Sex scenes - yes or no?
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:32 am
Do you like to read about all the dirty details or do you like subtle romance? When do you close the book and say "I don't think so"! ![:crap: :crap:](https://www.booktalk.org/images/smilies/th_19-1.gif)
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Great quote! Where did you find this Hubbard fellow (I assume he's no relation to L. Ron)?R. LeBeaux wrote:“Sex holds first place in the thought of God. Its glory pervades and suffuses all Nature. It is sex that gives the bird its song, the peacock its gorgeous plumage, the lion its mane, the buffalo its strength and the horse its tail. Aye, it is sex that causes the flowers to draw from the dull earth those delicate perfumes which delight the sense of smell. It is sex and sex alone that secures to them the dazzling galaxy of shapes and colors that reflect the Infinite.”
Elbert Hubbard
From “The Note Book of Elbert Hubbard.” Originally “Done into a Book” by The Roycrofters: http://www.roycrofter.com/
Yes, I agree with most of what you say and I like the quote. My issue with some sex scenes in novels is that they are just there for some reason, and add nothing to the story or tell the readers anything about the characters.R. LeBeaux wrote:Since I tend to write rather graphic sex scenes in some of my own novels, I guess I would have to say I enjoy them. However, I wouldn’t describe what I write (or enjoy reading) as “dirty” or “lurid,” and it is definitely not porn (which, like Avid Reader, I find juvenile and silly). Erotic? Sure. Offensive to some? You bet! But probably only to those who think of sex itself as dirty or offensive. I have no argument with these folks, because taste in literature is personal and many thoughtful and intelligent readers are offended by depictions of sex in any form (my loving sister included). For those whose religious leanings cause them to reject any literature that depicts sex, however, I do offer the following quote at the beginning of one of my more sexually explicit novels (and no, it’s not CUTE):
“Sex holds first place in the thought of God. Its glory pervades and suffuses all Nature. It is sex that gives the bird its song, the peacock its gorgeous plumage, the lion its mane, the buffalo its strength and the horse its tail. Aye, it is sex that causes the flowers to draw from the dull earth those delicate perfumes which delight the sense of smell. It is sex and sex alone that secures to them the dazzling galaxy of shapes and colors that reflect the Infinite.”
Elbert Hubbard
From “The Note Book of Elbert Hubbard.” Originally “Done into a Book” by The Roycrofters: http://www.roycrofter.com/
Way back in the '70s my mother gave me two books she had saved since her youth and wanted me to have. These were "The Notebook of Elbert Hubbard," and "Elbert Hubbard's Scrapbook." They are antique books, leather bound, using an open binding method with the covers attached by ribbons, and are quite interesting in appearance. However, it is the content that fascinates me. The scrapbook is a collection of writings, speeches, poems and quotes from famous authors, politicians, and other historical persons, such as American Indian chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and more. These are beautifully arranged and designed, and are indexed by subject and person. The notebook is the same sort of thing, however, all the writings are by Hubbard himself, who was a prolific and quite revered writer in the early 1900s. For decades I have used these two books as reference works and as sources of philosophical ideas. They were bound and published by The Roycrofters, a small community of artisans and writers in New York, founded by Hubbard around 1895. As interesting and attractive as these books are, they are not really that expensive. Modern versions and originals with various types of cover binding can still be had for as little as $20.00, with the leather bound and special additions selling for much more. Here is an image of the title page for the scrapbook:Avid Reader wrote:Great quote! Where did you find this Hubbard fellow (I assume he's no relation to L. Ron)?