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2.95 AVERAGE
2.95 AVERAGE
Pure ye olde worde porne.
Also, I disapprove of Cleland's
a) romanticising rape
b) demonising homosexuality
Quite an engaging narrator, but Moll Flanders is a much better example of how this sort of thing should be done...
Also, I disapprove of Cleland's
a) romanticising rape
b) demonising homosexuality
Quite an engaging narrator, but Moll Flanders is a much better example of how this sort of thing should be done...
Really just readable for the historic value. The descriptions of sex scenes and body parts get repetitive quite quickly and I only realised on the last 10 pages that there actually IS a story line beside the porn.
I mean I knew this was explicitly sexual, but I didn't know it was /that/ expliclitly sexual... almost exclusively. Nonetheless, it is an interesting read to keep in mind in terms of 18th cent portrayals of sexual desire.
I found this one a bit hard to get through, mostly because Fanny did get on my nerves a bit. She couldn’t stop saying how her ignorance to the ways of the world led her to just go along with anything and everyone.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A racy novel about a woman's life experiences and pleasures in the 18th century. The story behind the novel is quite interesting, in that the book has been banned and the author not only went to jail for writing it but disassociated himself from the book as well.
Even though in many points I agree with the critics, I don't agree that the female characters, especially Fanny were completely passive and helpless. There was a certain agency in not allowing the disgusting guy to "deflower" her and also in going to Charles rather than staying with the madam. I also liked traces of sarcasm I thought I detected about class and about the silly concept of "virginity" and the high value attached to it for no good reason. The strong friendships between female characters (especially Mrs Cole and her girls) also were nice. That said it was porn. It was boring, repetitive. It was a man writing what he imagines a woman's point of view is (or thinks it ought to be) and as a consequence very heteronormative (actual homophobia comes into the second half of the book but the naturalisation of a narrowly conceived heterosexuality is throughout. There is also a sometimes hilarious, but mostly irritating phallocentrism. This idea that women can only really be satisfied by penis and that if it is painful that is all the better.
One of the studs she got with had a "maypole" which was pretty hilarious.
All in all I don;t recommend it. There are better classics. There is worse porn though. The constant argument for treating women with respect and courtesy to prostitutes is a well made point that is still topical in 21st century world. So ok...I managed to finish reading it.
It has a sweet happy ending. I like it because it's not the "woman gets treated badly but by constant love wins hero" the hero always treats her with respect and consequently actually deserves her love. So ok one and a half stars. I can't give it more because I got so sick of penises tearing their way into every female character all the time.
One of the studs she got with had a "maypole" which was pretty hilarious.
All in all I don;t recommend it. There are better classics. There is worse porn though. The constant argument for treating women with respect and courtesy to prostitutes is a well made point that is still topical in 21st century world. So ok...I managed to finish reading it.
It has a sweet happy ending. I like it because it's not the "woman gets treated badly but by constant love wins hero" the hero always treats her with respect and consequently actually deserves her love. So ok one and a half stars. I can't give it more because I got so sick of penises tearing their way into every female character all the time.
I had a hard time getting used to the writing style of this book. For only 140 pages this book seemed to take forever to read.
I’d say 4.5 stars for me. Despite the homophobic remarks and the many instances of rape/sexual assault, I enjoyed this overall. Remembering that the author is a male throughout reading is a bit off putting. However, I loved hearing about the feminist, hedonistic pleasure house run by Ms. Cole, and a good few of the abundant sex scenes were good.
*conclusion spoilers* The moral reversal of Fanny at the novel’s conclusion was less than pleasing. On the bright side, the conclusion that sees Fanny happy and unpunished for her passed exploits is welcomed (as my understanding is that most of Fanny’s literary prostitute contemporaries did not receive such a treatment).
*conclusion spoilers* The moral reversal of Fanny at the novel’s conclusion was less than pleasing. On the bright side, the conclusion that sees Fanny happy and unpunished for her passed exploits is welcomed (as my understanding is that most of Fanny’s literary prostitute contemporaries did not receive such a treatment).