The Songs of Bilitis

by Pierre Louÿs

Book Overview

These passionate verses were published in Paris in 1894 as the lost works of a disciple of Sappho. Between their open celebration of lesbian love and the eventual revelation of their true authorship--the verses actually were written by French novelist and poet Pierre Louÿs--they became a succès de scandale. Although debunked as a work of antiquity, The Songs of Bilitis remains a classic of erotic literature. More than 160 sensual illustrations by...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486477371
• ISBN13: 9780486477374
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Good for Greek fen

I spent several days skimming this book. If you don't know, it was written by Pierre Louys who claimed he had found the lost works Bilitis in 1894. He perpetuated a really great literary fraud. It wasn't. He made them up. The author was referenced a couple of times in another book I read and I wanted it after reading it. The author of the book that mentioned it discussed it in the context of a person named Natalie Barney and how she should have been wondering about the fact that this gay guy was writing lesbian stuff. As such, well, very historical and I occassionally for the idea that it is classic so I shall like it! That said, it is poetry and it looks good... but honestly, not all my taste. It pretty much has that authentic Greek feel from what I remember reading but yeah. It isn't my taste in general. Well written but not my cup of tea.

great literary hoax

In the late 1890's this book was published as an ancient and recently unearthed work written by a disciple of Sappho, but it was really written by a young French erotic photographer/poet named Pierre Louys. Even the scholars of Greek antiquity and ancient Greek literature were at first duped! But despite Louys' deception, these poems are very nice, worth reading if you enjoy ancient love poetry with slight lesbian undertones. David Rehakauthor of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

Literary joke becomes sensual masterpiece...

No one knew sensuality like the "Sapphic" Greeks and no one knew the "Sapphic" Greeks like Pierre Louys... well at least he liked to pretend that was the case. The fact is he (or his imagination) was so completely immersed in this culture that his images/syntax/symbols were authentic enough to dupe contemporary classics scholars of his day. Bilitis could have been a protege of Sappho... a literary force in her own right.