• Erotic Exchanges

  • The World of Elite Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century Paris
  • By: Nina Kushner
  • Narrated by: Sally Martin
  • Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (63 ratings)

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Erotic Exchanges  By  cover art

Erotic Exchanges

By: Nina Kushner
Narrated by: Sally Martin
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Editorial reviews

"This history brings to life les dames entretenues- women who dazzled and scandalized 18th-century Paris as mistresses of powerful men". ( New Yorker)

Publisher's summary

In Erotic Exchanges, Nina Kushner reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in 18th-century Paris by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. In this demimonde, these dames entretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being "kept". Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men. A small but significant percentage of kept women, however, came from a theater subculture that actively supported elite prostitution. Kushner shows that in its business conventions, its moral codes, and even its sexual practices, the demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture.

Kushner's primary sources include thousands of folio pages of dossiers and other documents generated by the Paris police as they tracked the lives and careers of professional mistresses, reporting in meticulous, often lascivious, detail what these women and their clients did. Rather than reduce the history of sex work to the history of its regulation, Kushner interprets these materials in a way that unlocks these women's own experiences. Kushner analyzes prostitution as a form of work, examines the contracts that governed relationships among patrons, mistresses, and madams, and explores the roles played by money, gifts, and, on occasion, love in making and breaking the bonds between women and men. This vivid and engaging book explores elite prostitution not only as a form of labor and as a kind of business but also as a chapter in the history of emotions, marriage, and the family.

©2013 Cornell University (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks

What listeners say about Erotic Exchanges

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very Interesting

I agreed to review this book because it sounded uniquely interesting, and I'm glad that I did. I ended up learning a lot about a topic I never would have even considered could be covered in such detail. The book was obviously VERY well researched by the author and she did a good job of presenting all of the information in an easy-to-understand format.

If you like history books, you're probably going to enjoy this book.

The narrator also did a great job with pronouncing things I'm not even going to attempt to say and wouldn't dare try to spell.

A solid 4 stars with a 5 for narration.

I requested and received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, publisher, or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review. I was NOT required to write a positive review and this reflects my honest opinion of the work.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This is HOT!

And by hot I mean … engagingly written scholarly history grounded in original archival research!

It's true, this is an academic work, not a work of erotica, as the first reviewer points out. I suppose people could be duped by the naughty cover. After listening to the sample clip, I purchased it and am finding it to be really interesting. Nicely written and very pleasantly read.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Historical examination of the Demimonde

Erotic Exchanges (Unabridged)
________________________________________

Author: Nina Kushner
Narrator:
Sally Martin
Provider:
University Press Audiobooks
Running Time:
12 h 24 min

In Erotic Exchanges, Nina Kushner reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in 18th-century Paris by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. In this demimonde, these dames entretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being "kept". Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men. A small but significant percentage of kept women, however, came from a theater subculture that actively supported elite prostitution. Kushner shows that in its business conventions, its moral codes, and even its sexual practices, the demimonde was an integral part of contemporary Parisian culture. Kushner's primary sources include thousands of folio pages of dossiers and other documents generated by the Paris police as they tracked the lives and careers of professional mistresses, reporting in meticulous, often lascivious, detail what these women and their clients did. Rather than reduce the history of sex work to the history of its regulation, Kushner interprets these materials in a way that unlocks these women's own experiences. Kushner analyzes prostitution as a form of work, examines the contracts that governed relationships among patrons, mistresses, and madams, and explores the roles played by money, gifts, and, on occasion, love in making and breaking the bonds between women and men. This vivid and engaging book explores elite prostitution not only as a form of labor and as a kind of business but also as a chapter in the history of emotions, marriage, and the family.
This is the 2nd book I have read from this provider, University Audiobooks, and both books have some excellent traits in common. Each book reads like a reprise of an academic research document, possibly a Doctoral thesis, revamped and restructured, slightly, for nonacademic readers interested in the areas under discussion. In the case of this book, the matter under discussion is the history of the Demimonde, especially with regard to the functions, economically, socially and culturally, of the professional mistresses. While the general topic is certainly erotic, the material contained in the book is not especially so, save by inference.

