Venus in Furs

Venus in Furs describes the obsessions of Severin von Kusiemski, a European nobleman who desires to be enslaved to a woman. Severin finds his ideal of voluptuous cruelty in the merciless Wanda von Dunajew. This is a passionate and powerful portrayal of one man's struggle to enlighten and instruct himself and others in the realm of desire. Published in 1870, the novel gained notoriety and a degree of immortality for its author when the word "masochism"—derived from his name—entered the vocabulary of psychiatry. This remains a classic literary statement on sexual submission and control. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Backcover A man reads a manuscript detailing the fate of a man who similarly shares an insatiable fantasy. In love with Wanda von Dunajew, Severin von Kusiemski wants nothing more to be her slave. Repelled at first, Dunajew slowly acclimates to her role, satisfying his desires while discovering her own. Venus in Furs is a novella by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. About the Author Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch was an Austrian writer of fiction and short stories, who inspired the clinical category of Masochism . His complex sexual fantasies, involving the love of pain and submission, ignited a once secretive pursuit into that of a recognised fetish. His masterpiece inspired a famous song of the same name by The Velvet Underground, and continues to be referred to as a defining work within the realm of erotic literature.