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2.94 AVERAGE
2.94 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was entertained by this book. I listened to it in my own language, norwegian, and i found it mostly enjoyable. It was sometimes very funny, sometimes sad, and always very descriptive.
However, it might not be the book for you if you suffer from trauma regarding rape or other forms of sexual abuse, because in my opinion some of the descriptions are downright describing rape instead of consensual sex, at least from what would be our modern point of view (which it should have been at all times, but was not regarded as such…).
But i think it’s an interesting story and how sexuality was viewed, and i love being able to read it several hundred years later.
However, it might not be the book for you if you suffer from trauma regarding rape or other forms of sexual abuse, because in my opinion some of the descriptions are downright describing rape instead of consensual sex, at least from what would be our modern point of view (which it should have been at all times, but was not regarded as such…).
But i think it’s an interesting story and how sexuality was viewed, and i love being able to read it several hundred years later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content
What an utter disappointment! A few years back I had seen a BBC adaptation of this novel and I liked it enough that when I found an inexpensive copy at a used book store, I immediately bought it. Finally beginning the read this week, I was stupidly expecting a somewhat intelligent romp into 18th Century sexuality and prostitution. Instead, if I had read the reviews here, I may have come to realize that this novel was, in fact, little more than badly written, plot-less porn (as porn so often is). Strangely enough, it actually began somewhat promising, in which the first half, or "letter", of the novel had my interest as Fanny was beginning to dive into these new exploits. Shortly into the second letter, I quickly realized how repetitive and senseless the whole thing really was. Each exploit is utter drivel as the same words, the same descriptors, even the same types of women are used ad nauseum. Variety was clearly not John Cleland's spice of life. The best part is that when Cleland seems to run out of adjectives to describe his lovely ladies, he falls back on his old staple, "perfect". Every thigh is "perfect", every breast is "perfect", even every facial expression in the heights of passion is, surprise surprise, "perfect" (to be fair, perfect was often interchanged with "white", what genius!). Most offensive of all is that the girls' descriptions of their first sexual encounters nearly all start off with a borderline rape and ends with the ladies in a state of bliss. Words like "torn and bleeding", "victim", "murder" and "attack" are used often to describe their virgin-less state. Cleland's opinion of women is that they are weak and often swooning (and thus are left completely at the will of men), and describes men as conquerors. This was clearly a novel written by a man, for the sheer purpose of entertaining other men of his time.
Basically just the erotic fantasies of a man in the middle of 1700 Britain
Or: it's old-school pornographic literature without any substantial plot
Or: it's old-school pornographic literature without any substantial plot
It's good to know trashy erotic literature has a pedigree as old as any other genre.
The story of Frances (Fanny) Hill and how she leaves her innocent self to become Charles' wife is interesting, and I thought an erotic novel from the XVIII century would be curious, but that part became repetitive and somehow boring. I like that all the story is narrated through a letter. As Frances would say: xo xo xo.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Miscarriage
I read this because it was on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, and didn't really look into what it was about beforehand.
I don't know what I expected, but now I feel dirty. I read this while I was at work. Mortified.
I don't know what I expected, but now I feel dirty. I read this while I was at work. Mortified.
Nope. Pedophilia and purple prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
slow-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No