Why read The Sexual Life of Savages in North Western Melanesia?

Book cover of The Sexual Life of Savages in North Western Melanesia

Book description

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Sexual Life of Savages in North Western Melanesia as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Gillian Gillison

Author

Still exciting after all these years! Perhaps because it is politically incorrect and unself-conscious.

The cover blurb says it is an "investigation of the sex lives of the men and women of the Trobriand Islands and deals with prenuptial intercourse, marriage, divorce, pregnancy, erotic psychology, ritual, morals, and manners" – forbidden territory nowadays.

I do not excuse the sexism and racism occasionally detectable, but think the detail, intimacy, and authorial reflexivity about a disappeared world are more valuable now than ever. A century ahead of his time, Malinowski included himself in his observations and ideas about others.

From Gillian's list on The best books on symbolic and psychological anthropology for understanding women's myths and rites.