Fifty Shades of Louisa May Review

Fifty Shades of Louisa May
by L M Anonymous
Release Date: 8.22.12
From Goodreads:

Louisa May Alcott, author of the classic Little Women, consort of Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne, beloved icon of professors of American 19th-century literature and perhaps less loved by their legions of students, had a lusty side that was less academic, and more . . . transcendental than any of us knew.

Brilliantly penned by a well-known writer who prefers the cloak of anonymity to the vulgar embrace of rude fame (of which s/he has no need), this hilarious little book reveals the unbridled passion-that-might-have-been of one of the world’s most popular authors.

A vividly written tome that just might tell us more about the sowing of transcendental wild oats than any ream of volumes on the subject, Fifty Shades of Louisa May is not for the weak of art, or for those who prefer their literary icons under glass. It imagines an unhinged Melville doing what comes naturally, a Centennial Ball unlike any heretofore described, Louisa May’s ardent encounters with her “Wooden Friend,” and much, much more.

Explicitly illustrated with X-rated woodcuts.

My Thoughts:  The setting and tone of this book makes the erotica all that more tantalizing and forbidden.  It was hard to be shocked by much in Fifty Shades of Grey because it's after the sexual revolution and Ana and Christian are perfectly free to play slap and tickle (since for a book that's supposed to feature BDSM, it contains very little actual BDSM... do I have the letters correct?  Bondage, Domination, Sadism and Mashochism?  Note to self: look it up.  Note to my readers: I'm too lazy to look it up.).  In Louisa May Alcott's time people may not have been any less horny, but they certainly weren't free to discuss it, especially women.

The book opens with a bang... in more ways than one.  Not the very first chapter, which is just an introduction to an elderly Louisa May about to put to paper her amorous history, but by the second chapter there is a "shot heard round the world."  And in less than 20 pages, this book manages to shock me more than 2 and 1/2 books of EL James' trilogy.  Of course, it's all told tongue in cheek, which sounds dirty but fits the narrative perfectly.  It's also illustrated, ranging from nice to naughty. ;)

So if you've passed on Fifty Shades of Grey because it was so poorly written, or felt that it put women back in the dark ages, have no fear.  Fifty Shades of Louisa May is superbly written (see, I just used the word superbly!) and Louisa May is no trembling, submissive, whisp of a girl.  She is in control, and she is full of lust.

Also, it's a short book, so it's perfect for all those upcoming readathon!

Fifty Shades of Louisa May gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

 ** I did get this in ebook form in exchange for my honest review and opinion**