The ascetic of desire

The Ascetic of Desire is a work of fiction on the sage Vatsyayana, the author of Kamasutra. Sudhir Kakar is the author of this novel and this is his debut novel. It was published in 2000 by Penguin India and is available in paperback.

The Ascetic of Desire attempts to discover the origins of desire. The story unfolds through the eyes of a fictional student of Vatsyayana. The author's depiction of Vatsyayana is noteworthy for many reasons. He has reconstructed the life and times of Vatsyayana in an impeccable manner using psychoanalytic techniques, imagination and an unpretentious writing style. It delves deep into sexual experiences and ideas. The compelling narrative makes it an enjoyable and thoughtful read.

The Ascetic of Desire revolves around the life of Vatsyayana. It depicts the various stages of life of this famous sage and sometimes the novel appears to be biographical in nature. The main characters of the story are Vatsyayana, his courtesan aunt, his wife and his student who is the biographer. With the help of these characters the author explains the various aspects of sexuality of men and women.