5 of the most scandalous definitions of sex in classical literature

In literature classes, descriptions of relationships are always implicit. Everything is orderly and noble. But in reality the writers were far from good children, and the moral image we developed thanks to school books was far from reality. It is enough to remember what a lover of women the “exemplary family man” and “protector of morality” Leo Tolstoy was. We won’t shock you with suggestive language. This time we will tell you which depictions of gender in classical literature caused scandal and outrage among the authors’ contemporaries.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover David Lawrence

Looking at the author’s photo, you can’t tell that this earnest Briton is a true master of describing sensual pleasures and using so much profanity that many of his works have been banned. Among his works: “Sons and Lovers”, “Rainbow”, “Women in Love” and, of course, “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”. The last novel describes the inappropriate relationship between a married aristocrat and a hunter. The heroine is forced to suppress her sexual desire due to the fact that her husband remains paralyzed after the war, and only a chance encounter forces her to abandon her position to feel happy in the arms of a man and eventually become a mother.

Here are some quotes from Lady Chatterley’s Lover:

“Do you see why I love you? You really have a nice woman’s ass. The whole world is focusing on it. She has nothing to be ashamed of, that’s all.”

“My Lord, it is believed that the inside of a woman is as delicate as a flower. But believe me, some bastards have a bone beak between their legs and they’re tearing you apart, that’s why you feel sick.”

Vladimir Nabokov

Vladimir Nabokov wrote many works, but most readers still remember him as the author of the scandalous “Lolita”. Leading American publishing houses refused to publish the book, considering it nothing more than pornography. The plot described an adult man’s interest in fairies. Even after the book was published in France in 1955, the novel acquired a scandalous reputation for its frank statements. Today, this book is included in the programs of many universities around the world.

“My lady could not have imagined that I was cheating on her with one of Lolita’s white stockings one Sunday morning, when nausea (caused by my efforts to improve her sauces) prevented me from going to church with her. ”

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Henry Miller’s autobiographical novel “Tropic of Cancer” gained wide popularity due to its obscene profanities and shockingly physiological descriptions of sex scenes. At the center of the plot is the author himself, who is in poverty, writes, is a bully and has fun with beautiful women in brothels. Meanwhile, based on the work, the famous movie “Henry and June”, about the love triangle between Henry Miller, his wife June Edith Smith, and his mistress Anaïs Nin, was shot. Three of them are fond of sensual pleasures.

The most harmless explanations look like this:

“All I want in life,” he says thoughtfully, “is to read, dream and [заниматься сексом]”

“The whole world is focused on one moment of orgasm.”

“He had a German mouth, French ears and a Russian ass. [влагалище]- international.”

“120 Days of Sodom, or the School of Debauchery”, Marquis de Sade

In general, it would be more accurate to list all the works of Marquis de Sade, from whose name the word “sadism” comes. The writer himself was a libertine, that is, a supporter of free morality. Moreover, he was even imprisoned for his immoral behavior. However, this did not prevent him from continuing to write his works and remaining popular. Morality warriors even considered depriving him of paper and ink, and then, as a sign of protest, he began to write works on the walls with his own feces. The movie “The Pen of the Marquis de Sade”, based on his life and works, was shot with Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet and Joaquin Phoenix. Among the most scandalous works of the French writer: “Justine, or the Miserable Fate of Virtue” and “120 Days of Sodom, or the School of Debauchery”.

We present the most harmless excerpt from his novel, because the plot itself and descriptions of erotic scenes can be very shocking.

“The more intense the excitement, the uglier the object appears when the excitement no longer supports it.”

“Ulysses” by James Joyce

James Joyce’s “Ulysses” is considered one of the most difficult books to read due to the abundance of mnemonics (veiled references to other works or events). It was also written using the stream of consciousness technique. But the book also became famous for its explicit depictions of sex. Here is an example:

“Lips are soft, warm and sticky, like fragrant pleasure. Her eyes were like flowers, her eyes were full of desire, take me. Pebbles fell nearby. He didn’t move. Goat. Nobody else. High in the rhododendrons of Ben Houta, a goat was wandering around his house and dropping his nuts. He laughed with a warm embrace, hidden among the ferns. Lying on top of her, I kissed her wildly and wildly: her eyes, her lips, her open neck where the veins pulsed, her full female breasts under a thin woolen blouse, her hard nipples pointing upwards. I kissed her and touched her with my hot tongue. He kissed me. I received kisses. He already gave up and ruffled my hair. He kissed me, showered with my kisses.”