What do you know about sex? (Vol. III) (Studies in the Psychology of Sex: Vol III - Havelock Ellis)

Member Name: sottovoce1982

Product:	Studies in the Psychology of Sex: Vol III - Havelock Ellis
Date:	18/02/08 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Informative, entertaining, and not difficult to read

Disadvantages: More recent studies can be more accurate

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume III:
ANALYSIS OF THE SEXUAL IMPULSE
LOVE AND PAIN
THE SEXUAL IMPULSE IN WOMEN
By
Havelock Ellis


Havelock Ellis' third volume of Studies in the Psychology of Sex is divided into three main parts, the third of which is definitely the most important one for me, but let us follow the order which is set by the author for a reason. Significantly, Ellis started his study with an analysis of the sexual impulse. This involves trying to acquire an understanding of the meaning of the instinct and its role in the sexual impulse. This is followed by a very interesting study of the sexual impulse in castrated animals, men, and women. This is in addition to more interesting topics like courtship in animals and human beings and how dancing relates to it.


The second part of this book is also infinitely enjoyable for me, and those who read my reviews of Marquis de Sade's book must be aware of this already. To study love and pain, Ellis provides short biographies of both Marquis de Sade, after whom sadism was named, and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the writer of "Venus in Furs" and, of course, after whom masochism was named. I read this short novel 3-4 years ago, and I still remember how, although it is definitely not the best in terms of style, yet there something ambiguously attractive about the way the heroine controls her slave, and there's something beautifully fake about the ending (yes, beautifully fake, it's not a typo).


The strange term Algolagnia, for those of you who see it for the first time, refer to sadism and masochism, and I'm extremely happy for sharing my sexological knowledge. The importance of the afore-mentioned term which covers both sadism and masochism stems from the fact that, as Ellis puts it: "A careful consideration of the phenomena of sadism and masochism may be said to lead us to the conclusion that there is no real line of demarcation." For me, examining how these two tendencies are entangled is one of the most enjoyable studies. Ellis' study includes certain aspects and manifestations of Algolagnia like flagellation, strangling, the fascination of blood, in addition to trying to reach at an understanding of what the basis for enjoying inflicting and experiencing pain is.


Moving to the third part, the reason why Havelock Ellis chose to present his book in this specific order is logical and some of you might have guessed it already. It is hard to study the sexual impulse in women without including two factors: the first one is a definition of the sexual impulse itself, and the second is a reference to the very well-known relationship between women's sexuality and passivity, which requires a study of love and pain.


Ellis begins his study with referring to how women used to be considered either as supernatural beings, who are better than men, or as inferior beings who embody the sexual instinct. Although this seems to be an outdated idea, yet I believe the understanding of the sexual impulse in women developed very slowly. Some of the ideas that sexologists worked on involve making a comparison between the sexual desire in men and women. They also studied the female orgasm; its development, kinds, and frequency in comparison, also, to the male orgasm. In this volume, Ellis studies these issues, quoting other researchers and reaching at conclusions, yet he was not the first one, and many others followed him, and let me admit that even now the results are not conclusive yet.


The most interesting idea has to be that women bear sexual excesses more than men, but I think this depends on the gender of the reader. In addition to that, relevant and very interesting appendices like "The Sexual Instinct in Savages" and "The Development of the Sexual Instinct" are added to the book.


<<< Recommended? >>>

Please be aware that you can read this volume, or any other, without having to read the rest although some cross referencing is made occasionally. This volume of Studies in the Psychology of Sex is highly recommended if you are interested in sexology, for Havelock Ellis is one of the most important early sexologists, and his books are a source for a large number of relevant quotations from other researchers, in addition to the great effort he himself put into them. However, examining a topic like the female orgasm, for instance, requires reading other more recent studies. Apart from this, I still find Ellis' books as extremely enjoyable to read. Happy reading!


<<< Price and Book Info >>>

Price: £13.99 from Amazon
Paperback: 380 pages
Publisher: Dodo Press (4 May 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1406524875
ISBN-13: 978-1406524871
Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm

Summary: Analysis of the sexual impulse, love and pain, and the sexual impulse in women.