Love's Rite: Same-Sex Marriage in India and the West (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: rekhti poetry, rekhti poets, gandharva marriage, United States, Padma Purana, Supreme Court (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Love's Rite, Ruth Vanita's absorbing new book on same-sex love and marriage
and the Indian religious tradition, shows just how deeply rooted the idea of homosexuality really is in the Hindu tradition and how subtly and imaginatively Indian attitudes toward same-sex unions have evolved over the centuries, even as new social, cultural, and affective realities have come into being. Vanita offers a marvelously global perspective on our own 'gay marriage' debates--one characterized by profound historical understanding, impeccable scholarship, and a rare and delightful precision of feeling."--Terry Castle, editor of The Literature of Lesbianism: A Historical Anthology from Ariosto to Stonewall

 

"It's here that contemporary India comes across as a heterogeneous, pluralistic and perfect setting where the modern gay and lesbian identity is being forged in the furnace of the turmoil of industrial India. Read and be enlightened. Be enlightened and be educated about a great tradition that presents itself as an equal contributor of modern civilization. I urge you to read and keep this book carefully for it offers you a useful foundation to build a happier life. A life that knows its past can offer you a more secure future."--Ashok Row Kavi, gay activist and founder of Bombay Dost

"Ruth Vanita brings to same-sex love not clenched-teeth ideology, aggressive self-assertion hiding deeper insecurities, or the anguish of marginalization, but an effortless combination of empathy, moral conviction, and deep cultural sensitivity. This is an excellent work of scholarship that also makes delightful reading."--Ashis Nandy, Director, Center for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, and author of The Intimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self Under Colonialism

Product Description

This is the first book to examine same-sex weddings and same-sex couple suicides in India today, discussing these phenomena both in the context of the international debate on gay marriage, and in the context of past and present Indian and Euro-American cultural representations of same-sex union.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; illustrated edition edition (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403970386
• ISBN-13: 978-1403970381
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,050,746 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)