Erotic literature
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226105233
2008-07-16T21:06:21Z
Colin4C
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/* History of western erotic fiction */ Edmund Curll
'''Erotic literature''' comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts which sexually arouse the reader, whether written with that intention or not. Such [[erotica]] takes the form of novels, short stories, poetry, true-life memoirs, and manuals of [[sexual technique]]. Erotic literature has often been subject to censorship and legal restraints on publication.
==Erotic fiction==
'''Erotic fiction''' is the name given to [[fiction]] that deals with sex or sexual themes, generally in a more literary or serious way than the fiction seen in [[pornographic magazine]]s and sometimes including elements of [[satire]] or [[social criticism]]. Such works have frequently been banned by the authorities.
===History of western erotic fiction===
Classic erotica from the Roman period includes the ''[[Satyricon]]'' of [[Petronius Arbiter]] (later made into a [[Satyricon (film)|film]] by [[Fellini]])
From the Medieval period we have the ''[[Decameron]]'' (1353) by the Italian , [[Giovanni Boccaccio]] (made into a[[The Decameron (1970 film)| film]] by [[Pasolini]]) which features tales of lechery by monks and the seduction of nuns from convents. This book was banned in many countries. Even five centuries after publication copies were seized and destroyed by the authorities in the USA and the UK. For instance between 1954 and 1958 eight orders for destruction of the book were made by English magistrates.<ref>H. Mongomery Hyde (1964) ''A History of Pornography'': 71-2</ref>
From the fifteenth century another classic of Italian erotica is the ''Facetiae'' of [[Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini]].
The sixteenth century was notable for the ''[[Heptameron]]'' of [[Marguerite de Navarre]] (1558), inspired by Boccaccio's ''Decameron''.
An early pioneer of the publication of erotic works in England was [[Edmund Curll]] (1675-1747). The rise of the novel in 18th century England provided a new medium for erotica. One of the most famous in this new genre was ''[[Fanny Hill]]'' by [[John Cleland]]. This book set a new standard in literary smut and has often been adapted for the cinema in the 20th century.
French writers at this time also wrote erotica. One example is ''The Lifted Curtain or Laura's Education'', about a young girl's sexual initiation by her father, written by the [[Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau|Comte de Mirabeau]].
In the late 18th century the theme of [[sado-masochism]] was explored by the [[Marquis de Sade]] in such works as ''[[Justine, or the Misfortunes of Virtue]]'' and ''[[120 Days of Sodom]]''. The Marquis de Sade's work was very influential on later erotica and he (together with the later writer Sacher-Masoch) lent his name to the sexual acts which he describes in his fiction.
In the Victorian period, the quality of erotic fiction was much below that of the previous century — it was written by 'hacks'. However, some contained borrowings from established literary models, such as [[Dickens]]. It also featured a curious form of [[social stratification]]. Even in the throes of orgasm, the social distinctions between master and servant (including form of address) were scrupulously observed. Significant elements of [[sado-masochism]] were present in some examples, perhaps reflecting the influence of the English [[public school]]. These works were often anonymous, and undated, and include such titles as ''[[The Lustful Turk]]'' (1828); ''[[The Way of a Man with a Maid]]''; ''[[Romance of Lust|The Romance of Lust]]'' (1873); ''[[The Autobiography of a Flea]]'' (1887); ''[[Beatrice (novel)|Beatrice]]''; ''Raped on the Railway: A True Story of a Lady who was first ravished and then flagellated on the Scotch Express'' (1894) and ''Flossie, A Venus of Fifteen: By one who knew this Charming Goddess and worshipped at her shrine'' (1897).
Clandestine erotic periodicals of this period include ''[[The Pearl (erotica)|The Pearl]]'' a collection of erotic tales, rhymes, songs and parodies published in London between 1879 to 1880.
In 1870 the erotic novella ''[[Venus in Furs]]'' by [[Austria]]n author [[Leopold von Sacher-Masoch]], brought the attention of the world to phenomenon of [[masochism]], named after the author.
