I recently watched Emmanuelle, the 1974 classic erotic film, and I’m currently reading the book. It was a film I saw bits of so often when I was younger that even the name Emmanuelle dripped sex whenever I heard it. While I’m only part way through the books (it’s recommended on this site) it’s interesting to compare them.
One of the things I like about dirty stories and erotica in general is that they can not only be far more graphic than film (unless you’re watching hardcore porn, and even then) but often more emotionally intense as well. But, of course, visuals have their own place as well, and some of the most erotic movies aren’t anywhere close to graphic.
Emmanuelle the film has a lot of nudity, but most importantly it 
has a lot of tension, some enticing dialog, and some genuinely twisted scenarios that make it all that much hotter. For example, early on in the film a young woman arrives at Emmanuelle’s house and almost instantly removes her shirt, unbuttons her tiny jean shorts, and beings masturbating. Emmanuelle watches, both enticed and shocked, until the girl finishes with a smile, beginning their strange relationship with something of a bang.
The book also has a similar no-holds-bar pacing to it, with our narrator launching into anonymous sex with two men (on separate occasions) on an airplane almost immediately. It’s more personal, far more graphic than the film, and yet also somewhat detached. If you like your books, and films with plenty of tension, boundary pushing relationships, and a whole lot of sex, then these are definitely for you.
I definitely recommend reading the book and watching the movie, maybe in the same week if you can manage it.
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