The Kama Sutra is the most widely read treatise on sex ever written, while the man who chronicled all there was to experience between men and women remains a mystery. In The Ascetic of Desire, Sudhir Kakar tells the story of its author, Vatsayana, and his times -- the fourth century A.D., considered the golden age of Indian history -- in a way that promises to make this debut novel a major literary event. In Kakar's masterful account, we see Vatsayana through the eyes of his pupil, the son of a Brahmin scholar who is ...
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The Kama Sutra is the most widely read treatise on sex ever written, while the man who chronicled all there was to experience between men and women remains a mystery. In The Ascetic of Desire, Sudhir Kakar tells the story of its author, Vatsayana, and his times -- the fourth century A.D., considered the golden age of Indian history -- in a way that promises to make this debut novel a major literary event. In Kakar's masterful account, we see Vatsayana through the eyes of his pupil, the son of a Brahmin scholar who is embarking on his first exploration of the sensual life. Vatsayana recounts his own life to the young man, including a childhood spent largely in the brothel where his favorite aunt worked. There Vatsayana gained his first, indelible impressions of sexual artifice and the arousal of desire. Side by side with the unfolding of Vatsayana's life is the story of a young man's coming of age. And at the point where their stories intersect, the unexpected happens. Like Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha, Sudhir Kakar's novel is a startling combination of psychological insight and historical background. With rights already sold in six countries, The Ascetic of Desire is the novel people will be talking about this spring.
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Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $2.16, good condition, Sold by BookHolders rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gambrills, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Harry N. Abrams.
Add this copy of Ascetic of Desire: a Novel of the Kamasutra to cart. $2.99, like new condition, Sold by Cup and Chaucer Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Slate Hill, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Overlook Press.
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $4.25, very good condition, Sold by Jeff Stark rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Barstow, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by The Overlook Press.
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $5.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Harry N. Abrams.
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $5.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by The Overlook Press.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $5.99, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by The Overlook Press.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $6.00, very good condition, Sold by Good Medicine rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from ALBANY, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Harry N. Abrams.
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Very good in very good dust jacket. Clean and unmarked. Gently used, if read at all. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 256 p. Audience: General/trade.
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $6.50, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by The Overlook Press.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $7.50, good condition, Sold by Montclair Book Center rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Montclair, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Harry N. Abrams.
Add this copy of The Ascetic of Desire to cart. $9.60, very good condition, Sold by ZENO'S rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from San Francisco, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Harry N. Abrams.
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Woodstock. 2000. Overlook Press. Uncorrected Proofs. Very Good in Wrappers. 1585670073. 1st Novel. 301 pages. paperback. keywords: Literature India Kama Sutra. FROM THE PUBLISHER-The Kama Sutra is the most widely read treatise on sex ever written, though the man who chronicled all there was to experience between men and women remains, for the most part, a mystery. In The Ascetic of Desire, called 'A literary achievement of the highest order, ' by The Times (India), acclaimed author Suhir Kakar tells the story of the man who is believed to be the author of the Kama Sutra, Vatsyayana, and the time in which he lived-the fourth century A.D., considered the golden age of Indian history-in a sensual and psychologically penetrating first novel. In 'The Ascetic of Desire, ' the elusive sage Vatsyayana recounts his youth to a young pupil, the son of a Brahmin scholar, who is embarking on his first exploration of the sensual life. The young man, planning to write Vatsyayana's biography, listens dutifully as Vatsyayana shares stories of a childhood spent largely in the brother where his favorite aunt worked. There, Vatsyayana gained his first, indelible impressions of sexual artifice and the arousal of desire. As Vatsyayana's story unfolds, the story of a young man's coming of age, the pupil finds, to his consternation, that his own life has begun to reflect and parallel the ascetic's narrative. At the point where their stories intersect, the unexpected happens. Weaving a powerful narrative together with erotic wisdom from the Kama Sutra, The Ascetic of Desire plumbs the depths of kinds, queens and sages at various stages of discovering their sexual identities. inventory #27394.