Aphrodite

The novel "Aphrodite" by the famous French writer Pierre Louis (1870-1925) is one of the most interesting and scandalous works of French literature, which immediately became an undisputed bestseller at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and remains so to this day. The novel was admired by everyone - from ordinary coquettes and dancers from "Moulin Rouge" and harlots from "Place Pigalle" to the most demanding literary gourmets. The author, thanks to the talent and incredible erudition of a literary genius, so perfectly portrayed the customs of the ancient era - in all its manifestations, because he possessed not only facts, but also knew ancient languages well: Latin and ancient Greek, translated the works of contemporary poets and dramatists, in particular Menander, Lucian, others That is why his language is surprisingly lively, poetic, apt. Love in the interpretation of Pierre Louis is something much higher than a sexual act, but it is often characterized by subjugation and dominance, so it is not by chance that the first title of the novel was so eloquent: "Slavery"...

The labels affixed to the servant of the Muses here and there carry so little weight today: "aesthete", "genius pervert", "erotomaniac", "precursor of the sexual revolution", etc. Researcher of the work of the writer Zh.-P. Goujon called it more aptly: Encyclopedist of Love! One thing is certain: this is high-quality literature - with the tart taste of fine French wine.

The life and death of a courtesan in ancient Alexandria.

The novel was translated into Ukrainian for the first time.