What do you think?
Rate this book
The Confessions of Wanda Von Sacher-Masoch
The Confessions of Wanda von Sacher-Masoch is the first English translation of this early 20th century feminist classic by an SM pioneer. It is the racy and riveting memoir by the woman who was married for ten years to Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the author of Venus in Furs. The games Wanda played called into serious question who was the Master and who the Slave. Some amazing adventures and wild characters populate this love story, including the mysterious Ludwig II of Bavaria, creator of the amazing Neuschwanstein castle and other baroque wonders.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
47 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Wanda von Sacher-Masoch
12 books1 followerWanda von Sacher-Masoch (née Angelika Aurora Rümelin) was an Austrian writer and translator, wife of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch.
She was best remembered for her novel translated by Georges Ohnet from French into German titled Das Recht des Kindes (1894), and the posthumous publication The Confessions of Wanda von Sacher-Masoch (1990). She often wrote under the pseudonyms Wanda von Dunajew and D. Dolorès.
She was best remembered for her novel translated by Georges Ohnet from French into German titled Das Recht des Kindes (1894), and the posthumous publication The Confessions of Wanda von Sacher-Masoch (1990). She often wrote under the pseudonyms Wanda von Dunajew and D. Dolorès.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 1, 2017
After reading VENUS IN FURS by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, I read about this book written by his wife. I found this more riveting than his work, certainly. Definitely an easy read because the translation is written with very smooth and accessible prose. The torment she suffered from her husband's fantasy of her cheating on him was heartbreaking. I gave this a five because I got very lost in her life and the vicissitudes of the economy of the time. The conundrum she faced of how to remain loyal to the man who constantly obsessed over her affair, and her years of stalling and sacrifice, was just a sad exploration of themes on feminism, marriage, and love. But this was so much more than an anecdotal situation. It was wrought with feeling, and skill. And I wonder. . . What if she'd had more time to write. To imagine her own fantasies and fiction. To develop her talent more. Her love for Armand at the end was something I wanted to spend more time with, and I wanted more details. The book was too short. I could have read 300 more pages.
December 24, 2024
“One thing is funny, though: that it is you whom he calls ‘mistress’ and himself whom he calls ‘slave’!”
This book is a ride. You can tell this woman is a fascinating character, and her story is worth the read. But that’s not the main reason someone picks up this book. People read her story for the same reason she wrote it: to understand the man who gave masochism its name and reputation.
The central premise of masochism is submission to women—to serve, to be a slave—but the irony lies in its execution. “Hurt me, but only on my terms. Be cruel to me, but in the way I like. You are the mistress, but I am still your husband, dictating what you should do to me. If you don’t comply, I’ll cheat on you.” Classic topping from the bottom. This endless power play—where the supposed submissive manipulates the dominator—is exhausting and 100% toxic. Anyone who has been in such a relationship can surely attest to its emotional toll.
Sacher-Masoch had specific desires that, on the surface, seemed to revolve around humiliation, whipping, and servitude. In reality, they were carefully constructed fantasies, rituals filled with obsessive control. His kinks fixated on women wearing heavy furs, wielding whips, and indulging his cuckold fantasies. Deviations from this script triggered extreme manipulation, passive-aggressive behavior, infidelity, and neglect. His refusal to compromise led to poverty and hunger for his wife and children, ultimately destroying the relationship, in case of not indulging in his fantasies by not working and not writing. Those who claim sadists are the dangerous ones have clearly never seen a masochist denied their precise brand of humiliation and control.
Take, for example, his obsession with fur. If a woman wanted to dominate while wearing leather instead of fur, it was a hard no for him. One incident from the book highlights this rigidity: a strong, sadistic woman clashed with him because she refused to entertain his specific obsessions. Wanda recounts:
“One day he reproached her, expressing the desire to see her in one of these jackets, and she replied sarcastically, ‘Never! Wanda already gives me enough pain—seeing her conceal her grace in such a baroque encumberment. The very idea—that I should inter my slender figure in one of those bulky furs! Your kazabaïkas! If you only knew how ridiculous this obsession of yours is!’
