Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love

by Betsy Prioleau

In this road map to restoring feminine sexual power, Betsy Prioleau introduces and analyzes the stories and stratagems of history?s greatest seductresses. These are the women who ravished the world?from such classic figures as Cleopatra and Mae West to such lesser-known women as the infamous Violet Gordon Woodhouse, who lived in a ménage with four men. Smarts, imagination, courage, and killer charm helped these love maestras claim the men of their choice and keep them fascinated for life. Through an exposé of their secrets, Seductress provides an authoritative, empowering guide to erotic sovereignty.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Feminism, Sexuality, Womens, Biography, Historical

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Betsy Prioleau is the author of Diamonds and Deadlines: A Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age (Abrams Press, 2022), Swoon: Great Seducers and Why Women Love Them (W. W. Norton, 2013), Circle of Eros (Duke University Press), and Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love (Penguin/Viking). She has a Ph.D. in literature from Duke University, was an associate professor at Manhattan College, and taught cultural history at New York University. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Ellay Branton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my self-esteem bible.

The title suggests using one's sexuality to gain power. The book goes so much deeper than that, though. Our femininity is the source of our strength, much as a man's physical build is his. Rather than stifling this, and resorting to either Madonna or whore archetypes, Prioleau suggests we use the whole of our femininity, from our innate empathy to our resiliency. She cites neatly organized and well-researched examples of several different types of women: nonbeauties, seniors, intellectuals, artists, government leaders, and adventurers. These women are all towering examples of self-possession, there's not a damsel in distress in sight. Prioleau doesn't sugarcoat either, every mini biography gives a clear view of all of the subjects’ formidable strengths, but includes their myriad of failings.

SIDE NOTE: Seductress is written with enough erudite diction to require even the most avid logophile (someone who loves words) keep a dictionary handy.

Repeatedly, Prioleau circles back to the ancient goddess(es) and how women in history have channeled them. I'm not well-versed in matriarchal history or lore, and I was at first a bit of a cynic about this. Stepping out of the mental habits and opinions formed by my upbringing, and opening my mind to the ideas rather than the lore, allowed me to distill the underlying message from this book. If you have strong moral opinions, or a strict religious upbringing or belief that is hard-set, you're probably not going to like this book. The author crushes the double standards of men and women in power that go outside a monogamous relationship and lauds the women for using an intoxicating blend of mind, body and heart to get what they deserve. JFK, FDR...so many powerful men carried on a sordid affair (or several), but they're still venerated. Women who do so are attacked and insulted. Rather than mire herself in the debate around morality, Prioleau rises above it. She states the facts, and enumerates the effects. Some have said that these women are master manipulators. I find that’s only true in as much as every human being is a manipulator. These aren't scheming social climbers or gold diggers. These are women that knew what they wanted, what they needed, and suffered no bull to get it.

Regardless of upbringing, looks, age, original social standing or lack of money, these women rose to notoriety and gained the respect and adoration of their peers. No matter who you are or what you look like, this book proves over and over the truth of the old cliche, "Looks aren't everything." If you lament that you're getting old, your face is plain, your pockets are empty, or your body is far from the ideal - READ THIS BOOK. Instead of plaintively or aggressively wailing that society accept you as you are, you own who and what you are. Society can hang itself. Slights and barbs don't hurt so much because they are the weak arrows of the unfulfilled and the insecure. Don't think this is a matter of just suddenly thinking you're self-possessed. False bravado won't cut it, insecurity isn't hidden by sassy statements and a bitter attitude. It can only be found by brutally assessing ones-self and staring into the parts both beautiful and hideous. Prioleau understands that, which is why her examples are so vivid. Of the thousands of women she researched, she mined the most formidable figures that impacted society and sometimes history - by fair means or foul.


