Rachel Krantz

Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy, by Rachel Krantz, is a difficult book for me to come to a comfortable rating, though I bumped up because there is a wealth of information here. I just find some of her accounts to be self-serving and, to me, questionable in their presentation of "real life."

First, the many positives of the book. This is well researched and includes both formal explanations and theories as well as personal accounts and remembrances (from others as well as Krantz). All of this information is very interesting and is, I think, food for thought when considering how we, as individuals and as a society, live.

My issue has to do with the memoir approach. When one makes recordings of so many intimate moments, are they actually intimate or are they just moments of immersive research? I can't help but feel she was less than fully committed to the lifestyle and more fully committed to her research/writing project. Because I find her level of true involvement, beyond playing a role to get more research, questionable at best, I found myself discounting more of her personal views than I would have liked.

Even with my distaste for her recording of so much I think the book is a valuable addition to the field. For a reader who might be more comfortable with recording equipment and interviews as part of your sex life her personal "insights" will mean more to you, so the book will offer you even more.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (mais)