Customer Reviews

A Night in a Moorish Harem

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Illustrated by six different artists: three black and white illustrators who do okay, one crayon scrawl quality color chapter, one okay colored chapter, and one colored chapter that's cleanly drawn but seems amateurish (art school student - some skill but no flavor). George Herbert's book is an 1890s era (or so) Victorian Erotica peice; which means explicit sex was it's only real interest. The ladies recount their "first times" and "first loves" - and five are Eurpoean dolls. Indeed, it's a selection of women from around the world, not a moorish Harem in itself. And they come across as ordinary women with unusual tales to tell. My main interest was the quality of artwork, and the lower quality of some of it (the colored versions were even amateurish in places) left me wondering if the second edition would be decent - and is probably why I've never seen a repeat of the concept. Besides the limited scope of the subject matter. Rather than grossly graphic, the sex is often staid and somewhat more classically illustrated.

This comic collection adapts a well-known bit of Victorian smut. In it, the male protagonist finds himself marooned on an unknown shore, then given shelter and comfort (and more) by the women of a pasha's seraglio. Hidden away in this no-man's land - or at least a land of no intact men - the ladies entertain him though the night. Each woman presents the story of her deflowering, illustrated by a different artist and in a different style. Their male visitor listens eagerly, and takes part in re-enacting crucial moments from the rite of passage.

The six artists present plenty of passionate imagery, so this won't be one for the kids - or for lots of adults, for that matter. The art is as varied in quality as it is in style, but something of a plot makes this more than just a catalog of couplings. I find it better than many of the explicit comics around, which isn't saying much, but I don't rank it among my favorites.

-- wiredweird

this is one book i regret reading with its contrived tale of a shipwrecked sailor in a harem and the stories of the inmates and little or no characterisation. i strongly suggest giviing this book a go by.