Like many of the women Prioleau chose to spotlight in her book, the author has an awareness of self, a sharp mind, and understanding of the bisection of male and female society. I guarantee just about every reader will disagree with the author at one point or another. I found that opened up the possibility of stimulating debates with others. Regardless of whether you agree or not, the intrinsic truths stand out. Women, not just men, have hamstrung other women. Feminism has gained us a more equal footing, but has managed to confuse and undercut men. We don't need their power, we have our own. We don't need to wear men's suits, unless we want to. We don't need to harangue, nag, emasculate or subjugate men - it's alienating, and while it may gain power, it does not gain affection. We need to assert our own minds and the strengths that complement theirs. We need to work beside and sometimes around them. We need to understand our needs - physical, emotional, and mental - and acquire satisfaction with the knowledge that it's deserved, without apology. We must know our self-worth, our strengths, understand how others think, cultivate our minds constantly, and pursue all of our passions with unreserved joy. THIS is what makes an enchantress; that self-possession and savvy that spellbinds the people around us.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have liked this book a lot better if it had been a simple encyclopedia of seductresses throughout history. There are so many fascinating women in this book and their stories are full and rich. I want to write plays for at least ten of them. However, the surrounding tissue of the bones of those stories was really hard to wade through. It's the author's contention that any seductress is a personification of the goddess of Inanna and she found a multitude of ways to claim that this or that historical figure was following in Inanna's footsteps. Now, I've got nothing against Inanna. She's one kick-ass goddess, no doubt. One of my favorites actually. But what about all the other goddesses from all the other cultures, the different aspects of the goddess?
Also
. . .so?
Maybe it's because I'm a mythology geek but I found the author's attempts to link the historical to the mythical pretty feeble and simultaneously facile. I also resented the lessons she kept trying to teach us about seduction. She seemed to be saying that women should be more like these historical seductresses, take back the power or something. Sure, fine. . . but I wish she'd let me come to my own conclusion about that. I'd much rather have gotten inspired by the stories of Isabella Stewart Gardner or Agnes Sorel and taken what I wanted than be told I might want to incorporate their traits. The rebellious one in me (the one most aligned with many of these women in the book) wants to do the exact opposite of what she's told and thereby nullifies the book completely.

[Engineous · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book; a lot of it was really informative, and Prioleau writes about these women with a particular energy and enthusiasm that catches on to you. I disagreed with a couple of the choices she made in subjects - some because they weren't really much more than sociopaths who managed to abuse their way to the top and one or two because I rejected her (very optimistic) take on them - but, ultimately, it comes down to the fact that Prioleau was writing about women who got power. They didn't have to be good people; they didn't even have to be decent human beings. They gained or regained power by their talents and skills, and they influenced the time they lived. That is all.

Aside from a lot of the hurdy-gurdy about goddesses, there was only one point that seriously irked me. The goddess stuff is normal, if unfortunate; very few people nowadays are able to conceptualize of a culture entirely outside of their own dichotomized framework, and Prioleau managed not to dwell too much on her annoyingly monotheistic viewpoint on various goddesses throughout. That point occurred in a very short synopsis of a Grecian courtesan's life.

Prioleau basically does something absolutely unforgivable - printing the subject's thoughts on how it was better to be anything except a courtesan, she outright contradicts that and comes back with the biographer's equivalent of, "Nuh uh." Seriously. Elizabeth Prioleau, you are not and will never be forced into becoming a prostitute in order to survive; check the arrogant dismissal. Regardless of your beliefs on legalization or de-criminalization or whatever, you contradicted one of your subjects - someone who is too dead to refute you. Respect your subjects, and learn to resist the temptation to use their lives to support your ideology when they outright contradict it.

For a feminist author, it's more than a little inappropriate to silence and appropriate another woman's life simply so you won't have to deal with the cognitive dissonance.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are a limited number of times and places where the word "razzmatazz" can be used without irony, and this book was not one of them. I loved the subject matter, but the tone of the book is absolutely intolerable.

[Carissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, the writing stopped me straight away from finishing this book (or getting very far into it, for that matter). The way Prioleau writes alternates between ridiculously flowery verbosity and redundant repetition, all with this overt "girl power!" theme. Not mature or straightforward at all.

