Loving Animals

A sympathetic account of people who love animals too much. * Houman Barekat, TLS *

Joanna Bourke’s Loving Animals is an exploration of the ethical possibilities and often grim reality of modern bestiality . . . Her thesis is that while sexual interaction between human and non-human animals is very often abusive, it needn’t be. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, she makes the case for a form of human-animal love that isn’t merely free from harm, but is governed by reciprocity, respect and care. Taking this seriously can, Bourke thinks, help us understand what we owe our fellow non-human animals, and the sex humans have with each other.

* London Review of Books *
Neither the topic of bestiality nor Bourke's theoretical engagement with the topic via feminist, queer, and posthuman theory are intellectually or ethically easy topics, but what is remarkable about Loving Animals is how accessible it is . . . Bourke is a fascinating storyteller whose writing rebels against the more obtrusive style of some of the very authors she discusses . . . This is an exciting, new, thought-provoking and accessible book that brings into posthuman and queer theory to ask: what does it mean to love animals? * Cultural and Social History *
In this courageous book, Joanna Bourke combines scholarship and clear prose to tackle head-on one of our most stigmatized taboos—sexual relations between humans and nonhumans. In doing so, she provides an illuminating perspective on a subject too often swept under the rug. Even if so-called zoophilia were a rare aberration, it ought to be addressed. That it is far more widespread than commonly believed justifies the need for thorough, contemporary examination. * Jonathan Balcombe, author of 'Pleasurable Kingdom: Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good' *
This bold and imaginative book is thoughtful and – inevitably – provocative. With characteristic compassion and insight, Joanna Bourke undertakes a tour de force of historical and cultural attitudes towards human-animal relations to guide us through serious ethical and political questions concerning sexuality, power and consent. * Julie-Marie Strange, Professor of Modern British History, Durham University *
Joanna Bourke’s post-anthropocentric approach to human–animal love and lust is a remarkable and much-needed contribution to both queer studies and animal studies. She offers a critical and thorough analysis of the joys, hopes and dangers of intimacy with the most vulnerable of all lovers – animals. * Monika Bakke, Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań *

An important and thought-provoking book . . . Bourke’s deft yet bold handling of this topic opens a vast
and ethically freighted vista.

* Dr Louise Hide, Birkbeck, University of London *
This book is a timely intervention in a range of current academic milieus exploring posthumanism. It brings human-animal studies into conversation with studies of mental health, sexuality, and queer studies. * Sandra Swart, The American Historical Review *