The Embroidered Couch: An Erotic Novel of China

by Lü Tiancheng, Lenny Hu (Translation)

The first English translation of an erotic novel published in China in the 17th century, regarded as a notorious classic in Chinese literature, long banned in China. Shockingly explicit, it’s a story of betrayal, lust, revenge, and intrigue.

Genres: Erotica, China, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1633

Reviews

[Billy Pilgrim]

Actually incredibly funny book, because most of it is the author writing these vivid sex scenes as the action and sexual stakes escalate, then after the climax, realizes, oh shit, the censors are probably gonna throw me in jail if I publish this as is, so after 150 pages of dirty smut he goes "By the way, after the orgy, bad shit happened to everyone involved and they all died. Do NOT fap to this." Sure, bud.

[Marisa]

I appreciate the historical significance of the book, having been written in the 17th century. However, the use of crude words made it read more like smut than erotica. I'm not sure if that came from the original story or the English translation.

[Aparna Jadghane]

ebook

[Erik Wirfs-Brock]

The second piece of Ming Dynasty erotic fiction I have read, and unlike the Carnal Prayer Mat this really doesn't have any literary merit and basically just cheesy porn, but the relations between the characters do seem frighteningly modern, which was interesting.

[Denman G.]

Historical context and everything aside, this is one of the few books, along with de Sade's Justine, that has made me physically ill.

[Yann]

Un roman érotique chinois du 16eme siècle. Les visibles efforts des traducteurs pour varier l'obsessionalité du champ lexical sont vains.