The Songs of Bilitis

By Pierre Louÿs and Willy Pogany

These passionate verses were published in Paris in 1894 as the lost works of a disciple of Sappho. Between their open celebration of lesbian love and the eventual revelation of their true authorship—the verses actually were written by French novelist and poet Pierre Louÿs—they became a succès de scandale. Although debunked as a work of antiquity, The Songs of Bilitis remains a classic of erotic literature.
More than 160 sensual illustrations by the famed Hungarian-born American artist Willy Pogány grace the pages of this lovely keepsake edition. Reprinted from a sensitive translation of the original French edition by Alvah C. Bessie, it features extensive annotations. Contains adult material.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Release date: Feb 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9780486122199

Pierre Louÿs

Pierre Louÿs (* 10. Dezember 1870 in Gent; † 4. Juni 1925 in Paris war ein französischer Lyriker und Romanschriftsteller. Neben de Sade, Verlaine und Mirabeau gilt er als Meister der erotischen Literatur Frankreichs. (Wikipedia)

Book preview

Reviews for The Songs of Bilitis

[big_bang_gorilla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being erotic prose poems with atmospheric illustration. The writing is lovely and appealing; the illustrations have a period feel which is evocative of Beardsley's line drawing without the grotesque undertones.