The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker
by Suzanne Portnoy

Book Review by Ashley Lister

I’d been meaning to pick up a copy of this book for a couple of months before I got the opportunity to read it. This title comes from the same publisher who produced my recent title Swinger and, consequently, I’d seen it mentioned and reviewed with a wide variety of opinions from the superlative through to the scathing. When I finally got hold of a copy, I was delighted to find it more than fulfilled my expectations.

The erotic memoir of Suzanne Portnoy (an American executive working and living in London) The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker is a surprising book and far more substantial than a simple erotic memoir.

The most striking thing about this story is the high degree of honesty. Suzanne narrates with a wryly humorous voice and tells of her adventures with a varied catalogue of lovers. She is honest enough to admit that she is not looking for love, but she is also pragmatic enough to try and cultivate love when the opportunity does arise.

Ironically, Suzanne’s story begins when she stops having sex with her husband. Her explanation for this decision is understandable in light of the events she describes and presents her predicament in a sympathetic light. When she begins to find substitute partners through a variety of classified ads, websites and other means, her story reveals a contemporary woman who is honest about her needs and pragmatic about how she intends to find satisfaction.

It could be argued that Suzanne’s attitude toward sex is almost masculine in its direct and acquisitive nature. She wants a man; she has him; and, unless there was a startling connection or something particularly engaging, she moves onto the next. Not every encounter is successful. Not every sex scene is what Suzanne wants or expects. But every page builds to reveal the story of a woman with her own agenda and the determination to be satisfied.

The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker is a frank and engaging glimpse into the life of a lady who is openly promiscuous, proud of her voracious sexuality, and determined to enjoy all that life can offer. Well worth reading.

The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker
(Virgin Books; October 3, 2006; ISBN: 0753511010)
Available at: Amazon.com / Amazon UK

Ashley Lister
December/January 2007

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© 2006 Ashley Lister. All rights reserved.

About the Author:  Ashley Lister is a UK author responsible for more than two-dozen erotic novels written under a variety of pseudonyms. His most recent work, Swingers: True Confessions from Today's Modern Swinging Scene (Virgin Books; ISBN: 0753511355), a non-fiction book recounting the exploits of UK swingers, is his first title published under his own name.
Ashley’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Forum, Chapter & Verse and The International Journal of Erotica.  Nexus, Chimera and Silver Moon have published his full-length fiction, with shorter stories appearing in anthologies edited by Maxim Jakubowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel and Mitzi Szereto.  He is very proud to be a regular contributor to ERWA.
Email: Ashley Lister
Website: www.ashleylister.co.uk

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