Granta 110: Sex

Granta: The Magazine of New Writing #110

by John Freeman (Editor)

Book by

Genres: Short Stories, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Anthologies, Poetry, Literature

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2010

About the author

Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Freeman is an award-winning writer and book critic who has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. Freeman won the 2007 James Patterson Pageturner Award for his work as the president of the National Book Critics Circle, and was the editor of Granta from 2009 to 2013. He lives in New York City, where he teaches at NYU and edits a new literary biannual called Freeman's.

Reviews

[Vanessa Wu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The picture on the front cover is the best thing about this edition of Granta. It was a cynical attempt to woo new subscribers. They still use this edition in adverts, even though it's quite old now. Oh, and there was a recent twist on this idea called The F Word. Disappointingly, the F stands for feminisim.

There is a nice story by Marie Darrieusecq in this sex edition. Perhaps calling it a story is too kind, although she calls it a story. It's more of an anecdote. There are some drawings of animals by Dave Eggers. The tenuous connection with the sex theme is that they are 'contemplating sex.'

That's indicative of the way this sex theme has been implemented. It's all a trick to get your interest. It's a cheap tease. It doesn't deliver.

I have bought many Grantas. But I don't subscribe.

That's my way of teasing them back.

[Liviu · Rating 4 out of 5]

another issue with high expectations that came a bit flat after a very strong beggining with outstanding non-fiction from M. Dotty (about his first experience as a gay man married with a woman) and fiction from N. Kirino (about a middle aged woman around some 20+ mostly young men who are shipwrecked on an isolated island), with a short but good story from R. Bolano in-between; however what follows wasn't as great except for stuff that was excerpted from novels by E. Carrere and H. Muller which i have read before

again an worthwhile (and quite explicit as the title implies) issue but not as awesome as some other issues

[Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one turned out to not be that great. Favorites: the allegorical Tokyo Island by Natsuo Kirino, the war and post-war pieces My Queer War by James Lord Zeppelin by Herta Muller, Silence by Michael Symmons Roberts about staying in a monastery, Park Life by Rupert Thompson about selling books in NYC, and The Agony of Intimacy by Jeanette Winterson a take on Greek mythology. I'm eventually going to look up a few of these authors when I get the chance. This is For You by Emmanuel Carrere was one of the worst things I've ever read, but I respect his balls in writing the piece.

[Karen·]

I've hardly even looked at work, and now sex is here already. Hmmm.

[Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a largely disappointing issue of Granta. Just proves that sex is more fun to have than to write or read about. The really good pieces in this issue are at the end.

[Leona]

We need to talk about Emmanuel Carrere.
Nothing turns me on quicker than touching my own sweaty armpit and grabbing hold of a train toilet handrail...
An excellent example of the narcissim of men. Not all. But many. The narrator (dare I say, the author) imagines he is writing this sex story to turn his wife on, who will read the piece published that day in Le Monde on her commute to wherever. What he fails incredibly to do is imagine that a woman might have differing desires to a man. So he approaches her in fantasy, and instructs her to do to herself (on a packed train), things that turn HIM on! This, he believes, is actually going to make her wet! He tells her to lick the sweat of her own armpit because he likes it. Think hard about her own breasts because he likes it. And in the end all that is produced is yet another man's raging fantasy! A self-centred and baffling piece of work.

Finally, thank god Jeanette Winterson's last name is near the end of the alphabet. It was a much-needed palette-cleanser after that arduous journey into the male gaze.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This issue's theme was sex. A lot of it had queer elements. Most of it had sex as a sidelong note and not as the main drive. Only one had erotic undertones that made me pay attention to the sex part. That one was a more experimental piece that smacked of Calvino and that ilk.

I enjoyed the various stories and even the poetry. I mean, I like some poetry but I am normally not too big on it. Unless I am.

A worthwhile read but a book that I will not read again. I will be giving this one away.

[Anna Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Granta, but this issue was so disappointing. There were only a handful of stories that grabbed and kept my attention. Oh well, on to the next one.

[lou. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The front cover picture alone is probably worth a +1☆

[Adrian Buck · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was good when Ian Jack was editing, Afterwards the editions got bigger but there seemed less in them. I fell behind and then let my subscription lapse.