‘What? You find they do not become Wanda?’
‘Precisely. Only look at her, the poor thing—what trouble she has moving; how enormous they make her! She was wrong to give in to you and debase herself so. Even if a man were to give me millions, I would never sacrifice one iota of my stylishness to him.’
He said nothing more, but I saw that he had struck Catherine from his list.”
In his twisted mind, Leopold viewed himself as the victim, and women as inherently cruel and deceitful—destined to cheat and humiliate him. Yet he engineered their actions, manipulating them into fulfilling his fantasies. He demanded that women be cruel to him, whip him, and most importantly, cheat on him. And if they resisted? He’d force them into compliance, sometimes resorting to despicable means. In one instance, he sent his wife—less than ten days postpartum—on a winter train to meet a lover she had no interest in, under the pretense of it being “her choice.” But was it really? To him, she wasn’t a woman of flesh and desire, but a vessel for his twisted fantasies. If she refused, others would take her place. As he coldly stated:
“If you persist in being stubborn about not satisfying my fantasy, I will not insist, but on the first occasion that arises I will address myself to another woman about it, and you can be sure I will meet no resistance. Needless to say, this may eventually result in undesirable consequences for you…”
Wanda’s anguish is touching as she reflects on being forced to betray herself:
“Then other sensations came to terrify me, like specters in a dark night: physical disgust for the man to whom I had belonged for so many years, and to whom I continued to belong. I no longer had pity for him, but hatred; where I had thought to find generosity and love I now saw only the cruelest egotism. That which I had forced myself to understand and forgive as the imagination of a writer going astray, I now regarded as the grossest and lowest lasciviousness, which blindly and unhesitatingly had attacked that which was most sacred: the mother.”
The book paints a vivid portrait of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch—a man consumed by his desires. He was deeply dependent on his wife, superstitious, prone to panic attacks, manipulative, anxious, and childlike. He sexualized everything, lived in his fantasies, and sought control in every aspect of his relationships. His perversions extended beyond his wife; the book describes episodes where he involved teenage girls and maids in his rituals, compelling them to “rob” and whip him. One bizarre example underscores his character:
“On the eve of our departure, Leopold had a toothache. The next day he declared that his toothache would prevent him from accompanying us. He wanted to have the tooth pulled, but for that the dentist had to come to our house. He did not want to be anesthetized, but I had to put on a fur and stand in front of him, giving him cruel looks during the operation. I was used to this type of comedy; I played my role to his entire satisfaction and to the great astonishment of the dentist. The latter said afterwards that the tooth was not at all decayed; it was unfortunate that it had been extracted. But Leopold did not agree; for him it had been such a voluptuous experience that he would gladly have had all his teeth pulled out!”
It seemed as though Leopold was determined to drive Wanda away. He insisted she seek a lover, and when that lover proved better than him, their marriage unraveled. Meanwhile, Leopold brought other women into their bed, outfitted them in furs, and had them whip him in Wanda’s absence. The marriage ended in the courts, marked by vicious battles. Tragically and ironically, the so-called “slave contracts” he had persuaded her into writing offered no protection when she needed them most.
This book is a striking exploration of a man enslaved by his fantasies, his relationships warped by control and delusion. Wanda’s story is raw, haunting, and unforgettable—a testament to the emotional devastation wrought by unchecked obsession.
This book is a ride. You can tell this woman is a fascinating character, and her story is worth the read. But that’s not the main reason someone picks up this book. People read her story for the same reason she wrote it: to understand the man who gave masochism its name and reputation.
The central premise of masochism is submission to women—to serve, to be a slave—but the irony lies in its execution. “Hurt me, but only on my terms. Be cruel to me, but in the way I like. You are the mistress, but I am still your husband, dictating what you should do to me. If you don’t comply, I’ll cheat on you.” Classic topping from the bottom. This endless power play—where the supposed submissive manipulates the dominator—is exhausting and 100% toxic. Anyone who has been in such a relationship can surely attest to its emotional toll.
