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mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
Subtitled An Erotocomedic Novel of Old-Time Radio, Jeremy Edwards' The Pleasure Dial is just that - an erotic, comedic, romp up and down the dial of 1930s entertainment.
Living in the digital age, it's hard to imagine a time when radio had quite the presence and significance it did back in its heyday, but Edwards does a superb job of capturing that. His is not a story of shock jocks and washed-up DJs, of commercialized entertainment, or canned amusement. Instead, it's the story of actors, comedians, and honest-to-gosh radio celebrities
The story centres on Artie Plask, a laid-back comedy writer who just so happens to get advice from department store mannequins. When his big break awaits him in Hollywood, he joins a crazy, madcap gang of writers and producers who have far too much fun for what they do to be called work. Enter Mariel (a free-spirited older woman) and Elyse (a sexually-liberated younger woman), two women who come to dominate him intellectually and emotionally.
Filled with smart, intelligent, vibrant personalities, The Pleasure Dial is a zany mess of plots, schemes, and scams. Like the old-fashioned comedies it does so well to recapture, the crazier things get, the better the story. You can't help but groan and shake your head, unable to believe some of what's going on, but it's always with a smile on your face. Things get resolved a bit to easily/quickly in the end, but it feels like a deliberate effort on Edwards' part to remain true to the material, as opposed to a literary failing.
If there's one failing to the book, it's that the erotic scenes are so wild and wanton that they kind of propel you back into the digital age. I'm not so naive as to suggest that home-video and the internet invented kinks and fetishes, but it certainly has made them more mainstream. Whereas I was expecting more of an old-fashioned burlesque show, full of titillation and suggestion, this takes a very 21st century approach to sexual freedom. The erotic scenes are tasteful, and there's no doubt they are well written, they just didn't quite seem to mesh with the comedy.
Despite that minor quibble, this was still a fun read, and definitely one of the more unique novels I've come across in a while.
As published on Bending the Bookshelf
Living in the digital age, it's hard to imagine a time when radio had quite the presence and significance it did back in its heyday, but Edwards does a superb job of capturing that. His is not a story of shock jocks and washed-up DJs, of commercialized entertainment, or canned amusement. Instead, it's the story of actors, comedians, and honest-to-gosh radio celebrities
The story centres on Artie Plask, a laid-back comedy writer who just so happens to get advice from department store mannequins. When his big break awaits him in Hollywood, he joins a crazy, madcap gang of writers and producers who have far too much fun for what they do to be called work. Enter Mariel (a free-spirited older woman) and Elyse (a sexually-liberated younger woman), two women who come to dominate him intellectually and emotionally.
Filled with smart, intelligent, vibrant personalities, The Pleasure Dial is a zany mess of plots, schemes, and scams. Like the old-fashioned comedies it does so well to recapture, the crazier things get, the better the story. You can't help but groan and shake your head, unable to believe some of what's going on, but it's always with a smile on your face. Things get resolved a bit to easily/quickly in the end, but it feels like a deliberate effort on Edwards' part to remain true to the material, as opposed to a literary failing.
If there's one failing to the book, it's that the erotic scenes are so wild and wanton that they kind of propel you back into the digital age. I'm not so naive as to suggest that home-video and the internet invented kinks and fetishes, but it certainly has made them more mainstream. Whereas I was expecting more of an old-fashioned burlesque show, full of titillation and suggestion, this takes a very 21st century approach to sexual freedom. The erotic scenes are tasteful, and there's no doubt they are well written, they just didn't quite seem to mesh with the comedy.
Despite that minor quibble, this was still a fun read, and definitely one of the more unique novels I've come across in a while.
As published on Bending the Bookshelf
meandmypaperback's review
1.0
First off. I did not like this book; hence me only giving it 1 star.
Why? Sure, some of the sex scenes were hot and enticing, but that's a long stretch. The book was only 170 pages, and about halfway I was skimming through the pages looking for the next romp session. I could care less about the side story.
And the side story: A bunch of radio writers are fired, and the free loving (and naked loving) daughter of the radio host is sad that she wont' be able to enjoy the writers time (and penises). So, they end up making a radio show for her. But first they need to create a promotional company- mannequins!.
There just seemed like to much going on; and I really couldn't care.
Admittingly, I did enjoy some of the banter between Artie and Mariel; I felt like they actually had a connection.
So... I don't recommend this book. There are so many other books that are much better to waste your time with.
Why? Sure, some of the sex scenes were hot and enticing, but that's a long stretch. The book was only 170 pages, and about halfway I was skimming through the pages looking for the next romp session. I could care less about the side story.