[Delia]

5 stars just for Jeanette Winterson's The Agony of Intimacy.

[Chris Waterford · Rating 1 out of 5]

A collection of short stories with a sexual theme. I gave up after I failed to find one good story among the first 5.
4.5/10

[Alec · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very variegated experience. I've been cheated into reading Jennifer Egan by the way her story in this collection turned out to be a chapter of a book; I am thankful for that in the end. Beautiful Bolano, engaging, austere Chris Offutt, a nice story by Victor LaValle. On the other hand, almost everything translated from the French incredibly disappointing, especially Emmanuel Carrère, who seems to be a well-known author; the story Granta chose is one I'd burn and bury as a standard unit of mediocrity. Some stories are no more than actual descriptions of sex experience; they are mostly slightly above a story slam level. Jeanette Winterson's story at the end of the volume I'd been waiting for so eagerly seemed contrived and overwrought with ideas, almost turning me off. But I will try reading her again.

All in all, the magazine delivers what it's bought for. Also, it has pictures and poems which did not influence my "rating", but make the three stars glitter.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am half way through this literary journal and the only reason I’m making the effort, is I’ve been a subscriber for years and have always read it cover to cover. The suggestive illustration on the cover was definitely a heads-up that I wouldn’t like the book. Almost all the stories and poems are about graphic sex, which in my mind is just plain stupid and doesn’t require a great deal of imagination. I almost always single out particular stories I like, but not here. Even when I could admire the writer’s narrative ability, I was turned off by the subject matter. I guess some believe the old cliché that ‘ sex sells.’ It saddens me that Granta has stooped to this level.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the stories in this literary journal were 3-4 stars but the rest drove the mean down to 2 stars. The opening story, "The Unwriteable" by Mark Doty, stood out. It's about the dissolution of a marriage and a person's sexual awakening. "Rosseau and the Pussycat" by Marie Darrieussecq was clever and cute, and James Lord in "My Queer War" had some good metaphors but was a little heavy-handed. Granta also has photo essays so check out the one of empty porn sets. The only thing consistent in all of the photos were abandoned high heels. Not even beds. I kid you not.

[Laryssa Wirstiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, first of all, my copy is better than everyone else's copy because I had it signed by both Jennifer Egan and Mark Doty. But besides that, this issue of Granta was just okay. I didn't love every piece included, and I couldn't even get through some of them. My favorites, however, include: Mark Doty's "The Unwriteable," Victor LaValle's "Long Distance," Rupert Thomson's "Park Life," and Jeanette Winterson's "The Agony of Intimacy."

[Ronan Hession · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing collection by Granta's usually high standards. They have obviously made a deliberate attempt to compile a book about sex that isn't sexy, but few of the stories have any real insight to offer. Tokyo Island by Natsuo Kirino and the Fig Tree and the Wasp by Brian Chikwava were the strongest stories. If you're looking to buy a Granta collection I would recommend one of the family-themed ones instead.

Nice cover though.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Especially liked The Unwritable by Mark Doty, The Redhead by Roberto Bolano, Rosseau and the Pussycat by Marie Darrieussecq, the Fig Tree and The Wasp by Brian Chikwava, Silence by M.S. Roberts, This is For You by Emmanuel Carrere, Park Life by Rupert Thomson and The Agony of Intimacy by Jeanette Winterson, who's writing I haven't particularly enjoyed in the past.

[Dinesh Raghavendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This issue had a few good short stories. The one by Victor LaValle is funny. The others were pretty run of the mill. The Jeanette Winterson short story was boring. I liked the French dude's story which plays around the concept of per formative literature if your idea of performative is publicly masturbating on the LGV.

[Poupeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

so varied. sooooo different approaches to the same subject matter. interesting.

[Bicefalus · Rating 2 out of 5]

nota non comprare più riviste di letteratura

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this a bit of a struggle to finish.

[mentalexotica · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing collection of pieces. One would think the subject matter provided enough fodder for a really meaty read but this volume fell grossly short of excellent writing. Definitely missable.

[Helen Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the Jeanette Winterson story in this.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom McCarthy's "The Spa" and Symmons Robert's "Silence" were my favourites.