Des Grieux: The Prelude to "Teleny"
1899
Anonymous
London: Leonard Smithers
British
Novel
152pp
Gay Men, Wildean, Erotica
On that sultry midsummer she looked more bloodless, more transparent, more lily-like than usual; and yet—saintly as she looked—all her nerves were tingling with excitement, her blood was replete with lechery.
Summary
A pornographic novel related to Teleny (1893) as a sexual history of Des Greiux's family. Said to have been written by the same group of anonymous authors including Oscar Wilde.
The seduction of Camille Des Greiux's grandmother in her youth and the sexual develoment of her unnamed son and Camille's father.
More Info
The first two chapters are of Camille Des Greiux's grandparents, Camille Des Grieux (grandmother) and Gaston Des Grieux (grandfather). The third and final chapter is from the view of their unnamed son, Camille's (Teleny) father (Peter Mendes).
Publication details are unstated. There are three known copies left. Justin O’Hearn, a student at the University of British Columbia, launched a kickstarter to purchase one of them along with a copy of Teleny to make them freely available online (UBC).
Also see:
Clandestine Erotic Fiction in English 1800—1930: A Bibliographical Study (1993) by Peter Mendes. 310-311pp.
Content & Trigger Warnings
(highlight to reveal)
Chapter I
BESTIALITY: Unwilling bestiality (37-39)
Chapter II
BESTIALITY: Unwilling bestiality (60p)
RAPE: of protagonist (91-95pp)
SUICIDE: Prolonged suicidal ideation by protagonist with attempted (56-57pp) and successful suicide (97-99)
Chapter III
PEDOPHILIA: An 18 or 19 year-old woman has the 4 or 5 year-old Des Greiux grope her (104-107pp)
SEXUAL HARASMENT: Other boys mock Des Greiux by exposing themselves and humping against him (110, 114)
SUICIDE: Ideation (111p)
RAPE: Boys grab two girls on the playground, expose them, and finger them (116-120pp)
Editions
N/A