Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Wordsworth Classics) - Softcover

Cleland, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1840224177 ISBN 13: 9781840224177

Publisher: Wordsworth Editions, 2000

Synopsis

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, better known as Fanny Hill, is one of the most notorious texts in English literature. As recently as 1963 an unexpurgated edition was the subject of a trial, yet in the eighteenth century John Cleland's open celebration of sexual enjoyment was a best selling novel.

Fanny's story, as she falls into prostitution and then rises to respectability, takes the form of a confession that is vividly coloured by copious and explicit physiological details of her carnal adventures. The moral outrage that this has always provoked has only recently been countered by serious critical appraisal.

Cleland's highly entertaining book is a classic of erotica that holds a unique place in English fiction.

About this title

Review:

"A rare achievement . . . a ray of sunshine in the gloomy world of lust." --Erica Jong

About the Author:

John Cleland wrote Fanny Hill, also known as Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, in two instalments whilst serving time in Fleet Prison for a bad debt. In 1749, Cleland was arrested for obscenity, yet denied responsibility for the novel. The book was officially withdrawn, and not officially published again for a hundred years. However, it continued to sell well and was published in pirate editions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Wordsworth Editions
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1840224177
• ISBN 13: 9781840224177
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208