Sacher-Masoch had specific desires that, on the surface, seemed to revolve around humiliation, whipping, and servitude. In reality, they were carefully constructed fantasies, rituals filled with obsessive control. His kinks fixated on women wearing heavy furs, wielding whips, and indulging his cuckold fantasies. Deviations from this script triggered extreme manipulation, passive-aggressive behavior, infidelity, and neglect. His refusal to compromise led to poverty and hunger for his wife and children, ultimately destroying the relationship, in case of not indulging in his fantasies by not working and not writing. Those who claim sadists are the dangerous ones have clearly never seen a masochist denied their precise brand of humiliation and control.
Take, for example, his obsession with fur. If a woman wanted to dominate while wearing leather instead of fur, it was a hard no for him. One incident from the book highlights this rigidity: a strong, sadistic woman clashed with him because she refused to entertain his specific obsessions. Wanda recounts:
“One day he reproached her, expressing the desire to see her in one of these jackets, and she replied sarcastically, ‘Never! Wanda already gives me enough pain—seeing her conceal her grace in such a baroque encumberment. The very idea—that I should inter my slender figure in one of those bulky furs! Your kazabaïkas! If you only knew how ridiculous this obsession of yours is!’
‘What? You find they do not become Wanda?’
‘Precisely. Only look at her, the poor thing—what trouble she has moving; how enormous they make her! She was wrong to give in to you and debase herself so. Even if a man were to give me millions, I would never sacrifice one iota of my stylishness to him.’
He said nothing more, but I saw that he had struck Catherine from his list.”
In his twisted mind, Leopold viewed himself as the victim, and women as inherently cruel and deceitful—destined to cheat and humiliate him. Yet he engineered their actions, manipulating them into fulfilling his fantasies. He demanded that women be cruel to him, whip him, and most importantly, cheat on him. And if they resisted? He’d force them into compliance, sometimes resorting to despicable means. In one instance, he sent his wife—less than ten days postpartum—on a winter train to meet a lover she had no interest in, under the pretense of it being “her choice.” But was it really? To him, she wasn’t a woman of flesh and desire, but a vessel for his twisted fantasies. If she refused, others would take her place. As he coldly stated:
“If you persist in being stubborn about not satisfying my fantasy, I will not insist, but on the first occasion that arises I will address myself to another woman about it, and you can be sure I will meet no resistance. Needless to say, this may eventually result in undesirable consequences for you…”
Wanda’s anguish is touching as she reflects on being forced to betray herself:
“Then other sensations came to terrify me, like specters in a dark night: physical disgust for the man to whom I had belonged for so many years, and to whom I continued to belong. I no longer had pity for him, but hatred; where I had thought to find generosity and love I now saw only the cruelest egotism. That which I had forced myself to understand and forgive as the imagination of a writer going astray, I now regarded as the grossest and lowest lasciviousness, which blindly and unhesitatingly had attacked that which was most sacred: the mother.”
The book paints a vivid portrait of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch—a man consumed by his desires. He was deeply dependent on his wife, superstitious, prone to panic attacks, manipulative, anxious, and childlike. He sexualized everything, lived in his fantasies, and sought control in every aspect of his relationships. His perversions extended beyond his wife; the book describes episodes where he involved teenage girls and maids in his rituals, compelling them to “rob” and whip him. One bizarre example underscores his character:
“On the eve of our departure, Leopold had a toothache. The next day he declared that his toothache would prevent him from accompanying us. He wanted to have the tooth pulled, but for that the dentist had to come to our house. He did not want to be anesthetized, but I had to put on a fur and stand in front of him, giving him cruel looks during the operation. I was used to this type of comedy; I played my role to his entire satisfaction and to the great astonishment of the dentist. The latter said afterwards that the tooth was not at all decayed; it was unfortunate that it had been extracted. But Leopold did not agree; for him it had been such a voluptuous experience that he would gladly have had all his teeth pulled out!”
