5. Venus In Furs - Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
First published in 1870, von Sacher-Masoch's book was a pioneering achievement - exposing the world to female domination and SM activities and giving us, via his name, the term 'masochism'. It has exerted a tremendous influence in culture. There have been film adaptations by Jess Franco and Massimo Dallamano and The Velvet Underground composed a song in 1967 called Venus in Furs, dealing with the themes of submission and domination. The actual book portrays a man called Severin who is obsessed with a beautiful woman called Wanda. He wants to be her slave and also for her to degrade him. Wanda is bemused by this and is very reluctant to do as he says but finally she capitulates to his wishes and finds the experience empowering (although she hates Severin for making her do it). The pair travel to Florence and Severin takes the Russian name Gregor in order to be Wanda's personal servant. In Florence she degrades him something serious and invites three African women to dominate him. However, the tables are turned when Wanda meets a man she wishes to submit to called Alexis. A humiliated Severin swears off being her slave and dismisses the whole experience. Venus in Furs is a magnificent book on a tortured psyche and hence abnormal psychology. If you are a book fan who is into BDSM, chances are you have read this book. For those of you haven't, you may find it morbid and repellant because of Severin's slavish kdevotion to and degradation from Wanda. Wanda is a more interesting character than Severin in the dichotomy of her feelings - she loves and wants to please Severin by degrading him but at the same time she hates the acts of BDSM he makes her perpetrate and she despises him. It is a very black and white novel with extremes of passion, feelings and perverted acts. it's worth a read for the curious.