Dirty, Happy Book Reviews: Two Authors for the Price of Free

Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts - Mitzi Szereto

This one I debated about whether to include as literary or satirical erotica. As it does fall under both. Which isn’t easy to do and why I love it. Mitzi Szereto takes delightful fun in this novel, taking the characters from Pride and Prejudice and “putting the sex back in.” While some argue that this is disrespectful, you still have to appreciate the quality of the work. Szereto emulates Austin to such a degree that even though I’ve read the original several times, I kept going “wow, how did I miss that?” It’s a literary romp with a keen satirical whit and if you love Jane Austen and also love reading erotica, then this is a great mix of the two genres.

While we’re at it, I’ll also recommend The Wilde Passions of Dorian Gray, also by Mitzi Szereto. It’s written in the same literary/satirical voice, and will be much more enjoyable if you’re already familiar with the original Dorian, though it’s still quite a romp if you are not.


Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

I’d be remiss if I left this novel out of the literary erotica discussion. Another fantastic read by a wonderful author. I also loved her novel Tipping the Velvet, though The Night Watch and The Little Stranger were, for me, harder to get into. Neither Fingersmith nor Tipping the Velvet are strictly erotic, but they do possess erotic themes, and that’s good enough for me. :)

In this erotic thriller there’s a scheme, a cross, a double-cross, a triple-cross, mistaken babies, and Victorian smut. What’s not to love? The prose is divine, the story enthralling, the characters Dickensien in their originality and dysfunction. Mrs. Sucksby and her baby farming is an image that will stick with you for a long time. As will many other characters, such as Gentleman, Mr Lilly, Dainty, and settings that act almost as characters themselves, from Mrs Sucksby’s poor London residence to the mad house. This is a powerhouse of a novel, and sheer pleasure to read.

So that takes us through a week in reviews. Let me know what you think and live it up this weekend ;-)