Towards the end of the century, a more 'cultured' form of erotica began to appear by such as the poet [[Algernon Charles Swinburne]] who pursued themes of paganism, lesbianism and sado-masochism in such works as ''Lesbia Brandon'' and in contributions to ''The Whippingham Papers'' edited by St George Stock, author of ''The Romance of Chastisement''. This was associated with the [[Decadent movement]], in particular, with [[Aubrey Beardsley]] and the [[Yellow Book]]. But it was also to be found in France, amongst such writers as [[Pierre Louys]], author of ''[[Les chansons de Bilitis]]'' (1894) (a celebration of lesbianism and sexual awakening).
Twentieth century erotic fiction includes such classics of the genre as:
* ''[[Trois Filles de Leur Mére]]'' (1926) by Pierre Louys
* ''[[Story of the Eye]]'' (1928) by [[Georges Bataille]]
* ''[[Tropic of Cancer (novel)|Tropic of Cancer]]'' (1934) by [[Henry Miller]]
* The ''[[Story of O]]'' (1954) by [[Pauline Réage]]
* ''[[Lolita]]'' (1955) and ''[[Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle|Ada, or Ardor]]'' (1969) by [[Vladimir Nabokov]]
* ''[[Delta of Venus]]'' (1978) by [[Anaïs Nin]]
* ''The Bicycle Rider'' (1985) by [[Guy Davenport]]
''Lolita'' and ''The Story of O'' were published by [[Olympia Press]], a [[Paris]]-based [[publisher]], launched in 1953 by [[Maurice Girodias]] as a rebadged version of the [[Obelisk Press]] he inherited from his father [[Jack Kahane]]. It published a mix of erotic fiction and [[avant-garde]] [[literary fiction|literary]] works.
===Chinese erotic fiction===
[[Chinese literature]] has a tradition of erotic literature of its own. The most famous novel is the [[Jin Ping Mei]].
===Contemporary erotic fiction===
[[Romantic novel]]s are sometimes marketed as erotica — or vice versa, as "mainstream" romance in recent years has begun to exhibit blatant (if poetic) descriptions of sex. [[Erotic romance novels|Erotic Romance]] is a relatively new genre of romance with an erotic theme and very explicit love scenes, but with a romance at the heart of the story. Erotic fantasy is a [[subgenre]] of [[fantasy|fantasy fiction]] and utilizes [[erotica]] in a fantasy setting. These stories can essentially cover any of the other subgenres of fantasy, such as [[high fantasy]], [[contemporary fantasy]], or even [[historical fantasy]].
Erotic fantasy is often very similar to [[romantic fantasy]], but is far more graphic and goes into much more detail when describing [[sexual intercourse|sex]] scenes. Erotic fantasy can also be found in [[Fan Fiction]]. Erotic fan fiction focuses on using existing fantasy characters such as [[Galadriel]] or [[Éowyn]] from the Lord of the Rings novels and movies. Many recent works of erotic fan fiction use characters from the settings made popular by [[Dungeons & Dragons]] such as [[Dragonlance]], and to a lesser extent [[Forgotten Realms]]. The nature of these erotic fantasy fiction varies widely, and include [[Slash fiction]], and [[Elf porn]].
==Erotic Memoirs==
Erotic memoirs include those of [[Casanova]]'s ''[[Histoire de ma vie]]'' from the eighteenth century, 'Walter's ''[[My Secret Life]]'' from the nineteenth, [[Frank Harris]]'s ''My Life and Loves'' (1922-27) from the twentieth and ''[[One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed]]'' by [[Melissa P.]] from the twenty-first.
==Sex Manuals==
[[Sex manual]]s such as the [[Kama Sutra]] are some of the best known works of erotic literature. The [[Ananga Ranga]] is a lesser known one, aimed specifically at preventing the separation of a husband and wife.
Directories of [[prostitutes]] and their services have also historically served as a sexual education in print, such as ''[[Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies]]'' (1757-1795).
From around the late 1970s, many sex manuals have been published and openly sold in the western world, notably ''[[The Joy of Sex]]''. Sex manuals specifically written for sexual minorities are also now published.
==Legal status==
There is a substantial overlap between legal erotic literature and illegal [[pornography]], with the distinction traditionally having been made in the English-speaking courts on the basis of perceived [[literary merit]]. This was particularly true of works aimed at men, which generally use explicit descriptions of [[sexual acts]]. Many [[banned books]] have been suppressed because they also contained erotic visual images, which has traditionally been easier to prosecute than text.
