Reviews

Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses by Isabel Allende

williamsdebbied's review

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informative reflective

4.0

julsmarshall's review

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informative lighthearted slow-paced

3.0

Kind of interesting, kind of meh. Glad to get it off my #TBR but if I hadn’t had it both in print to poke through and #audio from the library to listen while walking, I’m not sure I would have finished it.

lasiepedimore's review against another edition

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3.0

Puoi trovare questa recensione anche sul mio blog, La siepe di more

Afrodita è proprio il classico libro che non avrei mai letto se non si fosse messa in mezzo la sfida di lettura. In primis perché i libri di ricette tendo a consultarli solo quando non so che mangiare; poi perché una lista di pietanze e apparecchiamenti per stuzzicare lǝ partner mi sembra abbastanza vicina alla zona della noia mortale (uno degli aspetti delle persone allosessuali che non capisco è la produzione di contenuti sui metodi per suscitare, o resuscitare, l’interesse dellǝ partner: però i metodi son sempre quelli, perché continuare a ripeterli come se fossero una novità? Boh).

Comunque, Afrodita mi è piaciuto perché mi è sembrato il racconto di una zia che si è divertita molto nella vita e che adesso ricorda le sue avventure con il riserbo allusivo che associo alle generazioni più vecchie della mia. Non guasta il fatto che Allende abbia anche un senso dell’umorismo niente male: visto che si tratta di un libro di ricette, direi che è stato il sale capace di esaltare il sapore di un libro che poteva essere uguale a mille altri e che invece ha una sua piacevolezza.

Sicuramente non è il capolavoro di Allende (e leggere una sfilza di ricette, anche se condensate per lo più nelle ultime pagine, l’ho trovata comunque un’attività piuttosto noiosa), ma trasmette la gioia di vivere tipica delle persone che si sono godute la vita e che sono molto rilassate riguardo alle modalità con le quali lз altrз vivono la propria. 

eberico's review

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4.0

A gift from Carrie after she stayed with me in Champaign for the first time. It was a celebration of the senses and of sensuality, both things that were driving me a bit crazy at the time after a year of celibacy. The one anecdote that stuck out the most - pun intended? - was Allende recounting her friend's experience swimming with an overly amorous dolphin.

emirandres's review against another edition

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2.0

No era chiste cuando dije una vez que leería hasta la lista de supermercado de esta mujer. Y así, sin más, cayó este libro.
Es de no ficción. De cocina, siendo más específicos. Haciendo un recorrido por antiguas épocas y diversas culturas, Allende va haciendo un retrato de la relación que hay entre la comida, el sexo y el amor. Pero aun así, me pareció un despropósito de libro. No sé, no me pareció serio ni relevante fue... raro. No sé cómo sentirme.

jordanlikestoread's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

trusselltales's review against another edition

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4.0

I read this more than ten years ago now, but I still remember parts of it very vividly.

dreamybitch's review against another edition

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4.0

التقطت هذا الكتاب من رفوف المكتبة العمومية لسببين: الأول لأنني ظننته يتحدث بطريقة أو بأخرى عن أفروديت الهة الجمال و الخصوبة في الميثولوجيا اليونانية ثانيا لأنني قرأت رواية من قبل لإيزابيل اللندي و وجدت هذا الكتاب فرصة لأعيد معها نفس التجربة الساحرة
و بالطبع كان الكتاب خلافا لما توقعت و أفضل بكثير مما تخيلت، ألفيت أنني -و هو ما فاجأني- مهتمة و مستمتعة بتجارب الإيروسية و بالوصفات الأفروديتية و خاصة تجارب و حكايات الإيرويسية و حفلات المجون و الحريم في التاريخ. وجدت في الكتاب دفئا غريبا و عبق ماض لم أعشه و ترشفت كل السخريات اللاذعة التي تبلت بها ايزابيل كتابها، ألفيت كالعادة بعض المغالطات عن الدين الاسلامي و خصوصا في تعامله مع المرأة لكني لم أجد ذلك مزعجا و لا مقلقا فقد كونت مناعة و برودة ضد مواقف كهذه في الكتب. تخطيت وصفات بانتشيا في آخر صفحات الكتاب لأنني أقرأ الكتاب من باب الفضول الخالص و لا شريك لي لأهيج شبقه بالأطباق الأفروديتية ثم إنني أصنع طبق بيض مخفوق بصعوبة فما أدراك بالكافيار و المحار
رغم أن الكتاب لم يكن لي إلا أنني استمتعت كثيرا بقراءته و شوقني لمتابعة قصصه و وصفاته حتى التهمته في سرعة
قد أعود إلى هذا الكتاب بعد عقد أو عقدين من الزمن لأقرأه من جديد و أطبق وصفاته هذه المرة من يدري؟

jaugusto's review

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5.0

Isabell Allende is my favorite writer. This is the one book of hers I haven't tried reading because I thought it was just a cookbook. An aphrodisiac cookbook, but still...

It's actually a really good essay on what are aphrodisiacs, and how they are viewed in different times, and even in different cultures.

Also, her amazing writing is still very obvious, even if it's not in magic realism form. She's as witty and sarcastic as ever.

I haven't gone through all the recipes yet, but there's some I want to take note of, that's for sure.

Really awesome book and lot better than I was expecting =)

ladysmijubug2's review

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3.0

It was incredibly interesting, but I got a little bored of the topic after a while. It had nothing to do with the writing (which was wonderful, as always with Ms. Allende), just my own interests.