Details

Subject(s)

• Arabic literature—750-1258—History and criticism [Browse]
• Sex in literature [Browse]
• Women in literature [Browse]

Series

• Early and medieval Islamic world. [More in this series]
• The early and medieval Islamic world

Summary note

"In the early Islamic world, Arabic erotic compendia and sex manuals were a popular literary genre. Although primarily written by male authors, the erotic publications from this era often emphasised the sexual needs of women and the importance of female romantic fulfilment. Pernilla Myrne here explores this phenomenon, examining a range of Arabic literature to shed fresh light onto the complexities of female sexuality under the Abbasids and the Buyids. Based on an impressive array of neglected medical, religious-legal, literary and entertainment sources, Myrne elucidates the tension between depictions of women's strong sexual agency and their subordinated social role in various contexts. In the process she uncovers a great diversity of approaches from the 9th to the 11th century, including the sexual handbook the Encyclopedia of Pleasure (Jawami' al-ladhdha), which portrayed the diversity of female desires, asserting the importance of mutual satisfaction through lively poems and stories. This is the first in-depth, comprehensive analysis of female sexuality in the early Islamic world and is essential reading for all scholars of Middle Eastern history and Arabic literature."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other format(s)

Also available in print.

ISBN

• 1-83860-504-5
• 1-83860-502-9

OCLC

1125113398

Doi

• 10.5040/9781838605049

Statement on language in description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...