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

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For my part, I will not pretend to describe what I felt all over me, during this scene; but from that instant, adieu all fears of what man could do unto me? they were now changed into such ardent desires, such ungovernable longings, that I could have pull'd the first of that sex that should present himself, by the sleeve, and offered him the bauble, which I now imagin'd the loss of would be a gain I could not too soon procure myself. After which my senses recover'd coolness enough to observe the rest of the transaction between this happy pair. Had I consider'd this escapade of Mr. H⸻ in no more than that light, and contented myself with turning away the wench, I had thought and acted right; but, flush'd as I was with imaginary wrongs, I should have held Mr. H⸻ to have been cheaply off, if I had not push'd my revenge farther, and repaid him, as exactly as I could for the soul of me, in the same coin. After breakfast, Charles, the dear familiar name I must take the liberty henceforward to distinguish my Adonis by, with a smile full of meaning, took me gently by the hand, and said, "Come, my dear, I will show you a room that commands a fine prospect over some gardens:" and without waiting for an answer, in which he relieved me extremely, he led me up into a chamber, airy and lightsome, where all seeing of prospects was out of the question, except that of a bed, which had all the air of having recommended the room to him.

Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure - Wikisource

The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill (US, 1966), starring Stacy Walker, Ginger Hale; directed by Peter Perry (Arthur Stootsbury). The book exemplifies the use of euphemism. The text has no swearing or explicit scientific terms for body parts, but uses many literary devices to describe genitalia. For example, the vagina is sometimes referred to as "the nethermouth", which is also an example of psychological displacement.

By John Cleland

The first letter begins with a short account of Fanny's impoverished childhood in a Lancashire village. At age 14, she loses her parents to smallpox, arrives in London to look for domestic work, and gets lured into a brothel. She sees a sexual encounter between an ugly older couple and another between a young attractive couple, and participates in a lesbian encounter with Phoebe, a bisexual prostitute. A customer, Charles, induces Fanny to escape. She loses her virginity to Charles and becomes his lover. Charles is sent away by deception to the South Seas, and Fanny is driven by desperation and poverty to become the kept woman of a rich merchant named Mr H—. After enjoying a brief period of stability, she sees Mr H— have a sexual encounter with her own maid, and goes on to seduce Will (the young footman of Mr H—) as an act of revenge. She is discovered by Mr H— as she is having a sexual encounter with Will. After being abandoned by Mr H—, Fanny becomes a prostitute for wealthy clients in a pleasure-house run by Mrs Cole. This marks the end of the first letter. But I had not much reason to fear either, for she was so entirely taken up with her present great concern, that she had no sense of attention to spare to any thing else. Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1749) was the first widely-read English novel in the genre “Erotica.” It was written by John Cleland as he was serving hard time at a debtor’s prison in London. Over the centuries, the novel has been repeatedly banned by authorities, assuring its preeminent role in the history of the ongoing struggle against censorship of free expression. Kopelson, K. (1992). "Seeing sodomy: Fanny Hill's blinding vision". Journal of Homosexuality. 23 (1–2): 173–183. doi: 10.1300/J082v23n01_09. ISSN 0091-8369. PMID 1431071.

FANNY HILL - Project Gutenberg Australia

I complain'd, but tenderly complain'd; "I could not bear it ———" Indeed! he hurt me ——still he thought no more than that being so young, the largeness of his machine (for few men could dispute size with him) made all the dificulty, and that possible I had not been enjoy'd by any so advantageously made in that part as himself; for still, that my virgin-flower was yet uncrop'd never once enter'd into his head, and he would have thought it idling with time and words to have question'd me upon it. This was a work of literature. Comparing words selected in the 1700s to ones used in 2000s. How writing and describing different sexual related words have gone through extreme change. I also like the storyline, I was wondering how this novel would end. We breakfasted; and the tea-things were scarce removed, when in were brought two bundles of linnen and wearing apparel; in short, all the necessaries for rigging me out, as they termed it, compleatly. It was here agreed, that I should keep myself up and out of sight for a few days, till such cloaths could be procured for me as were fit for the character I was to appear in, of my mistress's ​companion, observing withal, that on the first impressions of my figure, much might depend; and, as they well judged, the prospect of exchanging my country-cloaths for London finery, made the clause of confinement digest perfectly well with me. But the truth was, Mrs. Brown did not care that I should be seen or talked to by any, either of her customers, or her Does (as they call'd the girls provided for them), till she had secured a good market for my maidenhead, which I had at least all the appearances of having brought into her ladyship 's service.As he stood on one side for a minute or so, unbuttoning his waste-coat, and breeches, her fat, brawny thighs hung down, and the whole greasy landskip lay fairly open to my view: a wide open-mouth'd gap, overshaded with a grizzly bush, seemed held out like a beggar's wallet for its' provision.

