Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Clit lit

The 25 sexiest novels ever written. Some decidedly literary.

What does is say that I've read significantly more of the books on this list than of the best American fiction of the last 25 years?

The sexy list is by far the sexier, not least because it spans many sexy decades (centuries, really) and sexy cultures. (Really, there's not much sexy about either the 80s or America.)

What does it say that Philip Roth is on both lists (although for different titles)?

What does it say that I'd actually be willing to waste time on arguing that Quiet Days in Clichy is by far sexier than Tropic of Cancer?

What does it say that I'm dying to lay my hands on a copy of George Bataille's Story of the Eye?

See also behind the The Story of O:
Histoire d'O (Story of O) is an erotic parable about more achieving less. It has far more in common with the travails of medieval saints than with the beleaguered female of modern-day pornography. The book tells the profound, and disturbing, story of a woman who wishes to exist without existing: "She lost herself in a delirious absence from herself."


What's the sexiest novel you've ever read (whatever sexy means to you)?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I saw this title in Bloglines, I knew I had to click through. A different side to Isabella!! Woohoo!!

Oh, and I don't have an answer. I just came in to heckle.

Anonymous said...

Oh my god I am so DULL. I've only read THREE of those books.

Off the top of my head, I guess I would say Lolita is the sexiest book I've read....but I may have to think about this some more. Lolita really is a pretty damn good book, I must say. I first read it as a teenager and wept because I knew I would never be able to write like that. Then I saw the original movie (fabulous!!) and wept because I knew I would never be as seductive as Susan Lyon. I would have loved to have seduced James Mason. But I digress...

I'm shocked, I tell you, utterly shocked to discover this side of you!! ;)

Actually, I think I'm just jealous. You literary vixen, you!

Raehan said...

I just looked at the list. Forever is so NOT sexy. I mean I read it as a young teenager, but even then it didn't do much for me.

Sexiest novel? Gosh I'll have to think about that one.

Anonymous said...

I felt the same way about "The Magus", raehan.

I am not a great connoisseur of erotic literature, alas, but the book I read as a teenager that comes to mind (as opposed to "Forever" which I never read) was "The Mists of Avalon". It was the first book I ever read with actual sex scenes in it (I was what? 13?), but hoooo doggies. I took it with me on a family vacation, and I remember sitting in the back seat of the car, blushing furiously, unable to put it down but CERTAIN that my mother (who'd never read it) could tell that I was reading sex scenes.

I oughta reread that and see now sexy (or not) it actually was.

Anonymous said...

Wow - I've read 6 of those! I think I'm blushing ;) Sexiest novel I've read.... Hmm, probably something by Anais Nin.

martha said...

I have also read six of these novels-- not a large proportion. I've read more of the top american fiction ones, but mainly because I'm a Don DeLillo fan. I have to say, I'm bugged to find authors like Norman Mailer on the list, because I think he's one of the creepiest, most sexist guys around. I can't think of the sexiest book overall that I've read, but there was a lesbian scene in The Corrections which was very hot, and I'm not even a lesbian.

Anonymous said...

I feel so poorly educated now, I have only read two of these.

And I thought "Portnoy's Complaint" was sad/funny, not sexy. Maybe I should read it again.

My nomination is "Zulieka Dobson". Ridiculous, but sexy.

Sam said...

I've read 5 or 6 of them...I'm not sure if I've read Candy or not. It would have been a long time ago. Two of my favourite books are on this list, although I would not call them particularly "sexy": The Wind Up Bird Chronicles, and The Magus. I shudder to think of The Story Of O as sexy (Ya, I blush to say I read that one too). It is something, but sexy? Maybe in a disturbed kind of way.

Anonymous said...

I only saw the movie version of "In The Cut". It seemed only mildly sexy to me. Perhaps the book is sexier.

"Lolita" was definitely sexy. I would add Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and Eco's "The Name of the Rose though it is probably a statement about the authors' styles than about the specific books.

I happened to sneak into "The Thornbirds", when I was supposedly "too young" and I recall that it seemed incredibly sexy at the time. Perhaps sneaking had something to do with it ;-).

Polaris