John K. Noyes is Associate Professor of German and Program Coordinator, Theory of Literature, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
"That individuals sometimes derive sexual pleasure from submission to cruel discipline is no longer a dark secret hidden in society's closet. As witnessed in many popular movies, sadomasochism has entered the mainstream. How it achieved this status and, more important, its origins are the focus of this scholarly work... This well-researched and penetrating study, geared to academics and the most informed lay readers, is recommended for academic libraries."-Library Journal "Noyes presents a scholarly examination of the history of ambiguities of the concept of masochism... Throughout, he analyzes fiction dealing with masochism, and constantly points to the sociocultural milieu surrounding this behavior as both defining it and producing motives for engaging in it."-Choice "An interesting book... Historians will find this book full of interesting historical speculations about the origin and evolution of masochism... A very carefully argued and imaginative piece of work that will be indispensable to anyone working in the history of sexuality."-American Historical Review "An excellent and informative study... John Noyes's book is rich in content, complex in argument, and profitable meat for the analytic reader to chew on."-Psychoanalytic Books "Noyes has written an erudite, thoughtful book on masochism... The breadth of Noyes's scholarship is impressive."-Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences "A very erudite, comprehensive, and searching study, which investigates masochism from a variety of perspectives."-Elaine Showalter, Princeton University
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