In this lively and insightful book, Peter Cryle reconsiders canonical French erotic literature of the last three hundred years, particularly that of the eighteenth century. Through close readings of works by Sade, Crbillon, Nerciat, and Restif, among others, he explores the dynamics of canon formation as he shows that classical erotic narratives--while they are certainly all about sex--are more about its form than its experience.