It seemed as though Leopold was determined to drive Wanda away. He insisted she seek a lover, and when that lover proved better than him, their marriage unraveled. Meanwhile, Leopold brought other women into their bed, outfitted them in furs, and had them whip him in Wanda’s absence. The marriage ended in the courts, marked by vicious battles. Tragically and ironically, the so-called “slave contracts” he had persuaded her into writing offered no protection when she needed them most.
This book is a striking exploration of a man enslaved by his fantasies, his relationships warped by control and delusion. Wanda’s story is raw, haunting, and unforgettable—a testament to the emotional devastation wrought by unchecked obsession.
Read
October 1, 2015Чаках книгата с огромно нетърпение. Може би това ме накара да имам и големи очаквания за нея, но честно казано съм малко разочарована. Като изключим дори безкрайните печатни грешки, които няма как да не се забележат и да не раздразнят. Корицата, заглавието и изобщо всичко обещаваха една пикантна история, а такава нямаше. Като цяло ми се стори доста скучна. На моменти хубава игра с думите при описанието на природа, чувства и прочее, но само толкова. Очаквах повече от самата история.
December 1, 2013
Захер-Мазох е автор, с чието творчество и живот все още не съм запозната ("Venus in Furs" е в списъка ми на практика от години, но още не съм стигнала до нея). Тъй че не знам до колко действията в "Живот с първия мазохист" са верни. Беше ми интересно да я прочета, да видя гледната точка на съпругата за брака й с Леополд. Леко и бързо четиво в началото, но в даден момент цялата драма с противния и болен характер на Леополд започва да дразни. Както и монотонността на съвместния им живот. Грешките в превода и покъртителната липса на редакция (която когато я имаше беше на случаен принцип и неподлежаща на българската граматика), съвсем ми развалиха удоволствието от четенето.
February 26, 2015
Fascinating memoir of Wanda von Sacher-Masoch, whose husband penned the famous erotic novel "Venus in Furs" (leading to the creation of the word "masochism"). As Wanda recounts in her confessions, despite her husband's supposed fantasy for "submission", he coerced her with financial threats to do all sorts of things she didn't want to do in order to please him (including sleeping with other men in order to "humiliate him"). Paired with the misogynistic tropes scattered throughout "Venus in Furs", this text makes it clear that despite his unconventional taste for being trodden upon, whipped, and otherwise subjugate by pretty women, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was no feminist.
December 13, 2022
Eigentlich habe ich von der Autorin ihr Kurzgeschichtenband Die Damen im Pelz gelesen. Da dieser auf Goodreads nicht zu finden ist, werde ich meine Rezension unter ihren Memoiren schreiben: Das weibliche Pendant zu Leopold von Sacher Masochs Venus im Pelz eröffnet uns eine Reihe an verführerischen, furchteinflößenden Frauen, die ihre Verehrer in den Tod stürzen. Durchaus spannend sind die Genderfragen, die sich bei manchen Erzählungen auftun; meines Wissens nach hält sich die Forschung bezüglich dieses fiktionalen Bandes in Grenzen. Daher meine Empfehlung sich selbst eine Meinung zu bilden und diese Sammlung zu lesen!
Read
March 25, 2024wanda was a victim!! and her writing is exponentially more inspiring than sacher-masoch’s could ever be
December 25, 2025
It should be mandatory that everyone who reads Venus in Furs, reads this book immediately afterwards, as it can be considered a real life sequel, since Leopold’s dream was to find someone to personify his ideal woman, and he did precisely that. He wrote himself a book and then had the chance to make it play out in real life, completely oblivious to how it affects all parties involved, including Aurora (Wanda) and their children.
This is not an uncommon occurrence in a world where relationship power dynamics have yet to be balanced. Usually, men have an idea of what kind of woman they’d like to spend their lives with and once they find someone that resembles that idea, they cling onto her for dear life in hopes that they will have all their desires fulfilled. This scenario always ends up inglorious, as the idea of an “ideal” person is paradoxical.
In this context, Wanda was never a real mistress and he was never her slave, but quite on the contrary, regardless of their ownership contract, Leopold was the one who possessed the real power, and Wanda quite literally had no other choice but to go along with his fantasy.
