan. Since Patchen came first it stands to reason that he bore an influence on Bob Dylan. It is a very enjoyable read for anyone that likes surrealic prose. Patchen was always an outstanding poet and this book more than reveals his gift for writing prose.

I cannot believe this book is out of print. Kenneth Patchen is one of our great, if hugely neglected, poets and novelists. Memoirs is hillarious, surreal, sometimes lurid but always smart and riviting. For my money it is a much better book than Patchen's better known Journal of Albion Moonlight.

testing it for weight and resiliency, loving it as one who loves potential. He taught me that "Reality begins in the dream." What an odd man, to know these things in an age when the pride of knowing belied its limitations.

OK, I want to be the first to review this book with the cavaet that I haven't read it in twenty years because it has probably been out of print about that long, and I lost my copy, and I haven't been able to find another. This book is a wonderful satire on the odious subject of literary censorship. Patchen's technique was to blank out about every fourth word of the story line. Whether we admit it or not, we all have dirty minds and are perfectly capable of filling in the blanks. Patchen's marvelous evocation of the human sexual imagination makes this one of the funniest and filthiest books I have ever read. I will be the first in line to buy it when it is republished in June.

I haven't read this book in about 20 minutes, although I'm sure it has been out of print for over 20 years. A must read for anyone who reads. Patchen works the magic of a thousand men fasting. A must-read before you're sent on a pilgrimage. I hope this edition costs the same as the one I now have from the library: $1.95. If not, I hope it is less than $35, or else I'll steal it from the library in New Jersey, because that is the fine for losing a book checked out from there.

I was lent this book years ago and loved it. I couldn't remember the name of the book or the author until I saw it at a friends house, I immediatly placed my order on Amazon! This book holds alot more space in my mind now that I have read it a second time! Kenneth Patchen pulls me out of a often subdude life into his high detail fantasy world of absolute chaos!

Maybe a bit arcane (1945 issues for 1999) but I've never read a sweeter or more charming book.