Venus in Furs" by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch is a unique novel because
it's one of the first (and still one of the most genuine) explorations of
gender reversals (power exchanges) that exists. In those days, women
actually had very little power; they were not allowed a proper education
or allowed to vote. This makes "Venus In Furs" stand out even more,
written as it was in 1870. The last line of the book is very telling:
"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." The novel is sort of a
head trip, especially for the main character, Severin, who boldly goes
where few "manly men" dare; in doing so, he explores his "weak" side, his
masochistic leanings. He renounces his position of power or his society-
granted "male privilege," offering himself up as Wanda's "property."
(Again, the gender reversal, for what was a wife then but a husband's
legal property or chattel to be dealt with as he pleased?)
Now, the question of "Venus In Furs" -- is it an erotic novel? Not
porn, certainly, but it has erotic elements (the character Severin
confesses to feelings of "suprasensuality," which is equal to being in
"sub space.") Again, it's an exploration of power in female/male
relationships, and it's about the thrill of complete surrender too, which
is a part of romance. There are very few books like this. The stuff
you see on Amazon is cheesy porn, for sure. (I've actually purchased
quite a few unfortunately.) Of the books I've read, I can only recommend
a few (some have a femdom theme or elements without being disposable
"porn"). Other books blending fiction with femdom themes (non
erotica): 1) "Meeting The Master" by Elissa Wald (short stories
exploring power plays) 2) "Permanent Obscurity: Or a Cautionary Tale
of Two Girls and Their Misadventures with Drugs, Pornography and Death"
by Richard Perez (black comic femdom theme) 3) "Control Freak" by
Christa Faust (she writes gothic urban noir type stories) 4)
"Hoodtown" by Christa Faust (lucha libre + femdom) Manuals (or "how
to" guides) about the subject: 1) "The Mistress Manual: The Good
Girl's Guide to Female Dominance" by Mistress Lorelei 2) "The Art Of
Sensual Female Dominance: A Guide for Women" by Claudia Varrin 3)
"The Sexually Dominant Woman: A Workbook for Nervous Beginners" by Lady
Green 4) " Male Chastity: A Guide for Keyholders" by Lucy Fairbourne
5) Sex Tips from a Dominatrix" by Patricia Payne I'm not entirely
comfortable recommending books by Elise Sutton, but interested parties
should know about them (if they don't already): 1) "Female
Domination" by Elise Sutton 2) "The Femdom Experience" by Elise
Sutton 3) "Searching for Wanda" by Elise Sutton Finally, there
are these collections of stories, which can be considered erotica. Many
of the stories are well written and slick, some better than others:
1) "Yes, Ma'am: Erotic Stories of Male Submission" by Rachel Kramer
Bussel 2) "Please, Ma'am: Erotic Stories of Male Submission" by
Rachel Kramer Bussel 3) "She's on Top: Erotic Stories of Female
Dominance and Male Submission" by Rachel Kramer Bussel Related
Articles - leopold von sacher-masoch, venus in furs, Meeting The Master,
Elissa Wald, Permanent Obscurity, Richard Perez, Control Freak, Christa
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