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crowyhead's review against another edition
3.0
First published in 1686. This book, a set of instructions from a high-born lady to her absent paramour, is amusing and witty in some places, and interesting for its historical value, but I had a hard time staying interested. It's short, though, and works well read in small doses.
eheslosz's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Aphra Behn read, and I really enjoyed it. I would say this was a fun and accessible place to start with her work.
'The Lover's Watch' is a sort of 24 hour timetable for how a man (Damon) should spend each hour of his day when his lover (Iris, who narrates the text and addresses him) is away. It's quite subversive in terms of gender dynamics, and also unlike similar instructions given by men to women (which I imagine there must be a lot of) it doesn't do too much moralising. The key thing Iris demands from her lover is 'sincerity'; if he does something bad, it's ok as long as he tells her about it. Also she explicitly asserts that she must be at the centre of her lover's thoughts most of the time, and humourously allows him a few moments of doing something else, but never quite being occupied by a subject other than herself.
I enjoyed the structure, which alternates between instructional but witty prose, and verses that provide further directions and more general philosophising on life and how to be a good lover. The poetry wasn't bad but also not particularly breathtaking, however I had the impression that it improved as it went on. It was interesting how limited the narrative voice was, as we only get Iris' side, the instructions, not any response from Damon, but paradoxically we learn all about his daily routine (but only as Iris imagines it), and not much about her life – an interesting reversal of content and narration.
I will definitely be reading more Aphra Behn. Perhaps her plays?
'The Lover's Watch' is a sort of 24 hour timetable for how a man (Damon) should spend each hour of his day when his lover (Iris, who narrates the text and addresses him) is away. It's quite subversive in terms of gender dynamics, and also unlike similar instructions given by men to women (which I imagine there must be a lot of) it doesn't do too much moralising. The key thing Iris demands from her lover is 'sincerity'; if he does something bad, it's ok as long as he tells her about it. Also she explicitly asserts that she must be at the centre of her lover's thoughts most of the time, and humourously allows him a few moments of doing something else, but never quite being occupied by a subject other than herself.
I enjoyed the structure, which alternates between instructional but witty prose, and verses that provide further directions and more general philosophising on life and how to be a good lover. The poetry wasn't bad but also not particularly breathtaking, however I had the impression that it improved as it went on. It was interesting how limited the narrative voice was, as we only get Iris' side, the instructions, not any response from Damon, but paradoxically we learn all about his daily routine (but only as Iris imagines it), and not much about her life – an interesting reversal of content and narration.
I will definitely be reading more Aphra Behn. Perhaps her plays?
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