In the [[USA]], the [[First Amendment]] gives protection to written fiction — although in one case, a man pled guilty and was convicted for writing unpublished stories (these were works of fiction concerning sexually abusing children) that were contained only in his personal and private journal. That conviction was later overturned on appeal.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.politechbot.com/p-02223.html | title=Ohio man convicted for "obscene" stories in his private journal | accessdate=2006-10-05}}</ref>
In the [[United Kingdom|UK]] purely textual pornographic texts, with no hint of [[libel]], have not been prosecuted since the ''Inside Linda Lovelace'' trial collapsed in 1976.
Importing books and texts across national borders can sometimes be subject to more stringent laws than in the nations concerned. Customs officers are often permitted to seize even merely 'indecent' works that would be perfectly legal to sell and possess once one is inside the nations concerned. [[Canada]] has been particularly notorious for such border seizures.
In some nations, even purely textual erotic literature is still deemed illegal and is also prosecuted.
==Internet erotic fiction==
The Internet and digital revolution in the [[history of erotic depictions]], has blurred older forms of representing scenes of a sexual nature, although research indicates erotic literature was available among the poor and performed at public readings in 1700s Britain.[http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/uol-sit032307.php]
Readers of erotic fiction in most of the world's liberal democracies are now able to indulge their fantasies in the comfort and privacy of their homes, without the social and legal restrictions of a pre-digital era. Online bookstores now legally carry a range of professional, commercial and non-commercial erotic writing.
Where as once access to online erotic fiction was largely restricted to membership or pay sites, in recent years a marked increase in the number of community based, not-for-profit or free access websites has led to an explosion in the level of popularity of this genre.
Increased interactivity and anonymity allows casual or hobby writers the opportunity to not only author their own stories (sometimes based on personal fantasies), but then share them with a world wide audience.
Many authors adopt colorful pseudonyms and can develop cult followings within their genre, though a small number use (or claim to use) their real names. Among [[transgender]]ed authors, it's common practice to adopt a feminine alter-ego, although it's not unheard of for a writer to use his own first name.
Over the years, many non-profit sites have limited themselves to a particular sub-genre (or [[Sexual fetishism|fetish]]). Other websites have started and then vanished (or have never been updated or properly maintained).
==See also==
* [[List of authors of erotic works]]
* [[List of pornographic book publishers]]
* [[Romance novel]]
==External Links==
* [http://www.theeroticwoman.com "The Erotic Woman"] Erotic Fiction and Art
==References==
<references />
==Bibliography==
* Phyllis & Eberhard Kronhausen: ''Pornography and the Law, The Psychology of Erotic Realism and Pornography'' New York: Ballantine Books 1959
* Phyllis & Eberhard Kronhausen: ''Erotic Fantasies, A Study of Sexual Imagination'' New York: Grove Press 1969
* ''Encyclopedia of erotic literature'', ed. by Gaëtan Brulotte; John Phillips, New York, NY [etc.]: Routledge, 2006
* {{cite book | author=Susan Sontag | title=The Pornographic Imagination in Styles of Radical Will | publisher=Picador | year=1969 | id=ISBN 0-312-42021-8}}
* Patrick J. Kearney (1982), ''A history of Erotic Literature''
* Michael J. Weller (2005), "The Secret Blue Book", Home'Baked Books,[http://www.bookartbookshop.com/archived_pages/botm_nov05.htm], London.
* [[Linda Williams (film critic)|Linda Williams]], ''Hardcore: Power, Pleasure, and the 'Frenzy of the Visible''', (University of California Press, 1999)
[[Category:Literary genres]]
[[Category:Erotic fiction|*]]
[[Category:Erotic literature| ]]
[[cs:Erotická literatura]]
[[de:Erotische Literatur]]
[[fr:Conte érotique]]
[[hr:Erotska književnost]]
[[it:Letteratura erotica]]
[[lt:Erotinė literatūra]]
[[ja:性愛文学]]
[[pt:Literatura erótica]]
[[fi:Eroottinen kirjallisuus]]
[[sv:Sexnovell]]
[[ta:பாலின்ப இலக்கியம்]]
[[vi:Sách báo khiêu dâm]]
[[tr:Erotik edebiyat]]
[[zh:情色文學]]