Fanny Hill

Written in 1748 while Cleland was in debtor's prison in London, it is considered the first modern «erotic novel» in English. The book follows the life of Frances Hill who begins as a poor country girl of 15 who is forced by poverty to leave her village home and go to town. There, she is tricked into working in a brothel, but escapes with Charles with whom she has fallen in love. After several months of living together, Charles is sent out of the country unexpectedly by his father, and Fanny is forced to take up a succession of new lovers to survive. Cleland's writing style is witty, learned, and full of classical asides.