Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses Summary
Isabel Allende

Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses Summary

Aphrodite opens with Allende's reflection on her fifty years of life; she emphasizes the way in which memories are based on the sensual experiences that accompanied them. The author further presents her reasons and justifications for writing a book about aphrodisiacs, and offers a brief history of the use of sexual stimulants, consisting of food and many others (from magic rituals to erotic stories). In the "Mea Culpa of the Culpable" section, Allende introduces the people who created the project: the illustrator Robert Shekter, her mother and cook Panchita Llona, her agent Carmen Balcells, and the author herself.

Aphrodisiacs

This chapter defines an aphrodisiac as "any substance or activity that piques amorous desire." The author lists the categories of aphrodisiacs according to their function (the analogy of "the vulva-shaped oyster or phallic asparagus," or the suggestion of certain organs that, when eaten, can convey "strength"), and ruminates on the... View more of the Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses Summary