As recently as 1963 an unexpurgated edition was the subject of a trial, yet in the eighteenth century John Cleland's open celebration of sexual enjoyment was a best selling novel.

Fanny's story, as she falls into prostitution and then rises to respectability, takes the form of a confession that is vividly coloured by copious and explicit physiological details of her carnal adventures.

The moral outrage that this has always provoked has only recently been countered by serious critical appraisal.

Cleland's highly entertaining book is a classic of erotica that holds a unique place in English fiction.