CLASSIC EUROPEAN SEX EROTICA: VENUS IN FURS (Sex and Erotica Collection) by Sacher Masoch FOR ADULTS AND MATURE READERS ONLY [Nook Edition] NOOKbook S

CLASSIC EUROPEAN SEX EROTICA: VENUS IN FURS (Sex and Erotica Collection) by Sacher Masoch FOR ADULTS AND MATURE READERS ONLY [Nook Edition] NOOKbook Sex Classics Explicit Content and Sexual References Sexuality Bondage Spanking S&M Sado-Masochism Parental Warning: For Adults OnlyABOUT S&M, SADISM AND MASOCHISMSadism and Masochism were originally derived from the names of two authors, Marquis de Sade and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch respectively, based on their popular writings.The German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing introduced the terms Sadism and Masochism into institutional medical terminology in his work Neue Forschungen auf dem Gebiet der Psychopathia sexualis (New research in the area of Psychopathology of Sex) in 1890.ABOUT VENUS IN FURSThe novel concerns a man who dreams of speaking to Venus about love while she wears furs. The unnamed narrator tells his dreams to a friend, Severin, who tells him how to break him of his fascination with cruel women by reading a manuscript, Memoirs of a Suprasensual Man.This manuscript tells of a man, Severin von Kusiemski, so infatuated with a woman, Wanda von Dunajew, that he requests to be treated as her slave, and encourages her to treat him in progressively more degrading ways. At first Wanda does not understand or relate to the request, but after humouring Severin a bit she finds the advantages of the method to be interesting and enthusiastically embraces the idea; though at the same time, she disdains Severin for allowing her to do so.Severin describes his feelings during these experiences as suprasensuality. Severin and Wanda travel to Florence. Along the way, Severin takes the generic Russian servant’s name of Gregor and the role of Wanda’s servant. In Florence, Wanda treats him brutally as a servant, and recruits a trio of African women to dominate him.The relationship arrives at a crisis point when Wanda herself meets a man to whom she would like to submit, a Byronic hero known as Alexis Papadopolis. At the end of the book, Severin, humiliated by Wanda’s new lover, loses the desire to submit. He says of Wanda:That woman, as nature has created her, and man at present is educating her, is man’s enemy. She can only be his slave or his despot, but never his companion. This she can become only when she has the same rights as he and is his equal in education and work.EXCERPTWell, how do you feel now, half broken on the wheel?Her piercing green eyes rested on me with a peculiar mocking satisfaction. Overcome by desire, I flung myself down before her, and threw my arms about her.Yes—you have awakened my dearest dream, I cried. It has slept long enough.And this is? She put her hand on my neck.I was seized with a sweet intoxication under the influence of this warm little hand and of her regard, which, tenderly searching, fell upon me through her half-closed lids.To be the slave of a woman, a beautiful woman, whom I love, whom I worship.And who on that account maltreats you, interrupted Wanda, laughing.Yes, who fetters me and whips me, treads me underfoot, the while she gives herself to another.And who in her wantonness will go so far as to make a present of you to your successful rival when driven insane by jealousy you must meet him face to face, who will turn you over to his absolute mercy. Why not? This final tableau doesn’t please you so well?I looked at Wanda frightened.You surpass my dreams.