Cathedrals of the Flesh : In Search of the Perfect Bath - Hardcover

Brue, Alexia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 074755742X ISBN 13: 9780747557425

Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2003

Synopsis

Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath

About this title

About the Author

Alexia Brue has written for The New York Times Magazine, Vogue, and Spa Finder. She has a B.A. in Classics from Grinnell College. She lives in New York City. This is her first book.

From Publishers Weekly

Originally undertaken as research for setting up a Turkish bath business in New York City, journalist Brue's project revealed that her cultural curiosity was greater than her entrepreneurial drive. At first, the book hews too closely to the genesis of Brue's endeavor as the opening chapters, about her initiation at various Parisian baths and her first forays in Turkey, are overshadowed by the urge to take notes for the business. But then there's a trip to Greece to visit ancient thermae-a fine excuse to meditate on the centrality of baths to classical culture-followed by an amusing stay in Russia, where skillful flogging at scorching banyas proves suffering can still be a cultivated art. It's then on to Finland and Japan, where it's clear this has become a cultural inquiry, not a business research project. Brue, who's bold enough to wander abroad speaking a bare handful of polite phrases, does get herself into the proverbial hot water on occasion-mistakenly stripping naked for a Japanese mixed sex bath, for example-but with humor and good attitude she manages to learn even from her faux pas. Her style is delightfully informal, packing in a lot of (admittedly esoteric) information, e.g., what's the physiological effect of birch twig beatings? "What sicko" invented the Japanese electric bath? And who knew how popular breast implants are with young Russian women, or that they have their pubic hair waxed down to a Mohawk? Better her than me, many readers may be muttering, but isn't that the point of armchair travel?
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 074755742X
• ISBN 13: 9780747557425
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1