Customer Reviews
Trocchi Erotica - By: J. Newman, 04 Nov 2006 
I picked up Helen & Desire after being impressed with Trocchi's "Cain's Book" & "Young Adam". Trocchi is a writer with an unique unmistakable skill that is recognisable within every sentance that he creates.
It is a tragic shame how overlooked Trocchi's work has become over the years. It was, I think, due to this lack of commercial succcess that led the author to write this erotic novel, for the now infamous Parisian Olympia Press, that turns out mostly adult books. Trocchi would not have choosen to write an erotic novel had his serious litreture been rewarded with the reception it deserved. He wrote this book for money, & he wrote this book within a matter of weeks.
The author did, however, approach the task of writing this erotic novel with the same proffesional approach that he endorsed with all his work.
I am not a fan of erotic books. I have not read any erotic books apart form this one. Honest.
The author writesin the first person. The first person is an Australian girl who travels across the globein pursuit of sexual encounters with men that she encounters across her travels. The book is set out as a diary. It is interesting how Trocchi can picture Australia, the Far East & India without (to my knowledge) having ever been there.
This is an acomplished novel by an overlooked master of the word. It is worth reading this novel as an example of a true writer turning his hand to a new genre.
existentialist classic - By: , 20 Aug 2005 
i'm sorry, i have to add this review if only to restore the balance. the previous reviewer is sadly unaware that this is a classic piece of existential eroticism, not to everyone's taste, but undeniably comprable to kerouac, camus, brautigan,in fact any 'beat' writer you can name. if you're serious about reading & you're proud of the range of prosein your library then 'helen & desire' is your essential next purchase. enjoy!
A novel focused on the overt eroticism of the main character - By: , 19 Nov 2001 
I began to find this book rather far fetched & unlikely. Almost every single male (andin some instances, female) that the main charater, Helen, meets, she ends up having sex with... the mannerin which these sexual acts are described is really rather unrealistic, to say the least. I kept finding myself questioning the likelihood of such a character & the events she partakes in, meaning the book did not engage my attention enough & draw me into the story.
