The Other Side of Desire: Four Journeys Into the Far Realms of Lust and Longing - Softcover

Bergner, Daniel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060885572 ISBN 13: 9780060885571

Publisher: Ecco Press, 2010

Synopsis

How do we come to be who we are sexually? How do we cope with the forces of desire? How can we understand the relationship between the transcendent and the physical, between the wish for love and the anarchy of the erotic? Award-winning writer Daniel Bergner looks for answers in the stories of four people whose unusual desires raise fascinating questions about the erotic differences between men and women and the nature of ecstasy itself.

About this title

Review:

"Attentive, carefully controlled.[Bergner's] goal is empathy. He gives depth and shadow to his subjects' longing, never mocking, oversimplifying or vilifying." -- Washington Post Book World

"Unsettling but riveting....what makes [this book] so powerful is that it's as much about desire and what's normal as it is an exploration of why we are the way we are, whether we like it or not."--New York Times Book Review

"In this fascinating book, Bergner, with a novelist's eye but a reporter's grit, examines amputee devotees and S&M fanatics without resorting to sensationalism."--Metro New York

"Girded with scientific data about the nature of sexual identity, The Other Side of Desire is a foray into extreme passion, in quest of the human soul."--O, The Oprah Magazine

"Daniel Bergner's characters live in erotic no-go zones where most of us would fear to tread. Their stories will sadden, enlighten, disturb, and move you--for they are completely, intimately human."--George Packer, New York Times bestselling author of THE ASSASSIN'S GATE

"Attentive, carefully controlled...[Bergner's] goal is empathy. He gives depth and shadow to his subjects' longing, never mocking, oversimplifying or vilifying."--Washington Post Book World

"Searching, deeply humane. . . . Our reactions to the stories Daniel Bergner recounts reveal as much about ourselves as they do about his oddly winning subjects."--Jennifer Egan, bestselling author of THE KEEP

"In carefully etched prose, Bergner unpacks the tightly twisted roots of desire, power seeking, self-hatred and theatricality that motivate his four pseudonymous subjects...Compassionate wisdom about dark needs."--Kirkus Reviews

"Bergner does what science cannot: He illuminates peculiar longings. His method is at first descriptive and finally poetic. . . . Given the limitations of science, resonant journalism may be the best way to approach paraphilia, and Bergner's book has a musical quality."--Slate

In this fascinating book, Bergner, with a novelist s eye but a reporter s grit, examines amputee devotees and S&M fanatics without resorting to sensationalism. --Metro New York"

Book Description:

'Sensationalism would be cheap and easy. Bergner instead extends his characters generosity, seeking explanations rather than casting judgment. His is a meaningful reflection on desire, a need shared by nearly all'

About this edition

• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0060885572
• ISBN 13: 9780060885571
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224