Article
July 16, 2012
Reader, I Spanked Him: Classic Novels Get Raunchy Make-Over.
LONDON, Tuesday 16th July 2012: Classic novels including Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and Sherlock Holmes are to get a steamy 18-certificate make-over from some of the world’s leading erotic fiction writers it was announced today.
The much-loved works of literature by famed authors including Charlotte and Emily Brontë, and Arthur Conan Doyle — have been re-imagined for the very first time as works of adult fiction by the UK’s leading specialist publisher Total-E-Bound, complete with graphic sex and fetish scenes.
In the ‘scorching hot’ new versions — available as eBooks from the 30th July – eponymous heroine Jane Eyre has explosive sex with Mr Rochester, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy smoulder with unbridled passion in their erotic romance, and 19th century detective Sherlock Holmes enters into a gay relationship with sidekick Dr Watson.
Other books being re-worked by erotic romance specialist publisher Total-E-Bound for the launch of the new Clandestine Classics collection are Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea by early science-fiction writer Jules Verne.
The re-worked versions of the classics include the full text of the original books spiced with a series of specially written new scenes featuring adult content to provide a seamless reading experience.
While 19th century society demanded that novels only went so far when it came to depicting the true passionate nature of love and romance, the new series, released under the banner ‘Clandestine Classics’ invites readers to put the old-fashioned pleasantries to one side and enjoy the sensual scenes that were only ever alluded to in the original versions.
Total-E-Bound, the UK’s largest e-Book publisher of erotic romance fiction believes the bold new collection is a major step forward for the genre.
Claire Siemaszkiewicz, founder of Total-E-Bound Publishing, comments;
“Whenever I read classics from authors like Jane Austen, I often think about the potential ‘uncensored versions’ that the original authors were unable — or unwilling — to include. After all, a lot of these stories are, at the heart, romances. With the launch of Clandestine Classics, readers will finally be able to read what the books could have been like if erotic romance had been acceptable in that day and age, redefining the boundaries and bringing the classics to a new generation of readers. As the first erotic romance publisher to bring out a line of re-imagined classics, we recognise it’s a bold move that may have a polarising effect on readers. We’re keeping the works as close to the original classics as possible. It’s not our intention to rewrite or distort them but to create a whole new experience, enhancing the novels by adding deeper relationships, character development, and the ‘missing’ scenes for readers to enjoy.”
The erotic romance genre has experienced a dramatic revival in recent months, thanks to the rising popularity of e-readers and record-breaking success of “mummy porn” novel Fifty Shades of Grey.
According to experts, people are increasingly buying erotic romance eBooks because the e-reader allows people to read erotic books without embarrassment of being “caught out”.
This view is backed up by sales figures. The market for erotic romance fiction has increased by around a third in the last 12 months, with 50 per cent of sales through e-books.
Total-E-Bound, which sell its books worldwide, has drafted in some of its most popular authors to co-author the new eBook adaptations, with writers Sierra Cartwright, Sarah Masters, Amy Armstrong, Marie Sexton and Desiree Holt — at 76, the world’s oldest erotic romance writer — launching the series at the end of July.
Award-winning British born author Sierra Cartwright, who is penning the new version of Jane Eyre, said:
“Jane Eyre is a breathtakingly beautiful story which has withstood the test of time. Jane is multi-dimensional, brave, committed to her course of action, and Rochester . . . sigh . . . he’s such an engaging enigma. The love story is captivating, real, rich, complex, and fraught with real conflict. There are so many joys of working on Jane Eyre to add erotic content. The biggest challenge it to be sure it’s in fitting with Jane’s character and that the additions don’t change the beautiful flow of the story. I’m very excited by Total-E-Bound’s vision for retelling the classics. The Clandestine Classics imprint is intriguing, giving a modern audience access to amazing stories they may have missed.”
British novelist Sarah Masters, who is adapting the first Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet as a gay romance, said: “I’d often wondered what it would be like to see a relationship between Holmes and Watson that went beyond companions, so to have the opportunity to do so was very exciting.”
Further classics will follow with Dracula, Treasure Island, Wuthering Heights, The Three Musketeers and the Phantom of the Opera set to follow. Each novel will retain the original author’s plots and prose but be expanded with the insertion of ‘missing’ scenes featuring adult content such as straight, gay, ménage and BDSM relationships.
The Clandestine Classics books are available to buy from the 30th July from www.total-e-bound.com
PR Contact: Taylor Herring PR +44 208 206 5151