New York. Since this novel is caviar for the intelligentsia, as long as there is an intelligentsia in the U.S.A. it is likely to stay there.
L. de N.
THE JEWEL IN THE LOTUS, by Allen Edwardes; Julian Press, $6.50.
Dr. Albert Ellis introduces the text: "It is virtually the only work in English which systematically describes and analyzes the sex customs and ideas prevalent in the East . . . in pre-twentieth century times."
The naughty atmosphere of Boccaccio's fictional DECAMERON with actual seasonings from (the unexpurgated) ARABIAN NIGHTS provides frankly told entertainment well worth the book's price. The breezy fetching style of telling adheres to everyday speech but broadens the vocabulary at times. Do you wonder where we get our vulgar use of "prick"? Male effeminates and dancing girls sing: My coynte have I subjected, without shame, to the prickles of more than I can name.
Its impressive contents include sections on GENITALIA; CIRCUMCISION; AUTOEROTISM (demonkind, masturbation); FEMALE PROSTITUTION; EUNUCHISM (bondage, emasculation); SEXUAL PERVERSIONS (sodomy, pederasty, sapphism, bestiality). The whole book
presents knowledge about both heterosexual and homosexual tastes; the knowledge presented about heterosexuals will astound homosexuals more than what heterosexuals reputedly censor homosexuals for doing!
The anecdotes may be fairy tales, but, Oh! what tales. Poetry lovers may expect no holds barred! The Hindoo may predict: Long penis, poverty; thick penis, sadness. The Persian sings: Every round thing is not a walnut, and every long thing a banana is not. In Cairo street urchins sing: Short and thick is never quick, short and thin has little in; Long and thick well knows the trick. Buy the book and read the ones we dare not quote, as for example the sodomist's motto.
The book bristles with revelations: some of the pure-bred Eastern races have no inherent germ of inversion while mixed breeds possess innate propensities. Moses outlawed sodomy (among other popular forms of deviation) not for moral reasons only but to increase the ranks in number against the enemies. Former deviations which were hallowed consequently came to bear the stigma of unnatural and sinful love.
A brief excellent summing up: the question of European morality lies not in the judgment of any Western individual; it lies in Oriental history.
Never will a reader gain so much information with so much entertainment!
Neill D. Summers
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