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Abridged) Cleland, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Abridged)

Poor country lass Fanny Hill sets off for London where she embarks on a series of sexual encounters in pursuit of wealth and happiness, "with many erotic asides." [2] Cast [ edit ] The brute had, it seems, as I afterwards understood, brought on, by his eagerness, and struggle, the ultimate period of his hot fit of lust, which his power was too short liv'd to carry him through the full execution of; of which my thighs and linnen received the effusion. None of the story's scenes have been exempt from illustration. Illustrations of this novel vary from the first homosexual experience to the flagellation scene. Note: This tag applies to scans and photocopies only. For photographs of public domain originals taken from afar, {{PD-Art}} may be applicable. See Commons:When to use the PD-Art tag.No sooner then was this precious substitute of my mystress's laid down, but she, who was never out of her way when any occasion of lewdness presented itself, turned to me, embraced, and kiss'd me with great eagerness. This was new, this was odd; but imputing it to nothing but ​pure kindness, which, for ought I knew, it might be the London way to express in that manner, I was determin'd not to be behind-hand with her, and returned her the kiss and embrace, with all the fervour that perfect innocence knew. Phœbe, who had more experience, and to whom such sights were not so new, could not however be unmov'd at so warm a scene; and drawing me away softly from the peep-hole, for fear of ​being over-heard, guided me as near the door as possible; all passive and obedient to her least signals.

Memoirs of a woman of pleasure : Cleland, John, 1709-1789

After a sufficient length of dialogue, my bed-fellow left me to my rest, and I fell asleep, through pure weariness, from the violent emotions I had been led into, when nature (which had been too warmly stir'd and fermented to subside without ​allaying by some means or other) relieved me by one of those luscious dreams, the transports of which are scarce inferior to those of waking, real action. Until Fanny Hill, previous heroines had conducted their amorous liaisons "off-stage." Any erotic misadventures were described euphemistically. As women who had gone astray, they always repented, which made even their most outrageous dalliances somehow suitable for a moralistic readership. The protagonist of Fanny Hill, however, never repented a single moment of her sexual exploits ... quite the contrary! And with Fanny, the devil is in the details, realistically described. (Summary by Denny Mike) Madam was, however, so well pleased with her bargain, that, fearing, I presume, lest better advice, or some accident might occasion my slipping through her ​fingers, she would officiously take me in a coach to my inn, where calling herself for my box, it was, I being present, delivered without the least scruple, or explanation as to where I was going. Fanny Hill (West Germany/UK, 1983), starring Lisa Foster, Oliver Reed, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Shelley Winters; directed by Gerry O'Hara [36] After some pause, he ask'd me, with a tone of voice mightily soften'd, whether I would make it up with him before the old lady returned, and all should be well; he would restore me his affections: at the same time offering to kiss me, and feel my breasts. But now my extreme aversion, my fears, my indignation, all acting upon me, gave me a spirit not natural to me, so that breaking loose from him, I ran to the bell, and rang it, before he was aware, with such violence and effect, as brought up the maid to know what was the matter, or whether the gentleman wanted any thing? and, before he could proceed to greater extremities, she bounc'd into the room, ​and seeing me stretch'd on the floor, my hair all dishevell'd, my nose guishing out blood, (which did not a little tragedize the scene) and my odious persecutor still intent of pushing his brutal point, unmov'd by all my cries and distress, she was herself confounded, and did not know what to do.With sexual acts being viewed heavily as taboo within 18th-century England, Fanny Hill strayed far away from the norm in comparison to other works of its time. A large portion of books that focused on the idea of sex were written in the form of conduct novels: books that would focus on teaching women the proper ways to behave and live their lives in as virtuous a manner as possible. [33] These novels encouraged women to stay away from sexual deviance, for if they were to remain virtuous then they would ultimately be rewarded. One example of this is Samuel Richardson's conduct novel Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, in which the character of Pamela is able to resist sexual temptation, thus maintaining her virtue and being rewarded in the end with a prosperous life. Paprika (Italy, 1991), starring Debora Caprioglio, Stéphane Bonnet, Stéphane Ferrara, Luigi Laezza, Rossana Gavinel, Martine Brochard and John Steiner; directed by Tinto Brass. [37] https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ PDM Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0 false false