Courtesan Books

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Ranked #1,225 in Adult, #360,869 overall

Defining a Courtesan

Courtesans and being a courtesan is a hotly pursued ideal among escorts, prostitutes, call girls and even some strippers. What is a courtesan? We know what a courtesan used to be, but what is the definition today?

I don't pretend to have a one-size fits all answer. But these are books that I've found enlightening above and beyond the typical "money for sex" thing. They're not a bad place to start to find your own definition of courtesanship. (This focuses on the Western/European ideas of courtesanship. Other cultures aren't represented yet.)

The books/movies below are rated by me, not by whatever Amazon ratings they have. Also, this lens isn't quite finished, so please bear with me.

Courtesan Books I've Read

Courtesans by Katie Hickman: 5 stars
Pictures (mostly paintings) and a lot of well-researched stories about a variety of French and English women. Although she focuses on five historically-renowned courtesans, a lot of other players share the stage throughout the book. Utterly fascinating because it's real.
The Book of the Courtesans by Susan Griffin: 4 stars
A dissection of the courtesan: how she became one, how she stayed one, what her social life and business was life -- using real-life stories and examples. We get to see snippets of the lives of a huge number of courtesans -- some overly familiar, some obscure.
The Courtesans by Joanna Richardson: 3 stars
A quick look at a dozen courtesans. It follows some of the same ladies as Hickman's book (with different stories). Not quite as lush or detailed but does profile some ladies not found elsewhere. A worthy companion to Hickman's book.
Diary of a Concubine by Jonathan Quayne: 4 stars
A prolonged interview-style book telling the story of a Chinese courtesan, her sexual growth and path to enlightenment through sex. A beautiful book, though I'm not sure if it is real or not. It's so detailed it almost works as a sex manual.
Madam 90210 by Alex Adams with William Stadiem: 5 stars
Just a dishy, fun read. (More like a lesson in how NOT to behave.) There's really nothing courtesan-like in this book, unless one believes courtesans are made simply by the amount of money they charge. In which case, this book would be your bible. (The LA-courtesan book?)
Kept Women by Leslie McRay: 2 stars
This is about serial mistresses/party girls/prostitutes-in-denial. If Paris Hilton didn't have money, this would be her book.
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey: 5 stars
(I love love love this book and the entire series) Also: Kushiel's Chosen, Kushiel's Avatar, Kushiel's Scion, Kushiel's Justice and one more due next summer. Each book goes into more detail about the Night Court and the art of being a courtesan (by their definition). Beautiful depictions of the art of paid entertainment. Makes me wish I lived there. Inspiring like nothing else I've read. Although fiction, actually has a lot of useful lessons for working girls.

Courtesan Movies of Note

(under construction)

Never on Sunday: Not really about a courtesan -- simply a prostitute -- this is my all-time favorite sex-worker movie. The wit and life of Ilya transcend any class pretensions. She has chosen what suits her; isn't that what courtesanship is really about?
Dangerous Beauty: The lovely and somewhat imagined life of Veronica Franco, THE Venice courtesan. It's a fun movie and her speech at her trial is beautiful, even if she didn't actually say it. The "training" scenes with her mother is a must-see.
The Merchant of Venice: This movie isn't about courtesans, but they do appear here and there in the movie. Probably a more realistic view of Venetian courtesans than Dangerous Beauty (and an interesting story in its own right).

Courtesan Books I Haven't Read

(but sound interesting)

The Honest Courtesan by Margaret F. Rosenthal: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice
(Women in Culture and Society Series)
Grandes Horizontales by Virginia Rounding: The Lives and Legends of Four Nineteenth-Century Courtesans
Seductress by Betsy Prioleau: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love
(really looking forward to this one -- have it at home)
Harriet Wilson's Memoirs edited by Lesley Blanch: (sitting at home too)
Sex With Kings by Eleanor Herman: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge
(also on my reading pile at home)

Also...

Courtesan costume: If you want to dress like a Venice courtesan, this would be the place to go.
be a Renaissance courtesan: ...but not really for money.
smell like a courtesan: (gotta spend money for this)
Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, Freshly Updated: Being a courtesan means knowing societal mores well enough to understand when best to flout them. Plus, I like the title.