The Erotic in Literature

by David Loth

Secker & Warburg, London. 1961. Hardcover in dust jacket. Black boards with silver lettering on the spine. 237 pages. I am constantly amazed at the level of censorship endured by the British people through the ages. Many in America are constantly pushing to maintain or expand our First Amendment rights, but few on this side of the pond have any idea how that fight was fought in England. This book tells that tale, from the Victorian age into the 1960's, and how words that Chaucer could use are unacceptable for print in the modern times. If you're interested in the subject, I also recommend The Mushroom Jungle, which is critiqued in the "Vintage Paperback" section of the web site.