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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
About the Author:
"Pierre Louÿs (December 10, 1870 - June 6, 1925) was a French poet and Romantic writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who expressed pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection. Pierre Louÿs was born Pierre Louis on December 10, 1870 in Ghent, Belgium, but moved to France where he would spend the rest of his life. He studied at the Ecole Alsacienne in Paris, and there he developed a close friendship with a future Nobel Prize winner and champion of homosexual rights, André Gide. In the 1890s, he became a friend of the noted English dramatist and homosexual, Oscar Wilde. Although heterosexual, Louys enjoyed entree into homosexual circles.
Louÿs started writing his first erotic texts at the age of 18, at which point he developed an interest in the Parnassian and Symbolist schools of writing.
In 1891, Louÿs helped found a literary review, La Conque, where he proceeded to publish Astarte- an early collection of erotic verse already marked by his distinctive elegance and refinement of style. He followed up in 1894 with another erotic collection in 143 prose poems- Songs of Bilitis (Les Chansons de Bilitis), this time with strong lesbian themes. In 1955, one of the first lesbian organizations in America called itself Daughters of Bilitis, and to this day Louÿs' Songs continues to be an important work for lesbians.
In 1896, Louÿs published his first novel, Aphrodite- Ancient Manners (Aphrodite (mœurs antiques)), a depiction of courtesan life in Alexandria. It is considered a mixture of both literary excess and refinement, and, numbering at 350,000 copies, was the best selling work by any living French author in his day.
Louÿs went on to publish Les Aventures du roi Pausole (The Adventures of King Pausole) in 1901, Pervigilium Mortis in 1916, both of them libertine compositions, and Manuel de Civilité (Manual of Etiquette) in 1917, a parody whose obscenity is almost unparalleled even in the long history of French clandestine publishing.
Even while on his deathbed, Pierre Louÿs continued to write delicately obscene verses." (Quote from wikipedia.org) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
"Pierre Louÿs (December 10, 1870 - June 6, 1925) was a French poet and Romantic writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who expressed pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection. Pierre Louÿs was born Pierre Louis on December 10, 1870 in Ghent, Belgium, but moved to France where he would spend the rest of his life. He studied at the Ecole Alsacienne in Paris, and there he developed a close friendship with a future Nobel Prize winner and champion of homosexual rights, André Gide. In the 1890s, he became a friend of the noted English dramatist and homosexual, Oscar Wilde. Although heterosexual, Louys enjoyed entree into homosexual circles.
Louÿs started writing his first erotic texts at the age of 18, at which point he developed an interest in the Parnassian and Symbolist schools of writing.
In 1891, Louÿs helped found a literary review, La Conque, where he proceeded to publish Astarte- an early collection of erotic verse already marked by his distinctive elegance and refinement of style. He followed up in 1894 with another erotic collection in 143 prose poems- Songs of Bilitis (Les Chansons de Bilitis), this time with strong lesbian themes. In 1955, one of the first lesbian organizations in America called itself Daughters of Bilitis, and to this day Louÿs' Songs continues to be an important work for lesbians.
In 1896, Louÿs published his first novel, Aphrodite- Ancient Manners (Aphrodite (mœurs antiques)), a depiction of courtesan life in Alexandria. It is considered a mixture of both literary excess and refinement, and, numbering at 350,000 copies, was the best selling work by any living French author in his day.
Louÿs went on to publish Les Aventures du roi Pausole (The Adventures of King Pausole) in 1901, Pervigilium Mortis in 1916, both of them libertine compositions, and Manuel de Civilité (Manual of Etiquette) in 1917, a parody whose obscenity is almost unparalleled even in the long history of French clandestine publishing.
Even while on his deathbed, Pierre Louÿs continued to write delicately obscene verses." (Quote from wikipedia.org) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Literary joke becomes sensual masterpiece...,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Songs of Bilitis (Paperback)
No one knew sensuality like the "Sapphic" Greeks and no one knew the "Sapphic" Greeks like Pierre Louys... well at least he liked to pretend that was the case. The fact is he (or his imagination) was so completely immersed in this culture that his images/syntax/symbols were authentic enough to dupe contemporary classics scholars of his day. Bilitis could have been a protege of Sappho... a literary force in her own right.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming, but mild,
By wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Songs of Bilitis (Hardcover)
Louys's delightful fraud first appeared in the 1890s, nearly 120 years ago at this writing. From today's vantage point, it's hard to say how this was originally taken. By today's standards, it tends toward the mild, even coy. Back then, however, it seems to have been taken as a direct piece of erotica. So, to avoid censure for originating such a scandalous work, Louys shielded himself behind the work's supposed antiquity - since, if it came down from the revered ancients of Western culture, couldn't be naughty. That charade was unmasked soon enough, giving Bilitis its proper place among Louys's other sensual writings.
This translation first appeared in 1926. Since I have not seen the French original, I can not comment on its fidelity to Louys's writing. At least one chapter ("The Object") gives reason to think that the translator might have shied from a few of the more explicit passages, however. Despite that, the general tone comes through warmly, if overly sentimental at times. Pogany's illustrations add a pleasant note to the text. Although the cover says there are over 160 of his lithe line drawings, that ignores the fact that the pictures repeat many times. The number of unique images is far less. Too bad - the lean lines and tinges of Art Nouveau contribute to this book's charm. The same number of pictures but with more variety would have made an enjoyable read even more enjoyable. Although tame by modern standards, the text and images still have the pwer to charm readers. -- wiredweird
5.0 out of 5 stars
interesting book, slim, not what I thought.,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Songs of Bilitis (Paperback)
This is an interesting book, a slim volume, not quite what I thought (it's also partly in Greek). Worth a look.
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