[Diana Mafikovi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good: I enjoyed Chapter 7, "Machtweiber: Seductresses in Politics," as Prioleau profiled some powerful historical women I admire. I subscribe to the belief Prioleau touts, that there is power in female sexuality, but that this sort of power is misunderstood as mostly beauty-based and fleeting. Women who use these powers for self-fulfillment have always been criticized, but such condemnation reflects outdated patriarchal values.

The bad: My complaints are mostly stylistic. The language was extremely flowery, and I found myself rolling my eyes several times at Prioleau's overuse of cliches such as "they took life by the throat, tore off the trodden paths..."

While I do think she tried to include some diversity in her historical surveys (a profile on Josephine Baker, a sentence about Jennifer Lopez, etc.), the overall focus on European historical figures and her constant mention of "blonde lovlies" as the beauty norm reflected a narrow Euro-centric perspective. I just think her overall thesis would have been enriched by a more worldly perspective on gender norms in various cultures.

Finally, she paints an all too rosy picture of the autonomy of many of these women. While I'm sure many of them experienced a lot of fulfillment in breaking social norms, Prioleau offered one-dimensional and unrealistically stoic analyses of each bio.

All in all, while the premise of post-feminist sexuality was intriguing, the book lacked subtlety, both in language and in insight.

[Eva · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for a lot from this book, something about feminism and seduction or how western culture and Christianity have worked against female sexuality. Instead, the first chapter was about ancient fertility goddesses and the next 6/7 chapters are about the reincarnation of said goddesses in the way of famous women that drove men crazy. Essentially its a mini bio of famous women, men that loved them, and how they are the reincarnation of an ancient sex goddess. The same thing over and over again for all the chapters. I made it through the majority of the book, read about Josephine baker and skipped all of chapter seven since I knew something about each of those women. Final annoying thing about this book is that while its wordy and makes you feel like you're learning something I didn't like that it wasn't cited at the bottom of the page. Just a collection of further readings-so I guess its something. I really really wanted to like this book but gosh it was terrible.

[Gabrielė Bužinskaitė · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We are naturally magnetized by powerful personalities with superior individuation, wholeness, and "unconflicted psyches". But men have deeper reasons to adore queens of the hill. Their libidos were engineered at the beginning of time to swoon over sexy magnificas, to quake in their presence, and glorify, honor, and serve them. Pushovers, bubble brains, and penthouse pets therefore disappoint them at a primal, biochemical level"
Very interesting and empowering stories about seductive women from our history. However, did not like the writing style and some other aspects of this book.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. Although the content is subjective, however you view it, there is a large amount of fascinating historical information imbedded in the conjecture. Much of this is an assumption of what really was happening in places and times that any historical nuances can only be conjecture.

The presumptions throughout are interesting in the context of the subject. Having been written by a woman, and me reading it as a man added an additional level of conspicuousness to the entire subject matter. I found, in the interpretation of the male of the species, that she conveys a plausible, if not remarkable understanding of what sexuality means to men.

Why did I give it 3 stars? I am glad I read the book. The book is an historical timeline for a level of femininity that deserves the revelation. However; there were too many women and much of their story was not written in depth enough for me. Some, as Gloria Steinem, was marvelous. I think this book was more written for women than men, so the target investiture, for the most part didn’t strike a communal chord in me. I’d say it was often a mechanical read rather than a page turning read.

All that said, as I have said, I enjoyed the historical view into varied dimensions of the subject matter. I cannot say, in an overall evaluation that I found any errors that would deviate from the institution of the sexes in the rolls of humanity. I read it while reading the Feminine Mystique, alternating between reading periods. The two together made a great combined instruct into the psyche of women in general.

