Easy to Read Smut

gothicangel · Sep 12, 2011

Puma said:
I have a theory about the whys historical and other fiction became more "graphic" about 1960. Until then, there were not too many published women authors, and those that had been published had been held in by Victorian stays. Then along came Kathleen Winsor (Forever Amber 1944) and Serge and Anne Golon (Angelique 1964) who began to tell stories from more of a woman's perspective. A man could write that a woman's clothes were torn off and she was raped, but a woman would write it from a totally different viewpoint - the experience, humilation, pain, etc. And I think you can see where I'm going with this, my supposition as to why fiction in general has become more tell all. Puma

I think women have a deeper motivation for writing rape in such a way. Not for titilation, but because writing 'she was raped' is a bit disingenious and a desire to show how destructive such a crime is.

KellyAssauer · Sep 13, 2011

DeleyanLee said:
What got me is the smut level of the book. Within the first 80 pages, the 10yo (first person) heroine is drugged and raped, abandoned by her family, arrested for theft and sentenced to indentured servitude in the American Colonies, becomes mistress to the ship's captain and then gang raped by the crew--all in fairly graphic (though not Genre Romance level) detail.

What you describe here is beyond my understanding, I wouldn't have finished reading it and would have tossed it in the garbage. When a sex scene exists in a book that I'm enjoying reading - just as with any other scene - it has to move the story forward. Scenes such as those described above don't move anything forward and worse yet, it makes the read so completely unbelievable that whatever story might have held my interest... doesn't anymore.

*snip*

scarletpeaches · Sep 13, 2011

You've never met anyone who's had sex with more than one person at a time?

Hi. Pleased to meet you. My name's Scarlett Parrish.

areteus · Sep 13, 2011

gothicangel said:
Of course, and I agree. This was one of the reasons I disliked the tv series Rome. More soap, than Roman drama. If half the characters went on the way they did, in public, they would have been disgraced and even publically flogged!

This is where we have to disagree... cos I loved it

But then I watched it as a soap opera merged with heroic fantasy vaguely set around a historic period (I mean, never mind the sex scandals, the heroes were harder than Conan when it came to battles...

)

scarletpeaches · Sep 13, 2011

NO ONE DISS ROME.

BEHOLD MY AVATAR.

gothicangel · Sep 13, 2011

scarletpeaches said:
NO ONE DISS ROME.

BEHOLD MY AVATAR.

Flicka · Sep 13, 2011

The shift in the 60s wasn't just in historical fiction. It was the whole sexual revolution and meant sex came out of the closet. I wouldn't pin all of that on Angelique.

And really, I don't think it's all about money. Wouldn't it be fair to assume that just as people like to read sex, lots of people like to write it?

I also think you can have scenes with sex in that are not at all about sex.

With that said - to be honest, everytime I read the name of this thread I think: what about "hard to read smut"? Sounds good to me, but then I seem to be one of the few who is completely unbothered by "smut"...

gothicangel · Sep 13, 2011

areteus said:
This is where we have to disagree... cos I loved it But then I watched it as a soap opera merged with heroic fantasy vaguely set around a historic period (I mean, never mind the sex scandals, the heroes were harder than Conan when it came to battles... )

That's probably where I went wrong.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Sep 13, 2011

Hark! Thy Gentle Mod makes an unscheduled appearance in thy thread to remind each of thee there are all kinds of writers and all kinds of readers - all of whom frequent these marbled and hallowed halls and all of whom deserve to write and read whatever 'tis to their liking without the disapproving scowls of their fellow men and women. Insulting either group will lead to much hate and discontent.

Respect thy fellow writer and try to keep thy condescension in check.

Thank you.

scarletpeaches · Sep 13, 2011

Also, maketh thou books verily about Gerry Butler, for Ol' Bag thy God has many eyes, and they are all watching him.

Amen.

Elenitsa · Sep 26, 2011

scarletpeaches said:
They're only taboo according to 2011 standards. Take for instance, marrying off a girl of around twelve years of age. Depending on country, culture and era, that would possibly not even raise an eyebrow.

Agreed. When we write historical fiction, try to stay in the mindset of the historical period depicted.

And I liked "Angelique" series... If it makes me... I don;t know how, I assume it.

Easy to Read Smut

gothicangel

Toughen up.

KellyAssauer

The Anti-Magdalene

scarletpeaches

areteus

scarletpeaches

gothicangel

Toughen up.

Flicka

Dull Old Person

gothicangel

Toughen up.

Ol' Fashioned Girl

Hand? What hand?

scarletpeaches

Elenitsa

writing as Marina Costa