The Memoirs Of Fanny Hill

by John Cleland

Overview

This infamous novel details the many sexual adventures of the fictional maid-turned-prostitute, Fanny Hill, whose name has become synonymous with scandal and obscenity. Written while author John Cleland was in debtor’s prison, The Memoirs of Fanny Hill is considered the first English example of a pornographic novel.

The Memoirs of Fanny Hill was banned soon after publication in 1748, but was so widely pirated that it remained available until it was finally re-released 1960. However, after distributing more than 80,000 copies of the book, the publisher was forced to end production when it was charged under the Obscenity Act. The Memoirs of Fanny Hill was finally published without legal repercussions in 1970.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781443426114
Publisher:	HarperCollins Canada
Publication date:	05/21/2013
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	292,758
File size:	634 KB

About the Author

John Cleland was an English writer who is best known for his erotic novel Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. An employee of the British East India Company, Cleland spent extended periods in Bombay, India, until recalled to England because of his father’s illness. With no financial support from his family, Cleland amassed enough debt to land in Fleet Prison, where he is believed to have composed Fanny Hill. His subsequent arrest following the publication of Fanny Hill prompted Cleland to withdraw the novel, and while it was not legally published for over a hundred years, it continued to sell well as a pirated work. Cleland never achieved professional or financial success with his writing. He died in 1789.