Defining masochism as 'literary perversion', this book probes the productivity of masochistic aesthetics in the literature of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch and contemporary queer films, analysing radical accounts of desire, gender, and sexuality.

The Literary Perversion: The Invention of Masochism at the Fin-de-Siecle
The Gendered Fantasy of Masochistic Aesthetics: Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's Venus in Furs
Lesbian Sadomasochism Rewrites Venus in Furs: Monika Treut and Elfi Mikesch's Seduction: The Cruel Woman
Cross-Dressing for Platonic Love: Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's The Love of Pluto
Male Femininity as Sacrificial Corpse: Kutlug Ataman's Lola and Billy the Kid

BARBARA MENNEL is Assistant Professor of German Studies and Cinema Studies in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies and the Department of English at the University of Florida, USA.