Fanny Hill (Illustrated): Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure

Publisher Marketing:""One of the most prosecuted and banned books in history, it has become a synonym for obscenity"" *Special illustrated edition contains 14 illustrations by William Hogarth (1697 - 1764). The plate prints from his series of paintings "The Harlot's Progress" and "The Rake's Progress" perfectly capture the excess and resulting moral decline of mid 17th Century England as classes rich and poor fell to vice and drink, perfectly completing John Cleland's work, herein presented index hyper-linked for ease of reference and viewing pleasure within the table of contents. "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" tells the story of Fanny Hill who, upon the death of her parents, moves to London. Intent on making her as a maid the girl is duped into becoming a prostitute by an unscrupulous madam, Mrs Brown. Intent on selling her virginity to the highest and most esteemed of bidders, Mrs Brown places her at the disposal of Lord B. From noblemen, drunken sailors, loving lords, and all manner of sexually promiscuous classes in between, Fanny learns the forbidden arts and practices of a skilled companion enough to seduce her one true love. But will she find everlasting happiness in his arms, or will she fall deeper into the excess and depravity With voyeurism, birching, orgies, and menage-a-many, this genre-defining master-work, written by John Cleland in 1748, will be sure to shock and delight in equal measure now as it did near three centuries ago. Contributor Bio:  Cleland, John John Cleland was an English writer who is best known for his erotic novel Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. An employee of the British East India Company, Cleland spent extended periods in Bombay, India, until recalled to England because of his father s illness. With no financial support from his family, Cleland amassed enough debt to land in Fleet Prison, where he is believed to have composed Fanny Hill, /em>. His subsequent arrest following the publication of Fanny Hill prompted Cleland to withdraw the novel, and while it was not legally published for over a hundred years, it continued to sell well as a pirated work. Cleland never achieved professional or financial success with his writing. He died in 1789.