Pornography: Men Possessing Women [Mass Market Paperback]

Andrea Dworkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1987

This volume presents a study of the damaging effect of pornography and its ramifications on society.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This strongly argued feminist case against pornography stirred tremendous controversy when first published in 1979, and has lost none of its bite during its several years out of print. Dworkin ( Letters from a War Zone ), who lobbies for municipal statutes declaring pornography a violation of women's civil rights, insists that pornography links sex and violence by incorporating violent domination of women as a key element of sexual fantasy: "Force in high-class pornography is romanticized . . . as if it were dance." Dworkin also takes what many consider to be an extreme position; she believes that pornography incites men to sexual violence. To support her thesis, she draws parallels between the life and writings of the Marquis de Sade and provides critical summaries of several contemporary pornographic works. Dworkin's style is intense, vivid and eloquent, infused with a sense of urgency.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; First Edition. first pb edition (January 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399505326
• ISBN-13: 978-0399505324
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,029,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Status quo attacked like never before, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Pornography: Men Possessing Women (Mass Market Paperback)

This is quite simply probably the best book ever written on the evil of pornography. It's a refreshing change to read on the subject from an author who's not from the religious right.

Dworkin's shocking descriptions of the violence and abuse that pornography causes and depends on for its survival will have all but the most diehard users feeling physically sick in disgust.

If there is any man out there who thinks that "softcore" pornography is okay and doesn't hurt women, you really need to read this book! It will change your mind, I know it did mine.

29 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brutally honest, shocking and brilliant., June 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (North Hollywood, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pornography: Men Possessing Women (Plume) (Mass Market Paperback)

Andrea Dworkin is not just unique among many talented, feminist authors - she is a woman with an exceptional command of the English language, and an exquisite talent for using words to make a point in an either brilliant or shockingly crude fashion. She simply will not allow the reader to make excuses in his/her mind for the basic lower value of females around the world which is the base of pornagraphy.

This book is not for the faint-hearted, weak, or those who wish to live in a fantasy-land when it comes to male views of women's bodies and sexuality. Andrea Dworkin is a genius and, whether or not one agrees with any of her points, she will challenge the very foundations of our paternal societies and their implications for female sexuality, how women's lower social status is perpetuated through the condoning of degrading and violent sexual themes in art, entertainment, and literature, and how these repeating (and all to frequent) themes affect the zeitgeist of our culture.

You are not a woman until you have carefully read this enlightening and liberating book, and you are not a man until you have faced up to the ugly and destructive side of male-dominated culture and sex explicitly exposed by Ms. Dworkin.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars From thought-provoking to alienating and bizarre, June 5, 2011

By 

Carpo Collins (Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pornography: Men Possessing Women (Plume) (Mass Market Paperback)

Andrea Dworkin had some good reasons for wanting to fight pornography, which she pours out in this book. But her good intentions become more distorted and bloated with her own vindictiveness against men and about as realistic as growing corn on the Moon. She hated men (except a handful of homosexual men), and many of her relations with men in her lifetime were limited to experiences with 'johns' (when she was a prostitute) and those she came across socially during her radical protesting/lecturing years. I don't appreciate her seperatist philosophy (as the world needs anymore seperatist movements). This book is an interesting read for those wanting to get into the mind of a man-hater. Since she viewed all men (except a few homosexuals) as mysognist, then what reasons does she give men for needing to align themselves with the feminists, she who once proposed a seperate feminist nation? Her philosophy of men's sexual psychology is at times interesting and other times trite and presumptious- she's one of those feminists who see themselves and deeply complex but all men as shallow and reprehensible- talk about shallow thinking.