Charlotte Hill (1)

Quite a few illustrated erotic anthologies have been written, and their history as 'Pillow Books', aimed specifically at erotic arousal is extensive. The approach adopted by Hill & Wallace in their three-volume anthology adopts an approach weighted towards the illustrations, with literature extracts mostly short. Of course, space limitations in such an approach allow many more of both components, and the format adopted here, using three substantial volumes permits a magnificently epic treatment. The artwork – mostly paintings and drawings - duplicates much of that available elsewhere, but here great pains have been taken to give high quality and reasonable size to the very many visual components. Hill & Wallace have also achieved a very standard in the text which links pertinent texts. This is an invigorating work, which benefits from lengthy browsing.… (mais)

This is without doubt the finest book on the subject of erotica that I have ever seen. Hill and Wallace, the authors, whose names are only (shyly) given on the inside rear cover, deserve huge praise for what is clearly a labour of love. To call this simply an anthology misses the point by a mile; it does present extracts from erotic works, and erotic passages from elsewhere, but unlike ‘top shelf’ collections it places these in context. Even better, the book actually explains the nature of the anthologising muse that created the work. To say that the book is a collection of erotic images is similarly misleading, despite the fact that the book is replete, if not actually stuffed, with the most wonderful representations of erotic joy and concupiscence. Again, the images presented are set perfectly within the context of the discussion points the authors make so well here. The book is not even just a collection of extracts, larded with pictures: it stands perfectly as a succinct introduction to its subject, perhaps even for collectors as well as entranced devotees. This is a book that may be studied or browsed, and if anything vaguely risqué is acceptable on your bookshelves this is the book that should be there.… (mais)