As an erotic romance author, a look at the genre’s most successful and enduring novels is essential if you want to learn how to write something timeless. That’s why we’re taking an in-depth look at the origins and evolution of the Emmanuelle series, written by Emmanuelle Arsan. This revolutionary series shook the literary world when the first two volumes were first published in 1959 and 1960. It remains a cult classic to this day. In this blog post, I’ll go into the genesis of this groundbreaking erotic classic and share with you some key insights that will help aspiring writers improve their craft.
The Emmanuelle series is a six-book series by Emmanuelle Arsan, a pseudonym of Marayat Rollet-Andriane. The series depicts the sensual and erotic adventures of a young French woman named Emmanuelle. Set in Bangkok and Paris in the 1950s, the books are about her journey to discover her sexuality and various romantic and sexual encounters. The first book in the series, Emmanuelle, was published in 1959 by Olympia Press in Paris under the pseudonym Emmanuelle Arsan. The book was an immediate success, although it was not allowed to be advertised due to censorship regulations at the time, and is still considered a cult classic of erotic literature.
Arsan wrote the books as a reflection of her own experiences while living in Bangkok with her husband, Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane, the French ambassador to Thailand. The couple’s daily encounters with the country’s landscapes, traditions and people provided a rich and vivid background for the stories. Arsan was also interested in exploring the notion of female empowerment at a time when women’s sexuality was still a taboo subject. This added depth and unique cultural perspective helped set the series apart from other series.
Another reason the Emmanuelle series is still considered an influential work of erotic literature is its focus on developing complex characters. Over the course of the series, readers witness Emmanuelle’s personality evolve with each new sexual encounter, and she becomes more confident and self-assured. The series also explores subplots around different characters and their own sexual journeys. This attention to character development and subplots creates a believable and compelling world for readers to immerse themselves in.
The series also features vivid descriptions of places and sensory experiences. Arsan’s lush, sensual images of exotic places, different cultures, exotic foods and scents help transport readers to a sensory world. The vivid descriptions allow for beautiful imagery and evoke a different world where the vibrancy and moments flow that are so important to the sensual genre of writing.
The Emmanuelle series is a master class in erotic writing and offers aspiring writers important insights into the importance of well-developed characters, haunting backgrounds, and sensual writing. It shows how to write a story that transcends time, culture, and genre. By taking inspiration from Emmanuelle Arsan’s approach, you can learn to create a sensual world that is both immersive and relatable to readers, challenging taboos while empowering female sexuality. Emmanuelle Arsan’s revolutionary series has proven that erotic literature still has a place in the literary world decades later, and that its potential as a storytelling medium for creative minds is worth exploring and engaging with.
