
audiobook
THE ART OF KISSING.
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The book opens with a playful tour through the many faces of a single, timeless gesture: the kiss. From Scandinavian myths of Rowena’s courtly peck to Roman law that counted kisses as financial vows, the author stitches history, myth, and a dash of humor into a vivid tapestry. Readers discover how ancient scholars, poets, and theologians categorized kisses long before modern etiquette manuals existed.
Blending quotations from Erasmus, Shakespeare, and Coleridge with scientific tidbits about why a kiss feels pleasant, the narrative moves from solemn liturgy to comic footnotes with effortless grace. Along the way, readers meet quirky legal codes, biblical classifications, and even a medieval ‘grammar of kissing’ that treats smooches like verbs and nouns, inviting a smile as much as a scholarly sigh. The tone remains lighthearted yet well‑researched, making the audiobook a perfect companion for anyone curious about the cultural roots of affection and eager to hear history spoken with a wink.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (113K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Demian Katz and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University (http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)
Release date
Sep 23, 2015
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1867–1954
Remembered as a prolific music publisher, songwriter, and humor writer, this English-born American helped shape popular entertainment in Chicago during the ragtime and early Tin Pan Alley years. His name appears on songs, joke books, and light verse that capture the style and energy of turn-of-the-century popular culture.
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