The Story of V : Opening Pandora's Box

by Catherine Blackledge

It is the seat of female sexual pleasure, and the passage for both the creation and the birth of humankind. Yet we know less about the vagina than we do about any other organ of the human body. Why? In this dazzling smorgasbord of facts about female genitalia, Catherine Blackledge explores how the vagina has been conceived and misconceived over the centuries. In the past, medicine has misrepresented female sexual anatomy, reducing its remarkable complexities to the notion of a passive vessel. But, as this book shows, science is at last beginning to reveal the true structure and function of female genitalia, and the dynamic nature of the vagina's role in both sexual pleasure and reproduction. With a wide-ranging perspective that takes in prehistoric art, ancient history, linguistics, mythology, evolutinary theory, reproductive biology and medicine, Catherine Blackledge unveils the hidden marvels of the female form.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Sexuality, History, Gender, Science, Sociology

370 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2003

Reviews

[Annah-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is INCREDIBLE so far! I am learning an incredible amount about the history of the vagina...things I would have never thought to ask! If you are a woman, you MUST read this!

[Klaudia_p · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bez wątpienia to interesująca książka, ale jak na mój gust za dużo tutaj o zwierzętach. Nie sądzę, że potrzebna mi jest wiedza o tym, jak wywołać owulację u samic królika.

[Karbowianka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prawda jest taka, że nie przebrnęłam 10% ebooka. Po tym, jak najpierw zachwyciłam się tematyką, potem zaśmiałam przy kilku interesujących faktach, stwierdziłam, że nie dam rady po raz 50 czytać o obnażaniu sromu, a po raz trzeci o sromotnej porażce (raz by było zabawnie). Nie dla mnie. Szkoda.

[Spook Sulek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Blackledge! Her writing is so good! She's thoroughly informative with an academic bent while at the same time giving her works her own personal flavor in a way that the reader is aware of when they are reading scientific fact versus the author's (well informed) conjecture. I'd never before realized how late in the game the male role in fertility was recognized and probably would not have thought about it without the discussion on pg. 40. How language shapes the current feeling toward anything is obvious, but I quiet enjoyed Blackledge's survey of linguistic terms and their origins on pg. 84 and throughout; I am gratified with how she doesn't forget to cite her sources in the Further Reading.
There were so many interesting things I shared with other people I know after reading about the systematic repression of or the marvel of female biology! The biological facts as well as the past pride and how our current ideas about female sexuality came to be in both Eastern and Western culture, so for myself, remember that pgs. 72, 114, 119, 138, 174, 179, 209, 223, 239, 241, 249, 255, 263, 292, 295 and 297 are especially interesting. While I was surprised that there was not a discussion of rape in human and other animal interactions, as it's possible only humans actually perform that act with malice aforethought, I can understand the exclusion. In such a comprehensive book on the subject that covers every aspect of the vagina from bad Renaissance science to bad 19th Century science, modern science and science in places that are not Western-minded, a book that discusses the diversity of animals from humans to one-celled bacterium, the role of pop culture and pop psychology, from hormones to scent to the vagus nerve, where our heart-shape actually comes from...just know that if you read the introduction and are intrigued, you too will love, love, love this book. That, and never use a product with nonoxynol-9 in it (pg. 172).

[Katarzyna · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's such a relief to manage to get to the final page of this book. I have found the structure chaotic and somewhat unedited, the exact opposite of what I look for in a book that is, for lack of a better word, scientific.
I would appreciate it more if it wasn't for the sources - there are hardly any in the contents aside from direct quotes, and the bibliography at the end is not really useful if it can't be referred to specific paragraphs. I can't help but think I should take it with a grain of salt because of it.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vyčerpávající průvodce "o ženských genitáliích". Zpracováno na základě mnohých studií, použité materiály z dalších knih ale i starých textů. Líbil se mi mix starého a nového. Neortodoxní pohled, barvitý, revoluční... trocha vědy, historie, mýtů, folkloru i umění.

[Lyndsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

An history of the relationship between science and vaginas. From mysterious hole that babies manage to come out of, to inverse penis, to sinful clitori, to any number of hesitant theories about the purpose and utility of the female orgasm and medical administration thereof. Science had no idea what was going on underneath women's skirts, and neither did anybody else!

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of great and interesting information, but unfortunately the author tends to repeat herself. The information is rather disorganized as well as each chapter, instead of following a central theme, covers a scattershot of information.

[Uuttu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erittäin mielenkiintoinen kirja, jossa käsitellään vaginan mytologiaa, biologisia tietoja sekä myös muita lajeja. Kirjan isoin ongelma oli sen kirjoitustyyli: kirjassa ei ole käytännössä minkäänlaisia lähteitä ja melko vähän viittauksia mihinkään tutkimuksiin, etenkään arkeologisella puolella. Muutamissa kohdissa tulee myös olo, että kirjailija ei tiedä itse, mistä kirjoittaa, vaan on vain kopioinut valmista tekstiä tai vain tekee oletuksia ilman varsinaisia perusteluita. Seassa on myös jopa hämmentävästä kirjailijan omia kommentteja ja kritisointeja.

Kokonaisuudessaan hyvä, mutta vaatii lukijalta paljon lähdekritiikkiä.

[Mikayla Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

This book is packed with information surrounding the female genitalia and paints it in a beautiful light. Blackledge pulls from mythology, science, and a variety of cultures to describe the female anatomy. Although towards the end the examples tend to get repetitive, the information in this book would benefit women and men and all in between. This book could be a great start to understanding the female anatomy, experience of female pleasure, and the history of women’s sexual suppression.

[Sara Passera · Rating 5 out of 5]

un libro prezioso, la spiegazione del mistero femminile e di mille altre cose che sicuramente non sai, l'unione perfetta tra speigazioni biologiche, psicologiche e sociologiche. un libro perfetto da regalare a chi è fortemente interessato a tematiche femminili ma anche a qualcuno che crede che queste argomentazioni non siano abbastanza interessanti. il saggio è lungo, si, ma scorre con immenso piacere. la ricchezza che lascia a fine lettura è qualcosa di impagabile

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's written a bit like any typical " American guide book on ...." , but somehow it's not that irritating. Maybe due to surprising facts coming up in the right moments.
anyway: an easy read. Very important to get aware of some facts (some figures might make you dizzy :) ) , also .... to start asking questions about how the Greek myths have been translated that getting rid of a key character in a story went unnoticed (pointing at you , Parandowski ..... )

[Katarzyna Mikołajczyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

To nie jest książka erotyczna, ani medyczna, ani zoologiczna, ani historyczna czy społeczna.
To ogromny zasób wiedzy z historii, kultury i szeroko rozumianej medycyjny.

Momentami ilość szczegółów i detali przytłacza, ale jest to system rozrodczy rozłożony na czynniki pierwsze (dosłownie!). Osobne rozdziały poświęcone nie tylko wyglądowi i znaczeniu historycznemu ale i poszczególnym cześciom kobiecego ciała, które zazwyczaj są pomijane w książkach (także medycznych).

[Henry Le Nav]

This book is now available in Kindle under the title Raising the Skirt: The Unsung Power of the Vagina ASIN: B07WR8ST74. It will be available in paperback in February 2021, ISBN-10: 147461583X. ISBN-13: 978-1474615839. The book has a new forward dated 2020, but I do not know if it has been revised other wise.

[Hella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potente, meraviglioso, bellissimo.
Da leggere assolutamente.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and irritating. Very informative, fascinating details, history etc but from my recollection it was uneven and did not pursue some aspects as much as one might have liked.

A good start but a better book still to be written on the subject

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

More dry than a post-menopausal woman...You'd think a book on this topic would be a little more interesting.

[Mew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting...Educational...Daring...Insightful.

[Kay Baird]

This book's illustrations have anatomical details most other books lack

[Mark Tranter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely thorough book about vaginas. Has pictures!

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the every person read this book it would solve many of the world's problems.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

History and functioning of the vagina.
Not all good