An autobiographical erotic novel written by an observant Muslim woman in contemporary North Africa, The Almond is an extraordinary and pioneering literary work, a truly unforgettable journey into the sexual undercurrents of a world that is, outwardly and to Western eyes, puritanical.
Baldwin cements his literary influence via this tale of clandestine romance amid a Paris in the thrusts of creative and cultural upheaval. As a result of phrasings textured to engaged the reader's full range of senses, the story's painted pictures realize characters almost realer than life itself.
When sex is not only political but also professional in nature, virtually nothing remains off limits. This snapshot of a male sex worker's days and nights spent on LA's gritty, 1970's streets leaves little to the imagination and few questions unasked (even if some remain unanswered).
Three tales of isolation frame legendary storyteller Kawabata's narrative exploration of sex as it effects the human condition. Though Japanese in their cultural contextualization, these glimpses into the expanses of sensuality prove universal in their unearthing of desire's hidden complexities.
