The Fixed.

When I was 19, a girlfriend convinced me to read ( more or less made me read) "A Pilgrim at Tinkers Creek", by Annie Dillard. I remember not really wanting to, but found that I really couldn't put it down, once I started. Chapter 4, "The Fixed" is just crazy.

It can be found on Google Books here:
The Fixed


Dillard is so damn descriptive. On pages 59 and 60, she goes in to detail about the mating ritual of praying mantis'. It's just brutal. To paraphrase, the male has a chemical in the lower part of his body that says,"this lovely maiden is yours", but this chemical in his brain says, don't go near her, she'll eat you alive. We (all men) think with our members.... no matter what we are. He goes to mount her and she bites off his head... the damn thing is, he keeps going, like nothing is wrong.

Read it. This is one of a few that I am mesmerized by every time I re-read it.