Bøger i Sammlung Zenodot\Erotische Bibliothek serien

The publication of the Marquis de Sade's 'Juliette and Justine' soon inspired a glut of imitators. Key amongst these was Restif de la Bretonne, and his 'The Anti-Justine' thus inaugurated a long list of 'Sadean' literature that continues to this day.

Der Ich-Erzähler, ein rechter Lebemann, flieht nach gescheiterter Karriere als Politiker aus dem krisengeschüttelten Paris, gerät in den Bann einer jungen Engländerin, Clara, und folgt ihr nach China. Dabei lernt er Clara kennen, die sich bald als exzentrisch und grausam-lüstern entpuppt und ihn Stufe um Stufe in den Garten der Qualen einführt. Die Folter wird als eine Kunstform gepflegt. Er lernt schlimmste Folterpraktiken kennen, aber auch einen ganz eigenen Kult um Blumen und Schönheit. Am Ende jedoch überwältigt auch sie das Gesehene und sie fällt in eine Ohnmacht, wobei klar ist, dass die Adelige wieder und immer wieder zu Besuch in den Garten der Qualen gehen wird. Octave Mirbeau (1848-1917) war ein französischer Journalist, Kunstkritiker und Romanautor und zählt "zu den schillerndsten Persönlichkeiten der Literatur der französischen Belle Époque."

In the classical tale "The Satyricon", Petronius Arbiter makes a strong, yet humorous, statement about the social life of ancient Rome. Rather than telling the story of Encolpius and his companions heroically, which was the typical approach of other writings of classical antiquity, Petronius chose to show the true life and vernacular of the Roman lower and middle class through satire and comedy. Narrator Encolpius, a former gladiator, goes on adventures with his best friend and former lover Ascyltos as well as his slave and current lover Giton. Yet Encolpius constantly worries about whether or not Giton's affections are waning. The trio participates in various parties, events, and celebrations, but their attention is less focused on properly worshipping the gods and more fixated on the sexual nature of the wild bacchanals. Written during the reign of Emperor Nero, "The Satyricon", gives the reader a realistic sense of what life was like at the time. While he was known for his tyrannical persecution of Christians, Nero's reign was also filled with over-the-top celebrations in honor of the gods. Petronius was a frequent visitor to Nero's bacchanals, meaning that "The Satyricon" is a fictional first-hand account of the time. The work is not only a precious gem of Western literature because of its wit, but because it gives modern readers a realistic glimpse into history. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.