Book Review : Venus in India by Charles Devereus

Venus in India 

Cover of the famous book, a must read erotica

Erotica is a subject that is both hated and loved. The prude will look down and term it obscenity, while another person will consider it an essential part of life. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in-between.

One of the classics of erotic literature has India as a background and the Anglo Afghan war as a part of scenario. The novel is a memoire and delineates the life of a young officer of the British army in a cantonment in the North West frontier.

It’s a lovely book and the hero seduces 3 sisters who are daughters of a British colonel. The love scenes are graphic, but written almost like poetry in motion and making the erotic scenes more like a dream.

The writer of the book is supposed to be a man named Charles Devereus. But there is no record of any such officer in the British Indian army. It was perhaps written to keep the writers name anonymous. Now people conjecture that it was perhaps written by Major Crommelin Henry Ricketts, who retired in 1871 and belonged to the 5th Cavalry stationed at Madras.  He had a long stint of 21 years in the Indian army.

The 3 sister Mabel, Fanny and Amy have written their names in the world of erotica. A wonderful book if you have time to spare for once you start you won’t be able to leave it. The book weaves an exciting tale and show cases army life in the North West Frontier during the days of the Raj.

Military life was hard, but Major Ricketts had a rollicking time

Books That Please: ‘The French Lieutenants Woman’ and ‘Venus in India’

I have always been fond of reading. I remember the famous quote ’Reading Maketh a full man’, though off hand I cannot recollect who said it. I think it was Francis Bacon. Over the years two books have pleased me no end. That they have erotic content is beside the point. Both novels show case the period of the 19th century, often referred to as the Victorian age, when sex was talked off in hushed whispers. “Venus in India” by Charles Devereaux is the older book and concerns the exploits of an army officer in India. The man is a great lover and the book recounts his amorous adventures as he goes about seducing women and girls in the army cantonments in the North West Frontier.

The second book “The French Lieutenants Woman”is a more recent book by British writer John Fowles. It is a lovely love story which Fowles wrote, but he set the scenario in Victorian England. Incidentally this book has been recognized as one of the best books of the last century. Both books are wonderful to read. “Venus in India “is a straight forward narrative, but it brings the picture of British rule in India in the 18th century to the reader. The encounters of the Army captain with 3 sisters is the highlight and it makes wonderful reading.

John Fowles book is more philosophical and is a wonderful delineation of a romance in the 19th century England. The hero who is engaged, sees a forlorn woman while having a walk with his fiancée. Everybody claims she is a woman of loose morals, but he falls in love and discovers she is a virgin. This is the foundation of a lovely tale.