Porn: An Oral History

unexpected but illuminating

Porn: An Oral History was not the book I thought it was going to be, but I was intrigued all the same. I have been vaguely aware of Polly Barton and her writing and I have been wanting to read Fifty Sounds for so long! After reading this book, I know that Barton’s writing style is engaging and informative, so I want to read Fifty Sounds even more.

Barton conducts several interviews with anonymous individuals about their relationship to and experience with porn - specifically around consuming porn, rather than producing it. I was hoping for some general history of the porn industry, but perhaps that is for another book. I do not have any personal history with porn or the industry, so I found it illuminating to find out how it has affected some normie strangers. If you are also curious about how others have interacted with porn, then I would definitely recommend this book.