The companion volume to Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Fanny Hill) in an unexpurgated edition with an analysis of the life and works of John Cleland.
The woman of pleasure was not a figment of John Cleland’s imagination. She lived and moved among the colorful figures of 18th century England. And she had her male counterpart: the coxcomb . . . man of pleasure.
John Cleland knew this life intimately. In Memoirs of a Coxcomb, as in Fanny Hill, he wrote of it with complete frankness and honesty.
Suppressed until recently, it is a major work of exotica.
John Cleland was penniless when he met Ralph Griffith, a bookseller and became partners in a publishing venture. Cleland was to distill his experiences and write a book called Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, a novel that was to become the most sensational piece of erotica in English literature. In 1747 Fanny Hill was launched into circulation and immortality.
Both men achieved their financial objectives - then came the repercussions.
Eighteenth century English aristocrats were austere on the surface and licentious underneath. The members of the Privy Council asked how Cleland could be silenced. The answer was simple. He needed money. So the Privy Council gave him a pension exacting his promise not to write a sequel to Fanny Hill.
For a while the scheme worked. Cleland retired to the country, amusing himself by writing political pamphlets, poetry, and plays. None of Cleland’s neighbors realized that his peaceful, scholarly man was England’s foremost living pornographer.
The woman of pleasure was not a figment of John Cleland’s imagination. She lived and moved among the colorful figures of 18th century England. And she had her male counterpart: the coxcomb . . . man of pleasure.
John Cleland knew this life intimately. In Memoirs of a Coxcomb, as in Fanny Hill, he wrote of it with complete frankness and honesty.
Suppressed until recently, it is a major work of exotica.
John Cleland was penniless when he met Ralph Griffith, a bookseller and became partners in a publishing venture. Cleland was to distill his experiences and write a book called Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, a novel that was to become the most sensational piece of erotica in English literature. In 1747 Fanny Hill was launched into circulation and immortality.
Both men achieved their financial objectives - then came the repercussions.
Eighteenth century English aristocrats were austere on the surface and licentious underneath. The members of the Privy Council asked how Cleland could be silenced. The answer was simple. He needed money. So the Privy Council gave him a pension exacting his promise not to write a sequel to Fanny Hill.
For a while the scheme worked. Cleland retired to the country, amusing himself by writing political pamphlets, poetry, and plays. None of Cleland’s neighbors realized that his peaceful, scholarly man was England’s foremost living pornographer.
Used availability for John Cleland's Memoirs of a Coxcomb
See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
Hardback Editions
2001 : Hardback
| Title: Thief of Time Author(s): Terry Pratchett Publisher: Doubleday Availability: Amazon More details... |
January 1964 : Hardback
| Title: Memoirs Of A Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Compact Library Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
1960 : Hardback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb. Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: London: Fortune Press 1960. Availability: Amazon More details... |
January 1955 : Hardback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Fortune Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 1931 : Hardback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Private publication Availability: Amazon More details... |
January 1926 : Hardback
| Title: Memoirs of a coxcomb Author(s): John (1709-1789) Cleland Publisher: London The Fortune press [1926] Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
Paperback Editions
April 2005 : Paperback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb (Broadview Edition) Author(s): John Cleland ISBN: 1-55111-568-9 / 9781551115689 (USA edition) Publisher: Broadview Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
May 2001 : Paperback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland ISBN: 1-58963-187-0 / 9781589631878 (USA edition) Publisher: Fredonia Books (NL) Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
January 1970 : Mass Market Paperback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Lancer Availability: Amazon CA More details... |
January 1967 : Mass Market Paperback
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Lancer (Canadian) Availability: Amazon CA More details... |
January 1964 : Paperback
| Title: Memoirs Of A Coxcomb Author(s): Cleland John Publisher: Compact Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 1963 : Paperback
| Title: Memoirs Of A Coxcomb. Author(s): John. Cleland Publisher: Lancer Books Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 1926 : Paperback
| Title: Memoirs Of A Coxcomb. Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: The Fortune Press Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
Audio Editions
January 2008 : Audio CD
| Title: Memoirs Of A Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland ISBN: 1-60112-171-7 / 9781601121714 (USA edition) Publisher: Babblebooks Availability: Amazon More details... |
Other Editions
January 1970 : Unknown
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Lancer Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 1967 : Unknown
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Lancer (Canadian) Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 1963 : Unknown
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Lancer Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 1963 : Unknown
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Publisher: Lancer Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
1945 : Unknown
| Title: Memoirs of a Coxcomb Author(s): John Cleland Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 1926 : Unknown
| Title: Memoirs of a coxcomb Author(s): John (1709-1789) Cleland Publisher: London, The Fortune press [1926] Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
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