Fanny Hill: Memories Of A Woman Of Pleasure

By John Cleland

'Fanny Hill or Memories of a Woman of Pleasure', considered the first modern erotic novel, is also one of the great portraits of eighteenth-century Europe. In the form of letters and narrated in the first person by the young Fanny Hill, the book surprises by the sensual prose of Cleland and by the style and elegance that the author employs when counting the adventures of sexual initiation of a young woman - not so innocent like that - that, orphan at the age of fifteen, goes to London to try and become a courtesan. Before Fanny's virginity is put up for sale by a pimp, she falls in love with Charles, with whom she runs away. They live together, but, unexpectedly, he must leave the city. Fanny then becomes an insecure girl, the courtesan of many lovers. At this point, the novel becomes innovative, since Fanny, in addition to showing no regret for her actions, describes her adventures explicitly, giving the play an ode character to sexual pleasure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bibliomundi
• Release date: Jan 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781526003317

John Cleland

John Cleland was an English writer who is best known for his erotic novel Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. An employee of the British East India Company, Cleland spent extended periods in Bombay, India, until recalled to England because of his father’s illness. With no financial support from his family, Cleland amassed enough debt to land in Fleet Prison, where he is believed to have composed Fanny Hill,/em>. His subsequent arrest following the publication of Fanny Hill prompted Cleland to withdraw the novel, and while it was not legally published for over a hundred years, it continued to sell well as a pirated work. Cleland never achieved professional or financial success with his writing. He died in 1789.