The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues - Hardcover

Susan Griffin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0333900545 ISBN 13: 9780333900543

Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2002

Synopsis

This title offers an unprecedented, provocative look at the extraordinary world of the great courtesans, from Veronica Franco, who graced the palazzi of sixteenth-century Venice, and Madame de Pompadour, the arbiter of all things fashionable at Versailles, to La Belle Otero of the Grand Boulevards of fin-de-siecle Paris, who frequently sported jewel-encrusted garters, and Marion Davies who took Hollywood by storm. "The Book of the Courtesans" enticingly illustrates the intricacies of their lavish lifestyles and their incredible life stories and further reveals how these cunning women seized the opportunity to become the West's first female liberators, free to choose their own lovers and command remarkable respect. 'A manifesto for flirtation. After all, the qualities that the courtesans exploited to achieve influence and riches are still those that are most likely to ensnare a man today. I intend to give a copy to all my singleton friends' - Rowan Pelling, "Mail on Sunday". 'A eulogy to femininity, an essay on what sets certain women apart. Surrender to it: "The Book of the Courtesans" is as seductive as the women it describes' - Lucy Moore, "Sunday Times".

About this title

About the Author:

Susan Griffin is an acclaimed writer, poet and critic. Her book A Chorus of Stones was shortlisted for both the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle award for Criticism. She lives in San Francisco.

Review:

'A manifesto for flirtation. After all, the qualities that the courtesans exploited to achieve influence and riches are still those that are most likely to ensnare a man today. I intend to give a copy to all my singleton friends' Rowan Pelling, Mail on Sunday 'A eulogy to femininity, an essay on what sets certain women apart. Surrender to it: The Book of the Courtesans is as seductive as the women it describes' Lucy Moore, Sunday Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Limited
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0333900545
• ISBN 13: 9780333900543
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1