Erotic literature  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Revision as of 19:03, 11 June 2008

Related e

Wikipedia Wiktionary Shop Featured: Rhombicuboctahedron by Leonardo da Vinci

Erotic literature is a literary genre that either takes the form of erotica written to arouse the reader, or to give instruction in sexual technique.

History

Sex manuals 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.

Erotic fiction from the Roman period- more appropriately called ribaldry - includes the Satyricon of Petronius (later made into a film by Fellini. The output of literary eroticism during the Roman era featured more poetry than prose, see Latin profanity.

From the Medieval period we have the Decameron (1353) by Giovanni Boccaccio (made into a 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.

The Decameron inspired many similar works of erotic fiction, such as the Heptameron of Marguerite de Navarre, first published in 1558.

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.

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). 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 has often been adapted for the cinema in the 20th century. Anonymously published erotica included The Lustful Turk.

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 sadomasochism were present in some examples, perhaps reflecting the influence of the English public school. These were works were often anonymous, and undated, and include such classics of the genre as:

• The Way of a Man with a Maid
• The Autobiography of a Flea
• Beatrice

Towards the end of the century, a more 'cultured' form of erotica began to appear. This was associated with the Decadents, in particular, with Aubrey Beardsley and the Yellow Book. But it was also to be found in France, amongst such writers as Pierre Louÿs, author of the 'The Songs of Bilitis' (a celebration of lesbianism and sexual awakening).

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.

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 magazines and sometimes including elements of satire or social criticism.

Works of significant literary merit that can be classed as erotic literature include:

• The Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter
• Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin
• The Story of O by Pauline Réage
• Ada, or Ardor by Vladimir Nabokov
• The 120 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade
• Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille
• Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Romantic novels are sometimes marketed as erotica—or vice versa, as "mainstream" romance in recent years has begun to exhibit blatant (if poetic) descriptions of sex.

Artists books explore relations between the literary, poetic, comic, and artistic representations of sex.

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.

In the 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.

See also

• Milesian tale
• List of authors of erotic works
• List of pornographic book publishers
• Romance fiction
• Sex in literature

Bibliography

• A history of Erotic Literature (1982) - Patrick J. Kearney
• Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature, 2006 , Routledge