The Celestial Bed
Encyclopedia
The Celestial Bed is a 1987
novel by Irving Wallace
, revolving around scientific issues of sex
. It is based on some of the sex therapy
techniques developed after Masters and Johnson
, who created the term "sex surrogates". It was first published in 1987 by Delacorte Press. The title refers to the "celestial bed" marketed by the 18th century sexologist James Graham.
One of the theories the book addresses is that certain individuals are ill-adjusted to normal sex, and that this can have grave consequences. The book states that these issues can be solved, but only with the help of sex surrogates. The patients must be taught practical sexual techniques by real people. The book also discusses whether sex technicians — the people who provide the hands on learning — are prostitutes.
The plot is structured according to the hero's journey
technique.
The name of the book comes from a famous quack cure for impotence and sterility
advocated by the "doctor" James Graham. (Both are a reference to a line in Act I, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's Hamlet
.) The cover of the book features the famous painting La grande odalisque by Ingres
.
1987 in literature
The year 1987 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Wolfe was paid $5 million for the film rights to his novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, the most ever earned by an author, at the time.-Fiction:...
novel by Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace
Irving Wallace was an American best-selling author and screenwriter. Wallace was known for his heavily researched novels, many with a sexual theme. One critic described him "as the most successful of all the many exponents of junk fiction perhaps because he took it all so seriously, not so say...
, revolving around scientific issues of sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
. It is based on some of the sex therapy
Sex therapy
Sex therapy is the treatment of sexual dysfunction, such as non-consummation, premature ejaculation , erectile dysfunction, low libido, unwanted sexual fetishes, sexual addiction, painful sex, or a lack of sexual confidence, assisting people who are recovering from sexual assault, problems commonly...
techniques developed after Masters and Johnson
Masters and Johnson
The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1990s....
, who created the term "sex surrogates". It was first published in 1987 by Delacorte Press. The title refers to the "celestial bed" marketed by the 18th century sexologist James Graham.
One of the theories the book addresses is that certain individuals are ill-adjusted to normal sex, and that this can have grave consequences. The book states that these issues can be solved, but only with the help of sex surrogates. The patients must be taught practical sexual techniques by real people. The book also discusses whether sex technicians — the people who provide the hands on learning — are prostitutes.
The plot is structured according to the hero's journey
Monomyth
Joseph Campbell's term monomyth, also referred to as the hero's journey, is a basic pattern that its proponents argue is found in many narratives from around the world. This widely distributed pattern was described by Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces...
technique.
The name of the book comes from a famous quack cure for impotence and sterility
Infertility
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
advocated by the "doctor" James Graham. (Both are a reference to a line in Act I, Scene 5 of Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
.) The cover of the book features the famous painting La grande odalisque by Ingres
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter. Although he considered himself to be a painter of history in the tradition of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques-Louis David, by the end of his life it was Ingres's portraits, both painted and drawn, that were recognized as his greatest...
.