And the side story: A bunch of radio writers are fired, and the free loving (and naked loving) daughter of the radio host is sad that she wont' be able to enjoy the writers time (and penises). So, they end up making a radio show for her. But first they need to create a promotional company- mannequins!.
There just seemed like to much going on; and I really couldn't care.
Admittingly, I did enjoy some of the banter between Artie and Mariel; I felt like they actually had a connection.
So... I don't recommend this book. There are so many other books that are much better to waste your time with.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
The Pleasure Dial by Jeremy Edwards is an animated and light-hearted story with lushly detailed and highly erotic sex scenes. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/2012/05/02/the-pleasure-dial/
chelsea_jack's review
5.0
When I saw this listed as an erotocomedic novel, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was concerned the comedy would overwhelm the sex, that it would reduce the sex to crude jokes and that the humour would be of the lowest common denominator type. I was so, so wrong.
This is a very smart, very funny book that balances erotic situations with witty wordplay and crazy twists. The plot unfolds at a brisk pace and Edwards does not shrink away from constantly raising the stakes. The characters have to be quick on their feet to keep up with all the complications that pile up, and I delighted in how clever each new solution was.
This book is dominated by intelligent women who are confident and sexy - fully in control of themselves and cognizant of what they want (particularly when it comes to sex!).
I highly recommend this one! It was a complete surprise for me, and now I'll be looking for more of Edwards' work.
For my complete review, see: To Each Their Own Reviews
This is a very smart, very funny book that balances erotic situations with witty wordplay and crazy twists. The plot unfolds at a brisk pace and Edwards does not shrink away from constantly raising the stakes. The characters have to be quick on their feet to keep up with all the complications that pile up, and I delighted in how clever each new solution was.
This book is dominated by intelligent women who are confident and sexy - fully in control of themselves and cognizant of what they want (particularly when it comes to sex!).
I highly recommend this one! It was a complete surprise for me, and now I'll be looking for more of Edwards' work.
For my complete review, see: To Each Their Own Reviews
buttontapper's review against another edition
5.0
Jeremy Edwards' latest book, The Pleasure Dial: An Erotocomedic Novel of Old-Time Radio, hits all the sweet spots with as many sex scenes as its zany plot twists. Set in the 1930s and starring a cast of characters hard at work on an old-time radio series, the book is all over the dial with sexy scenes in the bath, bedroom and even the back lots of a Hollywood sound stage.
Artie Plask is the newest writer on the Sid Heffy show, and when he moves out to California to seek his fortune in radio, he really hits the jackpot. Between writing comedy gags poolside while the boss's sex-positive daughter swims naked and letting his co-writer, Mariel, tickle his fancy with the feather from her cloche hat, Artie has plenty to love about his new job. But soon enough Artie finds himself inextricably intertwined with both women, both professionally and sexually, on the bumpy road to radio fame when Heffy fires his writing team and takes up the ill-advised goal of becoming a dramatic superstar. Quelle horreur! Will Artie and Mariel manage to convince Heffy to reconsider and re-hire the team, or will their lives take a spin around the dial for the worse?
A lighthearted take on the golden days of radio plays, both comedic and dramatic, The Pleasure Dial combines sex and silliness for a truly unique take on the historic erotic fiction genre. The sex is hot, the characters are lovable, and readers will surely walk away from this book with a strange new appreciation for mannequins. Crank up your stereo to 11 and read this on a sultry summer day with nothing on your mind but pleasure and sunshine, or rekindle your summer love in the bath on a cold winter night with Edwards' engaging, erotic ode to a bygone era.
Artie Plask is the newest writer on the Sid Heffy show, and when he moves out to California to seek his fortune in radio, he really hits the jackpot. Between writing comedy gags poolside while the boss's sex-positive daughter swims naked and letting his co-writer, Mariel, tickle his fancy with the feather from her cloche hat, Artie has plenty to love about his new job. But soon enough Artie finds himself inextricably intertwined with both women, both professionally and sexually, on the bumpy road to radio fame when Heffy fires his writing team and takes up the ill-advised goal of becoming a dramatic superstar. Quelle horreur! Will Artie and Mariel manage to convince Heffy to reconsider and re-hire the team, or will their lives take a spin around the dial for the worse?
A lighthearted take on the golden days of radio plays, both comedic and dramatic, The Pleasure Dial combines sex and silliness for a truly unique take on the historic erotic fiction genre. The sex is hot, the characters are lovable, and readers will surely walk away from this book with a strange new appreciation for mannequins. Crank up your stereo to 11 and read this on a sultry summer day with nothing on your mind but pleasure and sunshine, or rekindle your summer love in the bath on a cold winter night with Edwards' engaging, erotic ode to a bygone era.
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