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Sugar in My Bowl: Real Women Write About Real Sex
When it comes to sex, what do women want? In this eye-opening and courageous collection, Erica Jong reveals that every woman has her own answer.
Susan Cheever talks about the "excruciating hazards of casual sex," while Gail Collins recounts her Catholic upbringing in Cincinnati and the nuns who passionately forbade her from having "carnal relations." In "Everything Must Go,...more
Susan Cheever talks about the "excruciating hazards of casual sex," while Gail Collins recounts her Catholic upbringing in Cincinnati and the nuns who passionately forbade her from having "carnal relations." In "Everything Must Go,...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
June 14th 2011
by Ecco
(first published 2011)
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Book club is getting a little wild and crazy this summer!:)
Hmm. First off, I'm proud I finished this one 'cause the first half was awful. Maybe it's cathartic to write about your affairs and multiple marriages, but not so great to read about.
Jong's daughter wrote about how she is a prude and boring and may be this way 'cause she has all the rights she needs.
I think I'm the same.
Hmm. First off, I'm proud I finished this one 'cause the first half was awful. Maybe it's cathartic to write about your affairs and multiple marriages, but not so great to read about.
Jong's daughter wrote about how she is a prude and boring and may be this way 'cause she has all the rights she needs.
I think I'm the same.
I couldn't resist a book that give a woman's perspective on writing about sex (or in this case, the views of many women), especially in the wake of "Fifty Shades of Gray," which seems unreadable just based on the small passages I've read. These are often smart, insightful essays and stories. How the individual writers tackle the subject ranges from raunchy down to "why did you even want to be part of this book?"
Most of the stories are autobiographical. I especially liked "Love Rollercoaster 1975...more
Most of the stories are autobiographical. I especially liked "Love Rollercoaster 1975...more
Oh, there's something in something, somewhere. Apparently Jong picked the title after Google told her how many other books were already called "Best Sex Ever," which is fine. But the contributors all wrote about their best sex ever, or more specifically, the fact that most of them haven't had it yet. While this may have been an attempt at optimism ("that best sex ever is just around the corner, I know it!"), the combined effect is somewhat depressing. There is not much sex actually happening in...more
Where to begin? This is a phenomenal read. The stories, personal essays, and confessions of sex, love, sexuality, and all that connect, by women, are real, timeless, and full of life. Real life.
This anthology of “Real Women Writing About Real Sex” is a treasure of experiences and stories by women. These women speak about their lives, They tell us about sex in all its many forms: marriage struggles, love and getting pregnant while abroad in Spain (“A Fucking Miracle” by Elisa Albert), stories abo...more
This anthology of “Real Women Writing About Real Sex” is a treasure of experiences and stories by women. These women speak about their lives, They tell us about sex in all its many forms: marriage struggles, love and getting pregnant while abroad in Spain (“A Fucking Miracle” by Elisa Albert), stories abo...more
What is the anthology meant to be? Clearly, the contributors were asked to write on "the best sex they ever had," but that's not the anthology title, nor even subtitle. I thought this collection was pretty bad: terribly conceptualized, organized, executed, and with the exception of few pieces, not very well-written. Jong didn't seem to do much work here. I don't even like the title: these are "real" women writing about "real" sex? Real perhaps in the fact that they are all-over-the-board, just l...more
This book caught my eye because of the candy in the picture. It was like: "Jellybeans!... No wait, sex!" Then I started wondering if jellybeans have some kind of sexual symbolism I never knew about before. But it turns out they're gumballs in the picture anyway, so apparently not.
I thought this would be a fun book, but of essays selected at random, two were funny, one was hot, and five-ish were depressing. There sure is a lot of bad sex in the world. If this doesn't cheer up soon, back it goes.
A...more
I thought this would be a fun book, but of essays selected at random, two were funny, one was hot, and five-ish were depressing. There sure is a lot of bad sex in the world. If this doesn't cheer up soon, back it goes.
A...more
I'm not going to star this review because I had a weird reaction to it. I really did not want to read the fiction pieces, because I felt that they broke up the collection. If I had been editing this anthology, I would have only included essays. There was also bits of a stage monologue and a comic and those worked for me. I didn't like the fiction in with my essays.
The essays in this collection were great- there was one about casual sex, inappropriate sex, watching as a daughter discovers her sex...more
The essays in this collection were great- there was one about casual sex, inappropriate sex, watching as a daughter discovers her sex...more
I gave Sugar in My Bowl five stars in some part because (1) there was no 4-1/2 star option and (2) it's such a unique and necessary addition to the book world.
