THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FLEA

The Autobiography of a Flea (1887) is an erotic novel by Stanislas de Rhodes.  The story concerns Bella, a young and innocent woman used sexually by various men, including clergy.  The narrator is a flea, “a wonderful and exalted insect”, as he describes himself, present on different bodies during the lovemaking.  The book was made into a film in 1976, the first adult film directed by a woman.

The Autobiography of a Flea is yet another manifestation of that odd Victorian eroticism: sensuality breaking through repression.  Well-worth reading.

January 2020