Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses

Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses Summary | Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso Summary

In the introduction, author Isabel Allende discusses the connections between people, sensory perception, and memory. She explains why memories of a favorite aunt are linked in her mind to the scent of violet PASTILLES, or candies. Allende tells about the fisherman who first gave her a taste of sea urchin when she was young, forever linking the smell of iodine to the memory of that fisherman and images of sea urchins. Allende explains that all the important people in her life, particularly men, are associated in her mind with specific foods.

Allende's purpose in writing this collection of recipes is to entertain and be creative. The author says she has researched the substances, spells, and magic that have been employed over the centuries to incite passion, and she proves it by providing examples: potions used by Cleopatra and philters made of blood mixed in a skull.

Allende explains that the purpose of an aphrodisiac is to incite passion, but if readers spend all of their time and energy preparing the aphrodisiacs then they will not have the energy to enjoy them. So the recipes in this book all have easily accessible ingredients and simple instructions for preparation. There are no supernatural potions in this very practical book. Allende discusses the role of many religious beliefs that preach against gluttony and lust, resulting in many limited, bland diets, with little creativity in them.

In the introduction, Allende also briefly introduces how the book developed and the people who helped with the project. Her collaborators include Panchita Llona, who contributed the recipes, and Robert Shekter, who contributed drawings of nymphs, satyrs, and other mythological cartoon creatures throughout the book. Robert also wanted to include a musical CD and incorporate musical names into some of the recipes to include more of the senses, but it proved too difficult a concept to include in the project. Robert insisted on a scientific approach when measuring the degree of passion aroused from particular recipes. They found that the effect of any given aphrodisiac was directly related to the power of suggestion. If the participant knew that he or she was tasting an aphrodisiac, they reacted differently than those who were not informed. Allende's agent, Carmen Balcells, was also a strong supporter of the project.

When the project was almost complete, Allende realized that she had left out the most important aphrodisiac of all: stories. Allende reminds readers of Scheherazade and the 1,001 stories told to the sultan to save her own life. According to Allende, the unique way that a person tells a story is intimate in itself. The author ends the Introduction with a story from her book, The Stories of Eva Luna, to illustrate the importance of storytelling to passion and lovemaking.