Nymph is a book of
erotic short stories by
Francesca Lia Block, not a
young adult book like most of her others. The stories are different than the usual "
erotic" stories for two reasons: One, they are generally
fantastical in some aspect; and two, they in very small ways interact with each other. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that once in a while the
coarse terminology for
sexual acts and
body parts cuts into the
beauty of her
poetic writing. I am not generally a fan of
sex stories, but Ms. Block made them not only
tolerable but
enjoyable.
- "Mer" is the story of a man who has a sexual and loving relationship with a woman who is apparently a mermaid.
- "Spirit" is a story of a woman whose antidepressants cause sexual disinterest, to the dismay of her lover . . . and how they eventually resolve the problem with the help of a "vacant," condemned house.
- "Milk" is about a nurse and her relationship with her patients.
- "Milagro" is about Plum, and what happens when she makes love to Santiago in order to let him find his true love.
- "Nymph" is about a girl (the best friend of Plum) named Sylvie, who feels like she will never find her true love, and what Plum does to help her do so.
- "Goddess" is about a club where the women are surgically changed to be exotic, and how Elvis finds his old lover in this place.
- "Plum" is about Plum again, and how she wants love for herself.
- "Fox" is about Elvis and his obsession with his girlfriend (before he found her again), and how Dr. Jacqui Fox helps him with fantasies.
- "Change" is about Carmelita and her jealousy, her writing, and herself.
This comes highly recommended for
Block fans,
erotic story fans, and
magic realism fans alike.