Tab Article

Ratings : ★★★★☆ (4.0/5)
Genre : Erotic Literature / Sexology / Indian Literature / Non-Fiction

Review:
''The Koka Shastra, translated by Alex Comfort of The Joy of Sex fame, is a fascinating medieval Indian erotic text that occupies the same place in medieval Indian erotology as The Kama Sutra did in ancient times. This work offers a captivating insight into Hindu thinking, which accepted sexuality as a positive good and its practice as an integral part of a full life. Comfort's lively and scholarly translation preserves the joy and charm of the original, while his introduction provides valuable context about the role of erotic literature in stable cultures. He argues that such texts are not merely titillating but reassuring, helping readers accept and experience pleasure where they have previously been taught to look for danger and guilt. The book has been praised by critics: Books and Bookmen described it as glowing 'with joy, even charm,' while the Sunday Telegraph called it 'a portfolio of exotically erotic exercises.' Scotland's Magazine praised it as 'scholarly and sensitive...poetic and often disarmingly frank.' This Unwin Paperbacks edition is an essential read for anyone interested in Indian literature, sexology, or the cultural history of human sexuality. A timeless work that remains both enlightening and accessible.''