The Secret Life of Wives (Hesperus Classics)

In this hilarious sequel to The Secret Life of Nuns, courtesan Nanna reveals to her confidante, Antonia, what really goes on in the lives of married women. A woman can only be saved from a life-threatening craving and utter damnation by a well-endowed priest; an over-devout matron releases her inner devil when she meets an attractive hermit; an insatiable wife is redressed by her husband in a most barbarous manner—these are merely some of the “truths” that Aretino exposes behind the respectable mask of marriage. And in describing the subterfuges, machinations, and diabolical ruses wives resort to—unbeknownst to their poor husbands—in order to secure the secret object of their desires, Aretino adds another titillating page to his immense catalog of human characters. Italian satirist and poet Pietro Aretino was one of the most versatile writers of the 16th century; the author of plays, poetry, and letters, he is now principally remembered as the originator of European pornography.