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Cyntha Gioia-Puel's avatar

Happy Bloomsday! From a smut point of view, I've long been amused that if you go to the Erotic Fiction section of Gutenberg, and sort by popularity, the most popular erotic fiction they have is.... Ulysses. (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/33)

I understand why it's tagged that way, and in fact at once point (in Circe) Ulysses actually parodies book #5, Venus in Furs (which, at least by reputation, actually *is* erotic fiction more narrowly construed). Still, I am occasionally amused by the image of some poor sod going to the erotic fiction section, downloading the most popular book, and giving it a go...

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Cornelia Quick's avatar

There are a handful of delightfully filthy things in "Ulysses," and overall it's frank and earthy, but you'd definitely have to slog through a LOT to get to the good stuff. Actually, even "Venus in Furs" isn't that dirty, but it's psychologically challenging (and definitely an easier read than "Ulysses").

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Cyntha Gioia-Puel's avatar

Yeah, I haven't read Venus in Furs yet. :) Ulysses is one of my favorite books—but I have to say that I think that the Hon. Judge Woosley got it right that "nowhere does it tend to be an aphrodisiac." Even in Molly's monologue, :) But definitely earthly!! :)

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