This is a work of erotica.
Josefine Mutzenbacher was a young woman who discovered her sexual awakening and found she had a lust for sexual activity that could not be sated. She soon finds that she can earn money by having sex with many men, so she becomes a highly valued prostitute.
The book goes through nearly every sexual encounter she had in her early years, ending when she becomes a full-fledged prostitute.
The book is told as though it is a memoir written from her deathbed.
This book was originally released in Austria in 1906 under the title Josefine Mutzenbacher - Die Lebensgeschichte Einer Wienerischen Dime, Von Ihr Selbst Erzält (Translation: Josefine Mutzenbacher - The Life Story of a Viennese Whore, As Told By Herself).
No one knows the true history of this story. When it first appeared, it was published anonymously. It's unknown whether it is a work of fiction or nonfiction.
If it is a work of nonfiction, the titular Josefine Mutzenbacher is most likely a pseudonym.
If a work of fiction, several authors have variously been labeled as being the author. Today, the main person that critics, scholars, and even the Austrian Government claim is the original author, is Felix Salten, the author best known for the children's book, Bambi, A Life In The Woods, the book that later went on to be turned into a popular animated film.
The work, an erotic fiction classic, spawned many laws in its native Austria and Germany, and famously asked the question, "Is Erotica Art?"
In working on this German to English translation, I had to change certain aspects of the story to make them less likely to get me banned from the various websites this book is for sale on (check the Wikipedia page to see the 'real' story). The main thing that had to be changed was the characters ages and relationships.
When I translated this book, I did not want anyone to know that I had translated it, so I came up with the pen name "Benedict Urlaub" for this book and have since used it for several other books as well. At the end of the book, there is a small "About the translation" section, you are free to translate this as well, but also to add your own about your thoughts on translating this book into the language you are translating it to.
Genre: FICTION / Erotica / GeneralThe sales of the book have been good, not great, I mean, I haven't been able to retire on it yet! It sells several copies every week and is generally popular. It has risen to the 5000 mark in the sales rank for several days running on Amazon.
Before releasing the book under its proper name, I was selling my translation under the name "A Viennese Prostitute" and had Ms. Mutzenbacher listed as the author. The Amazon page for that book is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H55K2HY/
It is said that young whores become old bigots. But, that's not the case with me. I became a prostitute early. I've done everything. I've fucked on a bed, on tables, chairs, benches, while propped up on a bare wall, in the grass, in private rooms in dark houses, on a railroad train, in the barracks, in the brothel, and even in prison. While I am now advanced in years, I do not regret any of it.
My pleasure now comes from my family. I'm rich, faded, and often very lonely. I cannot remember having ever been pious or religious, nor do I repent my life. I was born in poverty and with my body, I was able to leave that life of misery. Without my greedy lust, inflamed at an early age, I would have degenerated, as did my playmates, and died the death as all dull proletarian women perish.
I was not drowned in the dirt and filth of the suburbs. Due to being put on the market and fornicating with learned men I was able to acquire a good education. I educated myself and found that we poor, low-born women do not have as much debt as some would have you believe. I have seen the world and broadened my horizons.
I'm only writing my story now to reduce my hours of solitude and to procure my life's memory for all to see. I think this is better than repenting and making the rest of my life a limitless bore. Also, I found that the course of life of my peers and others in my profession are nowhere to be found. I searched through many books and none of them tell anything about prostitution from the point of view of the prostitute.
I believe it would be good to speak of the noble and rich men who take delight in us, whom we entice, and can untie us from all impossible things, what the experience is like, to be one of those girls they hold so fervently close in their arms, what we experience, and what we think.
| Language | Status |
|---|---|
|
German
|
Unavailable for translation.
|
|
Spanish
|
Already translated.
Translated by Alejandra Mendoza Zacarías
|
