The Collected Erotica by Carroll & Graff - review by Destri

"The Collected Erotica" was not quite what I expected when I ordered it, but my husband and I have enjoyed very much. I was expecting a book of erotic stories with erotic art. This book is written more like a text book of erotica. It covers the history of erotic writing and art, with short excerpts from many erotic texts. The art is wonderful, but it is smaller photos that are placed here and there beside the text as opposed to any full-page pictures.

There are certainly advantages to having this sort of history. It is very informative and interesting, and as far as the stories go, it cuts right to the chase, so to speak. It is like when you get an erotic novel and you skim through it looking for the juicy parts... this book has done that for you! All you get are the juicy parts. It also is a great guide to erotica. It tells you what to look for if you want to become a collector.

The stories are taken from many different sources. There are ancient texts, the Kama Sutra, and bits from writers from all over the world and from every time period. I think that this can be quite useful for helping a person discover what types of writing they like and what authors they might want to look for. It is easy to say, "Oh, I want to read more by him!" or. "I love this style of erotica." when reading parts from this book. This would make this a great beginner's guide.

This, of course, that is also the potential problem with this book; if you wanted full stories they are not here. It is sort of like just getting a taste of something wonderful and being left a bit unsatisfied. This book can be somewhat of a tease.

All in all, I would recommend this book for exactly what it is: a great guide through the maze of erotica. It would be perfect for someone just starting out reading erotic literature. You only get the 'good parts' so it is good for someone who is not a dedicated reader. But if you are seeking full erotic stories, this is not the book for you.