“I did not believe I had the right to spoil for my husband an adventure that was so precious and so interesting because of my down-to-earth attitude.”
Leopold went through great lengths to fulfill his fantasy, in certain occasions putting their newborn and Wanda’s lives at risk. When faced with obstruction, he would stop writing and blame it on Wanda’s refusal to cooperate. He was continuously financially blackmailing her and manipulating her, forcing her to do things she found no pleasure in, so he could keep providing for her and their family. He was abusing his power in such a transparent way, ensuring that there was not a single moment in their marriage where she was the one with true authority. Wanda predicted this on the day of their marriage:
“But when we slipped on our fingers a second time the rings which we had previously exchanged so gaily—when the priest joined our hands, and Leopold’s, clammy and cold, took mine—I had not one joyous feeling, only the consciousness that from that day forth our lives were riveted one to the other, and that the passionate and beautiful exchange of spontaneous gifts which till then presided over our union, had ceased to exist. My life was no longer my own. All that I had been freely willing to give was no longer a present, it was a duty”
Wanda kept on entertaining Leopold solely because of their children, although at some point she had been so desperate that she had thoughts of taking her children’s lives and then her own due to the psychological torment he was putting them through.
“When there no longer remained any illusions, it was now a matter of only one thing: the existence of my children—and for them I was ready to do anything. And, in order to assure the existence of my children, what things I had done to satisfy the lust of my husband!”
Nowadays, a successful relationship like theirs could hypothetically exist (if we're being optimistic), in a world where women have more freedom of choice and the option to provide for themselves. But some things fundamentally stay the same, like what Catherine believed:
“Her conviction was that no man stayed faithful to any woman, and so as not to give
any man the triumph of having deceived her, she deceived them all before they barely had time to think of deceiving her.”
I thought Catherine was a very cool woman, a true libertine. Dipping her toes in the relationship and never failing to piss off Leopold for something.
“She feared nothing, and had the courage and audacity of a man. As she did not want to let an hour—let alone a minute—of life pass without reveling in it and being conscious of its worth, she was always in motion, impatient to know what the next day or evening would bring. Often she would burst into my room in the morning crying, “Wanda, what shall we do today to amuse ourselves?”
I think he held resentment for Catherine because he saw in her what he never saw nor had in himself - courage and unapologetic liberated self expression.
Wanda then points her finger towards the feminist movement, and the institution of marriage. The ring on her finger had been representing a ball and chain for years, forcing her to live a life she did not want to partake in one bit. She had been raped mentally, psychologically and physically for years.
“Why does the feminist movement not intervene here? Why does it not advance to the root of the evil, so as to sweep away all of this old rotten institution of marriage—so contrary to our modern thoughts and feelings? Or if it cannot sweep it away, then ignore it?”
At the very end of the book, she writes about self love, possibly reminiscing on what she would've done differently, if presented with the chance. We can all learn a thing or ten from the memoir of someone so resilient, wise and almost stoic.
To love oneself is important. Life will be better if one loves oneself better. And the love must be free of all social shackles, of all constraints, so as to be able to develop itself in all its beauty, and produce that which it alone can produce: noble beings.
In conclusion, Sacher-Masoch was a bitch, a coward and a man with no dignity. I’d find great pleasure in whipping him but I wouldn’t. He didn’t deserve the women he had been blessed with one bit. Wanda on the other hand, was a much better writer, much smarter, much more caring and considerate, a stronger and wiser person. If she is buried in Paris, I wish to find her grave so I can lay down a beautiful bouquet for her. She deserves it and so much more.
Thank you for sharing your story, Wanda. We are so lucky to be able to read it.
This is not an uncommon occurrence in a world where relationship power dynamics have yet to be balanced. Usually, men have an idea of what kind of woman they’d like to spend their lives with and once they find someone that resembles that idea, they cling onto her for dear life in hopes that they will have all their desires fulfilled. This scenario always ends up inglorious, as the idea of an “ideal” person is paradoxical.
