- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: DALKEY ARCHIVE PRESS; New edition edition (Feb 9 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1564782336
- ISBN-13: 978-1564782335
- Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 14 x 1.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 181 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,245,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Kirkus Reviews
The singular pleasures of Mathews's (Cigarettes, 1987, etc.) title are in fact only one pleasure, and that one is the--well, the pleasure of masturbation. Here are sixty-odd (publisher's count) tiny pieces, one or two almost a page long, most only a paragraph or just a few lines, describing various people--well, doing it. Those various people are very various, from kids to old fogies, of all sexes, nations, places, needs, and callings, some alone, some with like-minded company. Some of the vignettes are silly, some exotic, some satiric, some erotic, most poetic, some neutral, and some--a few--touchingly lovely. The point seems to be--well, let that be determined by those who choose to ponder it. The illustrations by Francesco Clemente aren't lubricous at all, but (usually) slight, charming, and as ephemeral as a--well, as, say, a falling leaf. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Harry Mathews is a playful, precise writer, a modernist with a singular sense of humor, a stylist whose subject matter often seems irrelevant next to the beauty of his language. -- Michael Perkins
Like seeds of closeness, like some always penultimate leisure to make it up out of an alphabet of selves, these glimpses yield a gentle, conspiring privacy. -- Joseph McElroy
Quietly, with gentle and all-embracing humanism, these prose poems refute the taboos. . . . As a literary device the focus on that singular moment inspires Mathews to bravura feats of compression. . . . So that brief as these glimpses are, they're more than character 'sketches.' You see something more like a whole person in the snap of Mathews' shutter. -- John Strausbaugh, New York Press, 4/28/93
Singular Pleasures is wonderfully shocking and a joy to read, and gives a new meaning to reading for pleasure. -- Alexander Laurence, Cups , 9/93
There is nothing pornographic, in the strict sense, about Mathews' text, since it does not seek to arouse the reader: its tone is cool, humorous, and affectionate. His intention is to leave us deeply impressed by the ingenuity, tenacity, and inventiveness with which humans in all places and at all ages have pursued their own pleasure. He succeeds completely. -- John Ash, Artforum, Summer 1993
Like seeds of closeness, like some always penultimate leisure to make it up out of an alphabet of selves, these glimpses yield a gentle, conspiring privacy. -- Joseph McElroy
Quietly, with gentle and all-embracing humanism, these prose poems refute the taboos. . . . As a literary device the focus on that singular moment inspires Mathews to bravura feats of compression. . . . So that brief as these glimpses are, they're more than character 'sketches.' You see something more like a whole person in the snap of Mathews' shutter. -- John Strausbaugh, New York Press, 4/28/93
Singular Pleasures is wonderfully shocking and a joy to read, and gives a new meaning to reading for pleasure. -- Alexander Laurence, Cups , 9/93
There is nothing pornographic, in the strict sense, about Mathews' text, since it does not seek to arouse the reader: its tone is cool, humorous, and affectionate. His intention is to leave us deeply impressed by the ingenuity, tenacity, and inventiveness with which humans in all places and at all ages have pursued their own pleasure. He succeeds completely. -- John Ash, Artforum, Summer 1993
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant realization of high concept, Mar 25 2000
By wordtron - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Singular Pleasures (Paperback)
The concept, as I read it, is that most of us are bound by a common secret--masturbation--and that the lengths we go to in order to achieve release are what makes us distinct from each other as individuals--our imaginations. To prove it, Mathews, one of America's best unkowns, has written 61 vignettes of people of all ages and nationalities doing whatever it takes to express themselves. For example: "A man of thirty-five is about to experience orgasm in one of the better condominiums in Gaza. He is masturbating, but neither hand nor object touches his taut penis: arranged in a circle, five hairblowers direct their streams of warm air toward that focal point. He has plugged his ears with wax balls." Not all the vignettes are as funny; some are sad, some are touching, some make you tilt your head to one side, hoping for understanding; hoping in vain.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A series of fetes for the one thing besides death..., May 26 2000
By boeanthropist "Philip Welsh" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Singular Pleasures (Paperback)
...that unites us all. The sheer breadth of fantasy, mechanical aids and passive witness employed in these 61 tableux is staggering: hysterical, sad, inventive, invective, or finally just so blatantly quotidian you suddenly find yourself acknowledging your habituated pleasures in a similar light.If you don't feel the need for the illustrations (I personally prefer it without), the complete text of "Singular Pleasures" is included in the Mathews prose anthology "The Way Home" published by the ever-trustworthy Atlas Press.
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Single Authors > United States
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > United States
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories > United States
- Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Poetry
- Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Short Stories
- Books > Romance > Erotica
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
