Overview
In the remote highlands of the country of Georgia, a small group of mountaindwellers called the Khevsurs used to express sexuality and romance in ways that appear to be highly paradoxical. On the one hand, their practices were romantic, but could never lead to marriage. On the other hand, they were sexual, but didn't correspond to what North Americans, or most Georgians, would have called sex. These practices were well documented by early ethnographers before they disappeared completely by the midtwentieth century, and have become a Georgian obsession. In this fascinating book, Manning recreates the story of how these private, secretive practices became a matter of national interest, concern, and fantasy. Looking at personal expressions of love and the circulation of these narratives at the broader public level of the modern nation, Love Stories offers an ethnography of language and desire that doubles as an introduction to key linguistic genres and to the interplay of language and culture.
Full Product Details
Author: Paul Manning
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Imprint: University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.00cm
, Height: 1.30cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.300kg
ISBN: 9781442608962
ISBN 10: 144260896
Pages: 277
Publication Date: 15 May 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
Love Stories is a highly readable and interesting ethnography that will captivate the imagination of its readers as it has Georgian intellectuals. Accessible to undergraduates as an introduction to ethnography, it will also stimulate those interested in kinship, love poetry, socialism and post-socialism, queer anthropology and the history of anthropology. - Anthropology News Love Stories contains an abundance of translated examples; in the case of poetry, the Khevsur Georgian original is also provided (in transliteration). In addition to their informational and aesthetic value, the textual materials find use as pedagogical resources to illustrate concepts such as genre, sociability and performativity. - Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute Although of interest to scholars of post-socialism, the Caucasus, and linguistics, the book is that much sought-after, brief, jargonless, and vividly written ethnographic introduction to anthropological 'intersections' that brings together a variety of classical anthropological topics, all in about 140 pages. - Anthropologica This would be a great book to use with students. It is an enjoyable read about a topic that they can relate to. Manning's discussions of applications ranging from commercials and movies to Internet chat rooms would interest students being introduced to folklore or anthropology in a specific context. - Erik Aasland (Journal of American Folklore) Manning's book is a highly recommendable and enjoyable read. This is not only because of its enticing topic and the eloquent writing style, but also because Manning's treatment and sociohistorical contextualization of the stories of Khevsur love is eye-opening and thought-provoking. - Lian Malai Madsen (Journal of Linguistic Anthropology)
Love Stories is a highly readable and interesting ethnography that will captivate the imagination of its readers as it has Georgian intellectuals. Accessible to undergraduates as an introduction to ethnography, it will also stimulate those interested in kinship, love poetry, socialism and post-socialism, queer anthropology and the history of anthropology. -- Anthropology News
Author Information
Paul Manning is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Trent University and former editor of the Journal of Linguistic Anthropology.
