The Wife-Swappers

Lawrence Block writes:

"As a prelude to the process of republishing The Wife-Swappers, I Googled my way to a textual analysis of Andrew Shaw titles by Lynn Munroe, perhaps the leading scholar of Midcentury Erotica. He says of this particular novel, 'Perhaps the worst-written of the early Shaws (which is saying it's almost unreadable)...'

"I'm not sure it's terribly wise of me to quote this observation as a way of introducing a book I'd presumably like you to buy. I have a feeling Lynn's judgment may have been a little harsh, but maybe not.

"Regardless, the literary merit or lack thereof of The Wife-Swappers is not what I much feel like writing about. What struck me, and strikes me still, is the fundamental sexism of its title. It is, as you've almost certainly assumed, a book about a group of couples who expand their sexual horizons by systematically exchanging mates--but the titular phrase essentially takes it for granted that the men are the prime movers, and that they are swapping wives as they might trade any chattel or possession.

"Like, say, baseball cards: 'I'll give you Carole Anne and Mickey Mantle for Suzie and Ted Williams, plus I'll throw in my Gene Woodling card, because your wife is H-O-T.'

"We can't blame Andrew Shaw for the usage. It was how the whole phenomenon of ritualized consensual adultery entered the American language. In time, of course, 'mate swapping' was an acceptable alternative term, and as time passed and the pastime proved more enduring than a mere midcentury fad, 'swinging' entered the lexicon. Couples seeking out this form of recreational sex were swingers, living the swinging lifestyle.

"But even in its earliest incarnation, with its undeniably sexist nomenclature, the practice got a lot of ink. It was to be expected that Andrew Shaw would seize upon it as a theme for a book, as all manner of media found excuses to offer up their reports. Like the preacher who spoke on sin--he was against it--most articles deplored the whole business, while including enough detail to keep their clientele reading.

"Never mind. The Wife-Swappers was Andrew Shaw's fifth book for Nightstand, written in early 1960 and published that same year. The cover is by Harold W. McCauley, who provided original art for many of those early books; had I not sworn to reserve the word for Greek and Russian religious paintings, I might label his cover for Campus Tramp as 'iconic.' Few would award that designation to his cover for The Wife-Swappers--but it ain't bad.

"And that's as much as I have to say about the book. As with most of the volumes in the Collection of Classic Erotica, all I want to do, really, is make it available--and hope you enjoy it."