Customer Reviews

Venus and Tannhauser

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I very much enjoyed Beardsley's bizarre, effete narration. His writing style is very different from the plain, clean lines of his drawing. The text nearly smothers the reader in adjectives and tangential detail - an affectation that reinforces the description of dissipated foppery.

Unfortunately, not all of the writing is Beardsley's. His early death left this work unfinished. A "posthumous collaborator" in the 1950s finished it, perhaps to his own satisfaction but not to mine. The break in style is quite abrupt where the modern writer took over, and I found his turn of plot inauthentic. [I think the first paragraph p.80 is where the impostor began writing. See ISBN 1871592127 for a comparison text.]

The book does reproduce a few of Beardsley's wonderful illustrations. There are only a few of them, though - this book is not primarily about Beardsley's drawing. If it were, I'm sure the printing and paper would have been upgraded to show more of the pictures' detail.

Any fan of Beardsley's art will gain insight from his writing. The reader should take care, however, in distinguishing Beardsley's writing from anyone else's.

(By the way, this is not for the squeamish. This is part of Beardsley's history, and some history is not very nice.)

This erotic fiction is a very fine piece of work.For the collector of erotica this book is a must buy.The story focuses on one Tannhauser's sexual frolics in the abode of the goddess Venus.The erotica is mostly implied or subtle, which makes the book all the more fascinating instead of disgusting as some works of erotica are.All in all,a vintage literary gem.

I got ahold of a used copy of this treasure, back when it was hard to find. Interested readers are so fortunate to have it back in print. One of those books that had me breathlessly mumbling incantations of how badly I wished I had written this. Clearly C.S. Watson "didn't get it." That's ok, Venus & Tannhäuser isn't for everyone. The writing is highly stylized and fantastical, with over-the-top descriptions that simultaneously parody Victorian literature, while standing as a gorgeous example of the style. There's tons of wit, humor and amazing imagery. If you're into surrealist, fun, erotic, and just generally hilarious over-the-top Victorian writing, I recommend giving this one a whirl.

The story focuses on one Tannhauser's sexual frolics in the abode of the goddess Venus.The erotica is mostly implied or subtle which makes this book all the more fascinating,instead of repulsive as some works of erotica are.All in all,a must buy for collectors of erotica and a vintage literary gem.

I love Aubrey Beardsley's sly erotic illustrations. All his imagery seems charged with sexual overtones and I couldn't help but think that Venus and Tannhauser would be an elegant and twisted story. I was looking for a bit of old-fashioned erotica ala Anais Nin or Nabakov...something evocative.

Instead I got a 14 year old boy's version of an orgy with much farting, grasping of appendages (ridiculously shaped and sized), spankings, high-blown dialogue, and pinching. I repeat: much farting and pinching. Maybe if I were slightly impaired I'd find it entertaining or titillating, but even drunk weasels would think this twaddle (they might snicker a bit, high-pitched weasel snickers). Surprisingly, the artwork ain't all there either. There are some lovely bits and some funny comic erotic drawings, but overall the illustrations were sparse. Could it just be my copy?? Part of my response might be just that I'm unfamiliar with the Venus and Tannhauser tale, but if I remember correctly, that tale was not so overblown. Beardsley's retelling reads like a very, very bad version of Alexander Pope's Rape of the Lock, but taken seriously in an odd juvenile manner.

I'd recommend this purchase for a die-hard Beardsley collector, but certainly not for someone who admires his work and is looking for an old-fashioned erotic read. Stick to his artwork and then read Anais Nin. Best of both worlds.

this is a novel which is a good example of how not to write one. it is about a dandy tanhauser who visits the goddess venus and and his exploits in her realm.