My Hundred Lovers

Susan Johnson

• Publisher: Allen & Unwin
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781741766547
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literature General
• Index: Literature

A woman reflects on her life of sensual and sexual experience in an extraordinary, beautiful, and shocking new novel from one of Australia's premier novelists
That afternoon in the small bedroom the light was blue. The curtains were cream and blew softly in the wind. There was a cry, far off, almost out of earshot. There was a man in my bed and I did not know how he got there.
 
A woman, on the eve of her 50th birthday, reflects on 100 moments from a lifetime's sensual adventures. After the love, hatred, and despair are done with, the great and trivial acts of her bodily life reveal an imperfect, yet whole self. By turns humorous, sharp, haunting, and wise, this is an original and exhilarating novel. Lyrical and exquisite, it captures the sheer wonder of life, desire, and love.

Table of contents

• COVER PAGE
• TITLE PAGE
• COPYRIGHT PAGE
• DEDICATION
• CONTENTS
• ONE, TWO: GODS
• THREE: INCARNATION
• FOUR: SUNSHINE
• FIVE: MY FINGERS
• SIX: GRASS
• SEVEN: THE SEVENTH LOVER
• EIGHT: THE FIRST GIRL I LOVED
• NINE: OBJECT-SEXUALIST
• TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE: CHEESE—CHOCOLATE—CROISSANTS
• THIRTEEN: THE SMELL OF LOVE
• FOURTEEN: MOTHER’S RED FINGERNAILS
• FIFTEEN: GIGGLING
• SIXTEEN: THE DOG WHO LOVED ME
• SEVENTEEN: FLIGHT
• EIGHTEEN: THE PERFECT LOVER
• NINETEEN: CIGARETTES
• TWENTY: HER FATHER
• TWENTY-ONE: I SLEPT WITH THE MAN WHO SLEPT WITH THE GIRL WHO SLEPT WITH THE MAN WHO SLEPT WITH THE GIRL WHO SLEPT WITH BOB DYLAN
• TWENTY-TWO: A LOVER’S KISS
• TWENTY-THREE: THE BEERY-MOUTHED LOVER
• TWENTY-FOUR: A HORSE
• TWENTY-FIVE: THE FIRST LOVER WHO ENTERED MY BODY
• TWENTY-SIX: THE KNEE-TREMBLER
• TWENTY-SEVEN: NANA ELSIE
• TWENTY-EIGHT: THE MUSIC LOVER
• TWENTY-NINE: A CAT
• THIRTY: JONATHAN JAMIESON
• THIRTY-ONE: THE FLOWERED BUD, WRESTLED
• THIRTY-TWO: THE SHADOW LOVER
• THIRTY-THREE: CLAUDETTE
• THIRTY-FOUR: FEET
• THIRTY-FIVE: KISS ME, STEPH
• THIRTY-SIX: JUSTINE GERVAIS
• THIRTY-SEVEN: A BRIDGE
• THIRTY-EIGHT: EVEN DEAD HUSBANDS MUST BE COUNTED
• THIRTY-NINE: FRANCE
• FORTY: WORDS
• FORTY-ONE: WORDS IN HER FINGERS
• FORTY-TWO: HEAVENLY SLEEP
• FORTY-THREE: COFFEE
• FORTY-FOUR, FORTY-FIVE, FORTY-SIX: THREE MEN IN ONE DAY
• FORTY-SEVEN: SKIN
• FORTY-EIGHT: THE LOVER WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH DESIRE
• FORTY-NINE: A DRESS
• FIFTY: THE LOVER OBLIVION
• FIFTY-ONE: THE HAIRDRESSER
• FIFTY-TWO: THE BLIND LOVER
• FIFTY-THREE: THE BOSS LOVER
• FIFTY-FOUR: HISTORY
• FIFTY-FIVE: THE DISSOLUTE LOVER
• FIFTY-SIX: THE IMPOTENT LOVER
• FIFTY-SEVEN: NANA ELSIE, ENCORE—ÉPATER LE BOURGEOIS!
• FIFTY-EIGHT: MY SON
• FIFTY-NINE: THE ROMANTIC LOVER
• SIXTY: THE BOTTOM LOVER
• SIXTY-ONE: THE DEFLOWERER, AGAIN
• SIXTY-TWO: SUPER NAN
• SIXTY-THREE: THE WINE LOVER
• SIXTY-FOUR: PARIS
• SIXTY-FIVE: THE BEACH LOVER
• SIXTY-SIX: THE BEAUTIFUL LOVER
• SIXTY-SEVEN: BREASTS
• SIXTY-EIGHT: THE HOUSE SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH
• SIXTY-NINE: THE LOVE OF HANDS
• SEVENTY: THE WORRIED LOVER
• SEVENTY-ONE: ROSES
• SEVENTY-TWO: THE BIRD LOVER
• SEVENTY-THREE: MARCHÉ AUX PUCES
• SEVENTY-FOUR: SONG OF SONGS
• SEVENTY-FIVE: CELESTINE
• SEVENTY-SIX: THE LEGS PUMPING
• SEVENTY-SEVEN: A PENCIL
• SEVENTY-EIGHT: BRASSERIE BALZAR
• SEVENTY-NINE: THE BATH LOVER
• EIGHTY: THAT DELICIOUS EQUATION
• EIGHTY-ONE: COUP DE FOUDRE —THE PRINCELY LOVER
• EIGHTY-TWO: PRINCE
• EIGHTY-THREE: THE TREE LOVER
• EIGHTY-FOUR: TOES
• EIGHTY-FIVE: A BLACK PEARL
• EIGHTY-SIX: DAVID, DAVID, DAVID
• EIGHTY-SEVEN: THE UNREQUITED LOVER
• EIGHTY-EIGHT: HORATIA
• EIGHTY-NINE: GELATO
• NINETY: BREATH
• NINETY-ONE: AUSTRALIA
• NINETY-TWO: DUCK
• NINETY-THREE: THE FIRST LOVER I SLEPT WITH AFTER I LOST MY HUSBAND
• NINETY-FOUR: HOTEL SHEETS
• NINETY-FIVE: ANOTHER HOUSE AS OBJECT LOVER
• NINETY-SIX: THE DEATHLY LOVER
• NINETY-SEVEN: RAIN
• NINETY-EIGHT: SCHEHERAZADE
• NINETY-NINE: THE SECOND-LAST LOVER
• THE HUNDREDTH LOVER
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS