The book critically examines the paradoxes and complexities surrounding sex, desire, and taboo in Nepal and India, situated within their cultural and religious context. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that draws on Foucauldian theory, psychoanalysis, and cultural critique, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the ways in which religion, culture, and patriarchy influence perceptions of sex and desire. The book serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between tradition, modernity, and human sexuality in the Global South, advocating for a nuanced understanding that transcends Western frameworks and embraces the local context.

Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, University of Canada

Sex, Desire, and Taboo in South Asia is a book that is hopefully the start of an expanding discussion about sexuality and eroticism. Up until recently such a discussion has been dominated by Western voices privileging the Western experience and concerns. Acharya's book is a fascinating study showing how such a discussion has been predated by far older discourses about body and desire from other parts of the world. As many in the West are now re-thinking what was previously thought to be basic natural categories, this book is a very helpful and important addition to that discussion.

Fred Fejes, Florida Atlantic University

Acharya's volume offers a comprehensive view of sexuality in South Asia from the classical past to the present. With a firm theoretical grounding, Acharya applies the concepts of taboo and transgression, along with colonial oppression, in order to trace a shift from a more open and artistic eroticism to a dominant, patriarchal discourse of sexual repression. Carefully researched with extensive bibliography, this text compiles a wealth of information from literary and film works, the visual arts tradition, online survey responses, and contemporary religious practices. Acharya moves away from heteronormative notions of sexuality to explore transgender, intersex, and sex and disability in contemporary South Asia. Acharya's volume shows how literature and the arts push the boundaries of sexuality in South Asian society by revealing glimpses of a multifaceted reality hidden beneath patriarchal strictures and norms. With its accessible prose and its thoughtful and sensitive approach, Acharya's text will be a touchstone for scholars and general readers alike.

Bridget Pupillo, Connecticut College