Erotic Literature
One of my favourite pastimes is reading, especially erotic literature. What would you expect from a Burlesque Performer? ;)
Erotic literature can educate as well as titillate...
...and books can certainly contain that which films are unable to show due to censorship. Yes most men love to watch porn, it’s a known fact! I also think that men are very visually stimulated, whereas women seem to get turned on more by scenarios or situations. There is an exception to every rule and I’m not saying this is the rule just a generalisation but it seems to me that men can have sex for just sex sakes whereas for women it is more about the foreplay and the build up; which is why women find it harder to orgasm.
I personally think we seem quite sexually repressed as a society as opposed to our European neighbours. For example the French are very sexual just watch any French films or listen to the famous French song Je t’aime! Also the Italians are known as the most romantic and passionate. (La Boheme the famous Italian opera is testament to this) and even in one of Italy’s most successful films La Dolce Vita the main character Marcello falls passionately in and out of love so easily and in Sweden they walk around naked!
I believe one of the best ways to truly explore your
sexual fantasies and shake off those repressions
can be by reading some classic erotic literature.
Some of the earliest classic erotic writings can actually be found in the Old Testament for example the ‘Song of Songs’ and many writings also date as far back as ancient Greece and Rome. (Roman Satyricon by Petronius Arbiter… later made into a film by Fellini).
In the Renaissance period poems were circulated for limited readership instead of being written for publication. ‘Such were Sonnets of William Shakespeare who delved into erotica with poems like ‘Venus and Adonis’ and ‘The Rape of Lucrece’.
In the medieval period ‘Decameron (1353) by the Italian Giovanni Boccaccio (made into a film by Pasolini) which featured tales of lechery by monks and the seduction of nuns from convents. This book was banned in many countries’.
‘The Perfumed Garden’ which was written in the 16th Century is one of the most classic texts on erotica. Equipped with a number of stories filled with context and amusement; it also contains advice on sexual techniques, sexual health and a section on the interpretation of dreams.
Probably the most famous early eastern erotic text is the Indian Hindu Kama Sutra. " Kāma " is one of the three goals of Hindu life and means sensual or sexual pleasure. " Sūtra " literally means a thread or line that holds things together or more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (line, rule, formulae) or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual.”
Cherie Bebe’s TOP EROTIC BOOKS
SCORPIONS SWEET VENOM by Bruna Surfistinha
I think my earliest memory of an erotic novel was ‘The Scorpions Sweet Venom’. A girlfriend suggested the novel and it was one of those books that really intrigued me. The author, Bruna Surfistinha documented her life as a call girl on an online blog which she later published as a book. Each chapter flits from her sexual awakening at the age of 13 to her encounters as a prostitute. I especially like this novel as there are a few cheeky chapters in the back pages such as ‘Girl tips on how to spice up your sex life’ and also ‘Bruna’s fifteen commandments.’ This girl obviously knows the best tricks as that is what she was paid to do!
AGENT PROVOCATEUR – SECRETS/CONFESSIONS – by Various
I purchased these books when I was 17 years old. I remember distinctively being on a four hour train journey and these helped me pass the time (with a few stares on the way). Both these novels contain sexual encounters from voyeurism, sexual fantasies, ménage-a-trios, phone sex, fetish, bondage and sapphic sex, to name a few! The stories are very tongue in cheek (literally). Plus they are great for enacting out the scenes with a lover.
TROPIC OF CANCER – by Henry Miller
One of my favourite books I picked up in HMV! Set in the underground of Paris. ‘Tropic Of Cancer’ is an open encounter of sexuality and freedom within Miller’s life. So much so that the novel was banned for almost 30 years after it was first published in 1934! Miller depicts the artistic Parisian lifestyle of sexual exploits throughout the novel in a frank manner; including his explorations with prostitutes, pimps and impoverished creatives’.
PAULINE THE PRIMA DONNA – by Anonymous
Is the memoirs of the German Operatic singer Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient and reveals her sexual encounters from sapphic sex, sadomasochism, orgies, sodomy, bestiality, scatology, necrophilia, prostitution and vampirism all before she had reached the age of 27! I particularly enjoy the style of writing as each chapter is set out as though they are letters to a lover which makes the book that more personal.
STORY OF O – by Pauline Reage
Known as ‘one of the most famous erotic novels of all time!’ I purchased this book from Coco De Mer and it is definitely a bedside must have! ‘Story Of O’ was actually under an ‘anonymous’ pen name for years until the author was revealed as Pauline Reage, a few years before her death. The story was actually written for her lover, as a love letter, with whom she had an affair with for 20 years. This erotic novel follows O’s story coming into encounters with female submission under a BDSM lifestyle. The story has its own unique trait as it has two beginnings and two endings.
BLOODY CHAMBERS – by Angela Carter
Who could have thought fairytales were so much fun? Angela Carter seductively transforms some of our well known childhood fables and turns them into erotic pieces of art. These ten dark stories are based on classics such as Snow White, Little Red riding Hood, Puss-In-Boots and Beauty & The Beast as well as some folk stories and variants of fairytales combined.
SEX – by Madonna
A controversial coffee table book by the Queen of pop herself - Madonna! This book was released in 1992 a day after her Erotica album and features various soft-core pornographic photographs, letters, writings and short stories. Madonna is an artist who always pushes the boundaries and this book definitely shows that. ‘SEX’ leaves little to the imagination yet also let’s our minds wander and realise that we all have animal instincts in us. So why not embrace our sexual desires? It is extremely hard to purchase a copy unless you want to pay well over £100 for one, however if you do ever manage to purchase a copy, you will not be disappointed.
Cherie Bebe’s bookshelf certainly makes for an interesting read, so come on guys and girls, spice up your literature by surprising your lover with a naughty tome!
Cherie Bebe
~xXx~
Images of Cherie Bebe by Berna V Photography
http://www.berna-v-photography.co.uk/
