Venus in Furs
1870
First Published
3.62
Average Rating
150
Number of Pages
Venus in Furs describes the obsessions of Severin von Kusiemski, a European nobleman who desires to be enslaved to a woman. Severin finds his ideal of voluptuous cruelty in the merciless Wanda von Dunajew. This is a passionate and powerful portrayal of one man's struggle to enlighten and instruct himself and others in the realm of desire. Published in 1870, the novel gained notoriety and a degree of immortality for its author when the word "masochism"—derived from his name—entered the vocabulary of psychiatry. This remains a classic literary statement on sexual submission and control.
Avg Rating
3.62
Number of Ratings
16,342
5 STARS
23%
4 STARS
33%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
10%
1 STARS
3%
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