In this context, Wanda was never a real mistress and he was never her slave, but quite on the contrary, regardless of their ownership contract, Leopold was the one who possessed the real power, and Wanda quite literally had no other choice but to go along with his fantasy.
“I did not believe I had the right to spoil for my husband an adventure that was so precious and so interesting because of my down-to-earth attitude.”
Leopold went through great lengths to fulfill his fantasy, in certain occasions putting their newborn and Wanda’s lives at risk. When faced with obstruction, he would stop writing and blame it on Wanda’s refusal to cooperate. He was continuously financially blackmailing her and manipulating her, forcing her to do things she found no pleasure in, so he could keep providing for her and their family. He was abusing his power in such a transparent way, ensuring that there was not a single moment in their marriage where she was the one with true authority. Wanda predicted this on the day of their marriage:
“But when we slipped on our fingers a second time the rings which we had previously exchanged so gaily—when the priest joined our hands, and Leopold’s, clammy and cold, took mine—I had not one joyous feeling, only the consciousness that from that day forth our lives were riveted one to the other, and that the passionate and beautiful exchange of spontaneous gifts which till then presided over our union, had ceased to exist. My life was no longer my own. All that I had been freely willing to give was no longer a present, it was a duty”
Wanda kept on entertaining Leopold solely because of their children, although at some point she had been so desperate that she had thoughts of taking her children’s lives and then her own due to the psychological torment he was putting them through.
“When there no longer remained any illusions, it was now a matter of only one thing: the existence of my children—and for them I was ready to do anything. And, in order to assure the existence of my children, what things I had done to satisfy the lust of my husband!”
Nowadays, a successful relationship like theirs could hypothetically exist (if we're being optimistic), in a world where women have more freedom of choice and the option to provide for themselves. But some things fundamentally stay the same, like what Catherine believed:
“Her conviction was that no man stayed faithful to any woman, and so as not to give
any man the triumph of having deceived her, she deceived them all before they barely had time to think of deceiving her.”
I thought Catherine was a very cool woman, a true libertine. Dipping her toes in the relationship and never failing to piss off Leopold for something.
“She feared nothing, and had the courage and audacity of a man. As she did not want to let an hour—let alone a minute—of life pass without reveling in it and being conscious of its worth, she was always in motion, impatient to know what the next day or evening would bring. Often she would burst into my room in the morning crying, “Wanda, what shall we do today to amuse ourselves?”
I think he held resentment for Catherine because he saw in her what he never saw nor had in himself - courage and unapologetic liberated self expression.
Wanda then points her finger towards the feminist movement, and the institution of marriage. The ring on her finger had been representing a ball and chain for years, forcing her to live a life she did not want to partake in one bit. She had been raped mentally, psychologically and physically for years.
“Why does the feminist movement not intervene here? Why does it not advance to the root of the evil, so as to sweep away all of this old rotten institution of marriage—so contrary to our modern thoughts and feelings? Or if it cannot sweep it away, then ignore it?”
At the very end of the book, she writes about self love, possibly reminiscing on what she would've done differently, if presented with the chance. We can all learn a thing or ten from the memoir of someone so resilient, wise and almost stoic.
To love oneself is important. Life will be better if one loves oneself better. And the love must be free of all social shackles, of all constraints, so as to be able to develop itself in all its beauty, and produce that which it alone can produce: noble beings.
In conclusion, Sacher-Masoch was a bitch, a coward and a man with no dignity. I’d find great pleasure in whipping him but I wouldn’t. He didn’t deserve the women he had been blessed with one bit. Wanda on the other hand, was a much better writer, much smarter, much more caring and considerate, a stronger and wiser person. If she is buried in Paris, I wish to find her grave so I can lay down a beautiful bouquet for her. She deserves it and so much more.
Thank you for sharing your story, Wanda. We are so lucky to be able to read it.
July 7, 2015
Отвратителна издателска работа. Преводът е кошмар, редактор липсва, а коректорът е в сферата на фантастиката. При това до степен, в която грешките променят смисъла. Мъчение е да се чете тази книга, не заради съдържанието, а заради работата на издателите. Бих я давала за пример как може да бъде опропастено всичко, ако на издаването на книги се гледа през пръсти.
