finalefile's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially to women and anyone interested in gender studies, history, sociology, etc. We are bombarded with so many cultural messages about sexuality these days, with little to no historical context. It was very eye-opening to read this book and learn about how (female) virginity has been understood and valued differently in different time periods. (Note: This books focuses on Western history - I would love to see further exploration of this subject that takes different cultures/geographic regions into account!)
plaidpladd's review against another edition
3.0
This was pretty interesting, and I definitely learned some things.
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
5.0
It's rare for me to be completely engaged in a history book, even if I find the subject matter interesting. I usually have to put them down and read them in snippets; not so for this one, I had trouble putting it down. It was engaging, interesting, and written in a way that wasn't dry and boring.
There's a lot of hype, uncertainty, confusion, etc. around virginity. What are the origins, why is such importance placed on it by certain cultures, etc. And then there's the plain physical misunderstandings (what is a hymen, and is it definitive proof of virginity?). Blank breaks the book out into two sections, the first focusing on the physical aspects of virginity (with plenty discussed on the hymen), and the second looking at the cultural aspects of virginity (largely from a historical perspective). I will say that the majority of it is Europe/America based for this section and follows the thought patterns primarily in those areas.
As said before, this was not a dry book. Just some of the terminology kept it interesting from a linguistic point of view. The topic, while it could be funny at times, did swing into the serious realm more often (of course it did, the concept of virginity has been a method of control for a very long time). Historical topics included the sex trade of virgins, discussions on famous virgins (i.e. Mary & Queen Elizabeth), and marriage traditions. There was some contemporary information, but it was a briefer part of the book; in fact, it may be my only complaint because I would have really liked to see more info on the chastity balls, etc. in current culture.
While it can be a disturbing topic, I think this is an important area to research a little more into and understand, particularly as it can affect culture even currently. I highly recommend taking a look.
Review by M. Reynard 2021
There's a lot of hype, uncertainty, confusion, etc. around virginity. What are the origins, why is such importance placed on it by certain cultures, etc. And then there's the plain physical misunderstandings (what is a hymen, and is it definitive proof of virginity?). Blank breaks the book out into two sections, the first focusing on the physical aspects of virginity (with plenty discussed on the hymen), and the second looking at the cultural aspects of virginity (largely from a historical perspective). I will say that the majority of it is Europe/America based for this section and follows the thought patterns primarily in those areas.
As said before, this was not a dry book. Just some of the terminology kept it interesting from a linguistic point of view. The topic, while it could be funny at times, did swing into the serious realm more often (of course it did, the concept of virginity has been a method of control for a very long time). Historical topics included the sex trade of virgins, discussions on famous virgins (i.e. Mary & Queen Elizabeth), and marriage traditions. There was some contemporary information, but it was a briefer part of the book; in fact, it may be my only complaint because I would have really liked to see more info on the chastity balls, etc. in current culture.
While it can be a disturbing topic, I think this is an important area to research a little more into and understand, particularly as it can affect culture even currently. I highly recommend taking a look.
Review by M. Reynard 2021
juniperb23's review against another edition
5.0
What is a virgin? How do we know who is or isn't? Why do we need to know? Includes the different methods used over time to discover who was or wasn't a virgin and how to fake it if there was any doubt.
ma_kale_a's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Excellent research, but writing style felt excessively convoluted, which made it a drag to read.
sumayyah_t's review against another edition
3.0
Good, broad range of information. However, feels written for academia rather than every day people.
ancequay's review against another edition
2.0
Not as interesting as I hoped it would be - lots of somewhat obvious theses that differed oh so subtly from each other supported by sometimes tenuous connections drawn from historical documents. Not sure what I was expecting, but this felt both too academic (belabored) and not academic enough (sources!).
libkatem's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know that I learned anything new. It was a well informed read, and certainly any credibility about what a hymen is crushed to pieces (sorry, folks who value that bit of nothingness), which is good.
A nice introduction.
A nice introduction.
wireless_wizard's review against another edition
5.0
I definitely believe that this book should be in every possible library and read by as many people as possible. It is an important resource not only for understanding the history behind the idea of virginity and virgins, but the lasting effects of these (often erroneous) beliefs. A must read, especially for those interested in cultural history, anthropology, feminism, or who is simply looking to expand their sexual knowledge.
bookbrig's review against another edition
informative
3.0
Engaging, all things considered. Also, lots of historical info I never learned in school.