Some of the stories were absolutely wonderful. My personal favorites: Gail Collins' "Worst Sex," tales of surviving Catholic school (as a survivor myself I nearly always love when writers share these memories) and Jean Hanff Korelitz's "Prude" wherein she reveals a secret she is sure will astonish all who know her. Coincidentally, the boo...more
Some of the stories were absolutely wonderful. My personal favorites: Gail Collins' "Worst Sex," tales of surviving Catholic school (as a survivor myself I nearly always love when writers share these memories) and Jean Hanff Korelitz's "Prude" wherein she reveals a secret she is sure will astonish all who know her. Coincidentally, the boo...more
This is an abridged version of my review. To read the full thing, click here.
This book. Arrrrgh. This book.
I was initially intrigued by Sugar in My Bowl, a collection of essays edited by Erica Jong, because of its premise. In her introduction, Jong raises a lot of great points about the gender-based double standards when it comes to writing about sex. Jong was surprised that even now, women were hesitant to write about the subject; she was even more surprised at how many contributors felt the ne...more
This book. Arrrrgh. This book.
I was initially intrigued by Sugar in My Bowl, a collection of essays edited by Erica Jong, because of its premise. In her introduction, Jong raises a lot of great points about the gender-based double standards when it comes to writing about sex. Jong was surprised that even now, women were hesitant to write about the subject; she was even more surprised at how many contributors felt the ne...more
It has a provocative title, but don't expect erotica here. A collection of sexual memoirs in the form of short stories, this book is about sex as a life energy, a charge that is felt throughout our lives. According to these stories, it is perhaps felt earlier in life, and later in life, than you might imagine! There are stories about the first time, and the last time. This is a book about the powerful feelings associated with sexuality: the urgency, the poetry, the pleasure, the pain. In the wor...more
I've been reading other people's reviews, and I agree with most of the negative things that are said. The essays are disjointed, seem to be about varying topics, the fiction and nonfiction side-by-side is kinda weird, all those things are true. But I loved this book anyway. I have a really short attention span for yet another collection of erotica, so I was expecting this to be a quick skim and probably not finishing it. Instead, it was a collection of truly engaged essays about hard topics.
I di...more
I di...more
This is the second time that Ms. Jong has disappointed me. Not every feminist agrees or will see eye-to-eye; but we do agree we are willing to support the tribe. This is one of those moments I don't get why Jong is considered part of the Feminist book list? The stories had no rhyme or reason, they where just randomly put together. I was expecting erotica, realization of the body and the mind, overcoming fears, body issues and the like. There is none of that in this book, it's about damaged love,...more
I got a very strong sense that this book had no real idea what it wanted to be, Some of the pieces were about the writers' best and worst sexual experiences, some were examined writing about sex as a woman, some were coming-of-age stories. It's as if Jong gave out a multiple-choice assignment on the essays (and some are actually short fiction) and then didn't arrange it in any particular order. The pieces feel rushed, too, and very underedited. Which is too bad -- the concept was promising, and...more
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I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot more about relationships and self-discovery than I expected. I suppose I was hoping for more raunchiness (surprise surprise). I think we all forget how integral sex is to our personal development. Surprisingly to me, my favorite story was the one about the elderly couple in the senior living community. I loved reading about their past relationships, and it gave me hope that love (and lust!) can last for many, many years, and when it's lost or taken from y...more
This is a book that I'd have picked up, turned over, and browsed through at the bookstore but I'm not sure if I'd have purchased it on my own. I got the opportunity to read it through the folks at Harper and I'm quite glad I did. Erica Jong presents a collection of short pieces by a number of women writers. Some are personal memoirs, others fiction, and they focus on a range of topics relating to woman and sex. The pieces range from budding childhood interest to sexual attraction in a seniors so...more
Let’s start off with what I liked: the diversity of content. Each story was unique and not every woman talked about the “best sex they ever had” (which was the original title of this anthology). The pieces are refreshing and honest, some sexy, some funny. Some standouts for me were Ariel Levy’s “My First Time, Twice” about how she lost her virginity “twice” because in fact, she didn’t actually have sex the first time, J.A.K. Andres’ funny piece entitled “The Diddler” about her six year old daugh...more
Not sure I'd be too quick to call a book like this transgressive and brave, like the descriptions I read about it did. Nearly every story was written by middle-class woman over the age of 50, about completely mundane, heteronormative sexual experiences. I believe there was one essay by a woman of color, and ZERO written about or by any lesbians or bisexuals. There was even a transphobic piece, which was just loooovely to find in a book that's supposed to be inclusive and empowering.
