The hot spots The best erotic writing in modern fiction

Review by Library Journal Review

The pieces in this collection run the gamut from just barely sexual to explicitly so. This diversity might disappoint the fan of hardcore erotica, but it is perfect for the casual reader. The authors included range from relative newcomers to established writers such as Russell Banks and E.L. Doctorow, providing an interesting array of styles and subject matter; everything from the subtle sensuality of the open road to the ever-popular loss of innocence is explored. Blair (editor, The Good Parts) might have better chosen quality over quantity, however, since most of the 45 selections are from novels, and they lose context, sometimes to a confusing degree. Furthermore, the introduction does nothing to clarify the purpose of the collection or the standards employed in the selection process. Still, this is a quick, fun read. Amanda Glasbrenner, "Library Journal"(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by School Library Journal Review

The pieces in this collection run the gamut from just barely sexual to explicitly so. This diversity might disappoint the fan of hardcore erotica, but it is perfect for the casual reader. The authors included range from relative newcomers to established writers such as Russell Banks and E.L. Doctorow, providing an interesting array of styles and subject matter; everything from the subtle sensuality of the open road to the ever-popular loss of innocence is explored. Blair (editor, The Good Parts) might have better chosen quality over quantity, however, since most of the 45 selections are from novels, and they lose context, sometimes to a confusing degree. Furthermore, the introduction does nothing to clarify the purpose of the collection or the standards employed in the selection process. Still, this is a quick, fun read. Amanda Glasbrenner, "Library Journal" (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

Unlike most anthologies of dirty prose, this one has the great advantage of brevity: Almost all of the 45 selections here are short excerpts from larger works that came into the world as novels or short stories rather than “erotic fiction” per se. The happy consequence of this is that we’re spared much of the pomposity that plagues this particular genre (although David Foster Wallace, in his account of a young wife’s insecurities, weighs in with his usual vapid deadpan) and given a much wider sampling of authors than most such collections manage to include. Editor Blair (The Good Parts, not reviewed) has picked some nice surprises (such as Gish Jen’s description of a young woman’s experience with an older man, and E.L. Doctorow’s depiction of the dejeuner sur l’herbe from Billy Bathgate ) and includes a good number of newer voices (Cathy Hanauer, Susan Choi, Ellen Miller) along with the old standbys (Russell Banks, Frederick Barthelme, Don DeLillo, Robert Stone) and the young and the trendy (Darcey Steinke, Nathan Englander, Thomas Beller). Mostly painless, sometimes amusing.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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