However, this in no way detracts from the interest of the material. Anyone interested in the history of the 18th Century, or of France just before the Revolution, will find this a fascinating read, because it provides insight into a sub-culture that, while it has been treated in fiction in various ways, is still a bit of an enigma to the modern world. It was a culture with its own customs, rules, and social hierarchies, and the women who inhabited it had, and used, a broad range of independence at a time when most women had very little, indeed. Many of them had access to, and control of, their own money and property, and they were able to both enter into, and dissolve binding contracts. True, they were, at least technically, on the fringes of society, but this position also provided them the freedom to conduct their lives, mostly under their own control.

The book is very well written, and the narrator was excellent, obviously completely comfortable with the many foreign (and not just French) names involved. Her phrasing was good, too, and her reading was objective and impersonal, as one would expect from a narrator of nonfiction, without being in the least boring.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in the era depicted, or in understanding the Paris Demimonde itself, which has had a subtle but profound impact, even to modern times.

I give both book and narrator a full 5 stars, and will be watching for more from this provider, with interest.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really fascinating insights into women's roles

Fascinating to learn how the authorities of the day used women for intelligence gathering, a kind of magistrate's court, and institutionalized system of corruption. I wasn't sure how this sort of academic research would work as an audio book, but I actually enjoyed it. (Caveat: I'm a history geek.)

The demi monde is so often used as a device in historical romance novels, but learning the reality behind it and how the power of bureaucracy was used to institutionalize the role into acceptable and unacceptable varieties was very satisfying. Historical authors will love this for research as the many vignettes of daily life suggest many plot possibilities.

The narrator kept the audio from degenerating into a dry lecture. It felt more like an extended TED talk and I stayed highly engaged. Kudos, as keeping nonfiction engaging and enjoyable is difficult.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Genuinely thought provoking

Who woulda thunk. The actual lives of real people are honestly dealt with in a history that could have been 'scandalous ' and 'titillating' like a tabloid, but was treated more like the 'New Yorker' article. Very good

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Well researched but not Erotic

The performance of this book is delightful with a narrator whose French annunciation is pleasing. The research is well organized and highly factual. There is nothing sexual or erotic about this book. It is brilliant research on a business. The author articulates the particular commerce of sex in a historically accurate ( although bland) manner.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Repetitious writing

Feels as if the writer has talked in one huge circle. The story would have been better if it gave more of the reporting of the women and what they actually had in the records instead of the same information over an over.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A history lesson

What did you like best about Erotic Exchanges? What did you like least?

I couldn't get into this book. I'm not sure if it was the book or the narration but this felt like I was sitting in on a lecture. Perhaps, if I was in the mood for a lecture this would be more interesting.

If you’ve listened to books by Nina Kushner before, how does this one compare?

I believe this was my first book by Nina

What three words best describe Sally Martin’s performance?

authoritative, clear and versatile. I felt she read this book like she was teaching.

Was Erotic Exchanges worth the listening time?

I'm sure it would be if I was more into history. It is an interesting topic and full of information so I may attempt this book at a later time when I am in the mood for a lecture on this topic.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Boring narrator - too much detail

The narrator reads this book like she is lecturing us on a boring topic - zero expression.
And the title is deceptive - the author thoroughly researched this topic, but there is way too much uninteresting detail and data.
This should have been a shorter and much more engaging book, but sadly, it is long on data and short on enthusiasm.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

Well researched and a great listen

I picked this audio book up because I am interested in the plight of women through history in Europe. It did not disappoint. This book is clearly well researched and well laid out, much of it based on police records that were kept at the time of mistresses. The subject of prostitution is examined from every aspect, both inside the trade and from the outside. The subject is looked at very scholarly, which many examples of ladies and mistresses included.

The narrator handled the material well, including many French names. This was a very easy listen and an interesting listen.

I received a free copy of this audio book at my own request and voluntarily leave this honest review. .

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