September 9, 2013
A wonderful, harsh read that grates with one's senses and sensibilities. Read it for the sake of it, just to know the story, just to experience reading it.
April 8, 2025
I read Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty & Venus in Furs a couple of months ago, and stumbling upon this work, figured it would be an interesting complement. I think anyone who has taken an interest in Sacher-Masoch would do well to do the same.
Wanda von Sacher-Masoch (Angelika Aurora Rümelin—how dreadful that she should have to write under her husband’s name) uncovers the sickness that bore the “Venus in Furs.” It is not her that the work is based upon—for that was Fanny Pistor, and as far as we are told, it was pleasant for both her and Sacher-Masoch—but she indeed suffered it. His perversions appear to pervade every aspect of their existence. He manipulates her, threatens her, abuses her: all in service of his fantasy. As one character notes: “‘One thing is funny, though: that it is you whom he calls ‘mistress’ and himself whom he calls ‘slave’!’” Sacher-Masoch made his fantasy seductive as fiction, but in reality, he is sick.
Wanda is skilled as a writer. There are some heart-wrenching lines contained within this work. She offers very touching reflections on her life and also the institution of marriage, the latter of which one cannot come away without doubting—however, these are only brief asides. She also presents very charming vignettes of places she visits and people she meets aside from her husband—Catherine Strebinger and “Anatole” are two of especial note. It was a good read, however, I confess, it did seem to drag on at some points.
Life was not kind to this woman, and I can only hope she found peace and happiness in her epilogue.
September 27, 2020
Sacher Masochs wife/mistress opens up on family life. Bit of a hypocrite, she stole him from his 1st wife and got uppity when he went off with somebody else. She got fed up with his erotic fantasies, despite having made money out of writing up her own. Sacher is a bit of a laugh in a way, talking the housemaid into chasing him around with a whip and then being upset when Wanda sacks the maid. Brilliant descriptions of rural and town scenes, though how much is accurate may be up for grabs. Translator has inserted some neologisms that might make you think its all a post WW2 con, but the book does seem to have a proven past and be what it claims to be. Not much sex and quite safe enough a read for most folks.
March 29, 2021
Lacks the prose that Venus in Furs has, but that is to be expected considering this is an autobiography. It's fascinating to read the other point of view where Masoch is brought down from his façade of a masochist in search of his Venus to an abusive husband. Wanda glosses over her sexual interactions and focuses on the day-to-day life with her husband and their children. She is by no means a saint, marrying Sacher Masoch on false pretenses, while knowing all to well about his perversions.
I wonder how much of the book is true.
I wonder how much of the book is true.
September 25, 2024
Anche da un altro punto di vista l'amore di Armand per me era differente da quello di mio marito: questo infatti mi trascinava in basso, nelle profondità brulicanti delle sue passioni; quello mi innalzava a luminose altitudini: per lui, io ero quanto di meglio, di più bello, di più sacro potesse dargli la vita; un tesoro prezioso su cui vegliare con cura ansiosa. Non aveva neppure l'idea di quanto la sua fede, il suo amore puro e generoso mi sostenessero e mi dessero forza nell'ora stessa in cui dovevo condurre una lotta così penosa contro i progetti vergognosi di mio marito.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2023
Un fedele ritratto di come la poesia e gli afflati romantici si intrecciano e scontrano con la quotidianità
May 2, 2025
Quando cerchiamo di dare forma perfetta ai nostri desideri attraverso l’altro, rischiamo di trasformarlo in un mero strumento per sublimare esteticamente la vita, negandogli umanità e libertà
May 18, 2013
Anticlimactic and poorly written.
July 13, 2013
Surprisingly well-written. Found it more easy going and enjoyable (if depressing) than anything her husband wrote.
September 20, 2023
Il primo cuckold della storia.
March 19, 2008
Either poorly written or a terrible translation.
August 13, 2009
very interesting
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews