How does one define erotic and, more especially, erotic literature? (The origin of eroticism is the Greek erotikos, which means sexual rather than romantic love.) How has the erotic been depicted in classics of world literature? Who are the authors most associated with erotic preoccupations and themes? What are some of the terms and expressions connected with this literature? Erotic Literature: A Connoisseur's Guide sets out to answer these questions. In the process it covers both the "usual" and "unusual suspects." It is an essential source book and guide to erotic literature - the joyfully erotic, ancient and modern - as opposed to the merely pornographic.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first consists of six chapters on the subject: The Greeks and the Romans; The Far East and Middle East; Courtly Love and Medieval Forms of Love; The Era of Erotic Memoirs (the eighteenth century to our own time); Eroticism in code in all eras; and The Maze of Modern Erotica. Part 2 is an A-to-Z listing of erotic authors, with biographical and critical material on each one. The third part is a glossary of erotic terms. This lively and informative book will answer many questions on the nature and unique place of erotica in literature, both in times past and today.