In the spirit of "The Bitch in the House" comes a provocative collection of essays about sex, featuring marquee names from Gail Collins to Jennifer...
read full description
reviews
Aug 25, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
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.
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jun 15, 2011
Butterfly
rated it: 
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), 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), More...
Oct 02, 2011
Holly
rated it: 
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
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Nov 19, 2011
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 u 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 u More...
Nov 22, 2011
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 disco More...
The essays in this collection were great- there was one about casual sex, inappropriate sex, watching as a daughter disco More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jan 21, 2012
shrink on the couch
rated it:
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 wh 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 wh More...
Oct 20, 2011
Melissa
rated it:
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 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 More...
Nov 14, 2011
Joanne
rated it: 
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
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 12, 2011
Chantay
rated it:
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...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Jul 01, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
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...
Jan 09, 2012
Megan
rated it: 
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...
Jun 15, 2011
cheryl
rated it:
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 senior
More...
Jun 24, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
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...
Aug 20, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
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.
More...
More...
Jul 30, 2011
Amy L.
rated it:
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
More...
Jan 19, 2012
Cherylin
rated it:
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 emoti
More...
Nov 27, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
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.
Oct 05, 2011
GraceAnne
rated 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.
Aug 19, 2011
Christine
rated it:
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
More...
Feb 19, 2012
Rachel
rated it:
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.
Jan 11, 2012
Adriana
rated it:
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!
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 06, 2011
Mary Catherine
rated it:
In the end, a great collection of stories that made me think and ponder, worry and crave for more insight to this thing we all know as "sex." Some stories and/or accounts were better than others: I'm sure others will feel the same way but I'm also sure WHICH stories will always differ from person to person... Just like sex.
Dec 20, 2011
Candice
rated it:
I loved reading all the different stories and writing styles that went along with it. Even though I didn't love each story, and some of them were just pain boring (including the introduction) overall I thought it was a really good book. (coming from someone who gets embarrassed to read about sex in this way)
Aug 01, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
The essays that are good are really, really good and hit close to home. The mediocre ones are just boring. The whole project feels a bit disjointed. If it had kept up the momentum of the first few essays, it would have been excellent.
Nov 25, 2011
Marc
rated it:
A brilliant collection of essays by an important writer, Erica Jong. I originally picked this up because I was interested in the Gail Collins piece, which was ok, but not nearly as powerful as some of the others. Worth reading.
Feb 01, 2012
Belinda
rated it:
I'm not the biggest short story fan. I think I will be at some point in my life, when I only have 10-15 minutes at a time to read. The book was not nearly as vulgar as I was expecting based on the title. Many of the stories weren't about sex at all. I think the book discussion this week will be very interesting.
Aug 08, 2011
Jim
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. As in any collection, there were some essays that I didn't resonate with, but overall, it was really fun and interesting.
Sep 30, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
While it can be empowering to talk openly (or read in this case) about sex, sexuality, feelings, relationships, etc. , in this collection introduced by Jong the reader is ultimately bored and uninspired.
Dec 14, 2011
Rahsheeda
rated it:
Anthology of intelligent female writers who touch on all aspects of sex - biological, emotional, physical, social, etc. Some stories are warm and others are hilarious. Good read. P.S. This is not erotica.
