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![]() | Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History by Ruth Vanita (Editor), Saleem Kidwai (Editor) ISBN-10: 031222169X ISBN-10: 0-312-22169-X ISBN-13: 9780312221690 ISBN-13: 978-0-312-22169-0 Hardcover 2000-07-07 Palgrave Macmillan Find Lowest Price | |
Editorials | ||
Product Description Lambda literary award finalist, Same-Sex Love in India presents a stunning array of writings on same-sex love from over 2000 years of Indian literature. Translated from more than a dozen languages and drawn from Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and modern fictional traditions, these writings testify to the presence of same-sex love in various forms since ancient times, without overt persecution. This collection defies both stereotypes of Indian culture and Foucault's definition of homosexuality as a 19th-century invention, uncovering instead complex discourses of Indian homosexuality, rich metaphorical traditions to represent it, and the use of names and terms as early as medieval times to distinguish same-sex from cross-sex love. An eminent group of scholars have translated these writings for the first time or have re-translated well-known texts to correctly make evident previously underplayed homoerotic content. Selections range from religious books, legal and erotic treatises, story cycles, medieval histories and biographies, modern novels, short stories, letters, memoirs, plays and poems. From the Rigveda to Vikram Seth, this anthology will become a staple in courses on gender and queer studies, Asian studies, and world literature. | ||
Reviews | ||
excellent research research like this hasn't been done before. the book helps proove that homosexuality is so much a part of our culture as opposed to what some homophobic people choose to think. I'm an indian and I highly recomment it. | ||
very recommendable book This is a very interesting book written in English. However, I've found many absences or omissions of renowned historical, literary and religious stories in the book, e.g. Buddhist sutras translated into classical Chinese from the original Sanskrit and Pali texts. I'd like to read more comprehensive books on the history & literature of India, and also of Tibet. | ||