Beyond all t...more
Beyond all t...more
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I'm just a little concerned by the term "real women" and "real sex" in the subtitle. By using these terms the book seems to lock out a lot of people and sex that wasn't included in the book. There were very few women of color in the book, very few lesbians, and no transgender or other gendered people. Many of the stories didn't feel all that progressive to me, although I'll admit I went to a very liberal college and grew up in a household where sex was not an off limit topic when I was younger....more
Although some essays were more interesting and valuable to a pro-sex effort than others, almost every story was fascinating. This book has a pretty great array of underlying history, as well. It got me thinking how many fantastic, illuminating, or just plain "huh. that's interesting" stories about our sexuality actually exist in each person's lives. But where else do you have a safe space, or the support to be brave enough to write about your daughter's diddling, the physical and emotional pain...more
Don't you want to join my book club?!
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I found a lot I could relate to in this collection and it made me think and reflect a lot. Some of the stories were better than others obviously but they were brave and seemed honest and not smutty. It covers a wide range of sexual experiences but even with all the variety it seriously lacked from a lesbian and/or bisexual voice which I think is a huge oversight. Even if you don't like all or even most of the stories it's a good exercise to think about why you didn't like them and reflect on you...more
I found this collection funny, moving, and interesting, but I understand what other reviewers have disliked about it. It would definitely be better titled "(mostly white) women write about sex with (mostly) men." As others have pointed out, the quality of essays is uneven and the viewpoints nearly uniform (I felt like I was reading a slightly older, slightly more thoughtful version of Sex and the City). But I had no expectations going in, so I enjoyed it.
Varied, uneven of course, but delicious. I read this on my Kindle, and here was one experience where I really wished I had read it in codex format: I wanted to page back and forth, read the bios of these women, known and unknown to me, as I read their funny, scary, silly, romantic stories. It was mostly about their first time, or a spectacular time, or a terrible time, a time of not-sex. It was pretty sexy to read, too.
A great antidote to the "50 Shades" trend. Real women (who can actually write!) on real sex, love and relationships. Not exactly an erotica book (though it has its moments), but offers great insights into love, sex and relationships from women's view. One criticism I have is that most of the essays are written from a heteronormative point of view. One essay briefly mentions a relationship with another woman, but the main romantic interest turns out to be a man.
Overall though a good read that sh...more
Overall though a good read that sh...more
This is a fine collection of short stories by contemporary women writers. I found the sex aspect of the title to be misleading however. I was expecting, -- hoping -- for some light, fun, entertaining, erotic fiction. Instead it was, for the most part, the kind of serious, introspective look at relationships one has come to expect of my gender. I remember reading Erica Jong's "Fear of Flying" back in the 70's and how subversive and outrageous it was said to be. I found it rather tame. I guess tha...more
Borrrrring. Sex, and writing about it, should not be boring! I had to force myself to keep reading. All of the stories (an awkward mix of nonfiction and fiction) are by upper-middle-class women, mostly very self-absorbed and with convoluted thought processes. Maybe that's the definition of literary. Ugh. I might have given up, but the stories by Eve Ensler and Liz Smith(!), near the end, kept me going.
I expected this book to be about women showing off about their sexual experiences while trying to be edgy. It was actually more thoughtful and compassionate. I loved that it was honest and without an agenda. Some of these stories could get you hot in the way they described their sexual encounters. I also loved that these women writers are all true lovers of the arts in every form. I can tell by their references. I would love to hang with these gals!
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A wonderful book of shorts; some fiction, some autobiographic. They were very uplifting, not the smutty stories I kind of expected. One woman speaks of "making love", thinking back to where, in her mind, her son was conceived, thereby actually making love appear in the guise of their child. I love that I could look up each author, and find more books written by them. I enjoyed this book immensely
Got this as a gift at my bridal shower (brilliant alternative to lingerie). I wasn't sure what to think -- I'm a bit of a prude at heart, thanks to some good old Southern Baptist upbringing. But the book was good - some perspectives on sex from personal perspectives, or short stories, etc. A quick, fun read.
An interesting collection of stories about sex from women of all ages and backgrounds. Some of the stories were good, a few not so much, and a couple were out of this world. What I enjoyed, was that each story taught me something different about the way women view, experience, and enjoy sex. I have often wondered, what sex is like for other women? Is their bedroom experience similar to mine? Am I a freak? Am I a prude? Allowing me a small voyeristic peek into their bedroom, or car, or wherever,...more
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Erica Jong—novelist, poet, and essayist—has consistently used her craft to help provide women with a powerful and rational voice in forging a feminist consciousness. She has published 21 books, including eight novels, six volumes of poetry, six books of non-fiction and numerous articles in magazines and newspapers such as the New York Times, the Sunday Times of London, Elle, Vogue, and the New Yor...more
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Jul 12, 2011 08:06am