Arthur Orrmont

Despite its lurid title, this is a nonfiction work about John Humphrey Noyes and the Oneida community in New York, which practiced communal marriage, although it seems more of an excuse for Noyes to bed any woman he chooses. The story is told in the form of a novel with lots of dialogue - sort of the Thucydides approach to history, to give Hunter (actually Arthur Ormont) a little more credit than he is due. Nevertheless, it seems to stick to the broad facts as far as I can check them from a brief Internet search. For 1962, the discussion of sex is probably pretty frank, but other than a few overdone descriptions of breasts, the book doesn't really cater to prurient interests. It is generally pretty well written, though it doesn't delve much below the surface, and at only around 140 pages, it doesn't have much room to do so. It has stirred up my interest in other utopian communities, however, and it will be of interest to anyone who happens to have any Oneida flatware around the house.… (altro)