Venus Bound:: The Erotic Voyage of the Olympia Press
by John De St. Jorre
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Book Summary Information
Author: John De St. JorreEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-05-21
ISBN: 0679443363
Number of pages: 358
Publisher: Random House
Book Reviews of Venus Bound:: The Erotic Voyage of the Olympia Press
Book Review: Informative and entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great book about the publisher, Maurice Girodias, as well as about the history of some of the authors and books published in Paris before censorship was relaxed in the US and in Britain. Very readable, and although I would not argue with the comment made by another reader calling it "scholarly" (below), certainly not dry.For a discussion of the trials and legal maneuvering that allowed the publication of some of these books in the US, read "The End of Obscenity: The Trials of Lady Chatterley, Tropic of Cancer and Fanny Hill", by Charles Rembar.
Summary of Venus Bound:: The Erotic Voyage of the Olympia Press
The story of the Olympia Press is one of the most flamboyant in publishing history. In the 1950s, when dirty books (and great ones) were being banned in Britain and America, Maurice Girodias launched a career in Paris that earned him the nickname the "Prince of Porn." John de St. Jorre gives a high-spirited account of this infamous publisher whose eclectic list included Lolita, The Ginger Man, Henry Miller's several Tropics, and the outrageous romp called Candy. Photos.A tale intriguing for its novelty, its insight into modern literary history, and the thread of social history that runs throughout, Venus Bound is the true story of Olympia Press. The company spent decades pushing the censorship envelope by publishing ground-breaking literature from authors such as Henry Miller, William Burroughs, and Vladimir Nabokov. To subsidize this high-minded adventure, Olympia pumped out a line of plain old dirty books. John de St. Jorre follows the venture from its inception just after World War I until its demise during the liberated 1960s and 1970s.
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