[Tamlynem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can someone else please read this and tell me what you think? I think the author pushes her theory a little too much. Don't get me wrong, I love her adjectives and use of words like "Shero" (instead of hero), but I don't think that if the world had more people like Wallis Simpson and Josephine Baker it would be a better place. How many people like that can the world take?
It's so hard, because part of the thesis is: Everything you've read about these women before is shit because it was just the patriarchy putting them down. But what is the truth? Do vamps and seductresses (or just plain seducers) live wonderful, fulfilled lives or are they empty shells? I guess it depends on the person, but in that case she should have written a shorter book and concentrated on a few people.
And I like the message about monogamy: There's is no such thing as monogamy, unless that's what you want. I think reality is that serial monogamy is the only thing that's been traditional in societies across generations.
The message is good: Don't despair if you don't have looks, wealth or connections. You can use talent, charm and etc to get men. You deserve an orgasm! Yet, I think the author falls short of her goal of showing women today that they should unleash their inner seductress to achieve maximum fulfillment.
As an aside: How did these women all not get preggers or VD? Especially before the pill?

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book, but I am going to give it 5 stars anyway.

I want to write a more comprehensive review later on, but for now, I just wanted to say that if you are able to distill the important stuff and ignore the annoying parts, this book could be a very good book to read for women of any age. I would definitely recommend it to my daughters once they are a bit older.

----
Its been a few months now since I've read this book, and I have to say that this is one of those books that stays with you. Revising what I previously wrote, I now highly recommend it. Especially if sometimes you feel insecure about yourself, about your attractiveness, like when you browse glossy fashion magazines, see someone younger and fitter than you, someone better looking than you, when you worry about your looks, your age, etc. This books somehow gets to the back of your mind so that whenever those insecurity thoughts come up - it just gently whispers something into your brain and you let go of the stupidity :) Somehow, amazingly, it works. At least for me. It helped me boost my confidence in my own attractiveness quite a bit.

[Ameya Warde · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The topic is of interest to me. But the writing was just... too abrasive, and I couldn't finish it. First she condemned feminism for condemning these sexually empowered historical women (we have??) and then there is a lot of talk of women's superiority to men for all these sexy reasons, which again... makes me so uncomfortable. And worst of all, there was a lot of assumptions being flaunted as truth dealing with historical facts. From reading this book, you'd think we intimately knew the religious practices of the neolithic people, as she gives such detailed descriptions of how they worshiped, all based on the goddess figures that have been found. By that alone I felt like she was far too easy with stretching facts to fit her narrative, so I didn't feel like I could fully trust the rest of what I might learn in the book, so I had to finally give up and put it down. Plus there was too much talk of reincarnated sex goddesses and just... eh. :\

[Jonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For twenty-five thousand years before there was a male deity, mankind probably worshiped a goddess. More than merely a swag-bellied fertility idol, she was a cosmic sexpot, the be-all and end-all who created heaven and earth and reigned supreme over human destiny. She gave and took life, revived the dead, raised the tempest, ripened the grain, conferred civilization, and reduced her servant, man, to fear, lust, and sublime rapture. He propitiated her with gifts and prostrated himself before the divine one and her wonder-working womb.” - Elizabeth Prioleau

[Cleolinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read about this one on Salon and was intrigued. Unfortunately, the tone of the book is a little too You Go Girl! for me. Prioleau spends too much time cheerleading both the courtesans and her readers; I tend to prefer a drier mix of scholarly tone and juicy gossip (Alison Weir, Antonia Fraser).

[Shanta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, this was a very good read. I am constantly interested in books that illustrate a saucier side of history. You will meet Violet Gordon Woodhouse who had four husbands, Jane Digby who leaves a string of loves to seek the ultimate life and love she wants in the deserts of the Middle East, or the psychoanalyst/author Lou Andreas-Salome who ensnares Friedrich Nietzsche into a love triangle.

There were moments where I wanted more detail on each of the women presented to weigh what was being presented. I also wondered at certain point if these woman were illustrated in an overly grandiose fashion to prove their prowess as seductresses. Regardless, it was a fun, delightful and easy read packed with many individuals that we don't get to see parade upon the pages of your average history book.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the themes in this book, but I would have preferred the focus to be on detailed, in-depth biographies with more substance. Instead, for me the brief summaries of so many different women diminished what the writer actually set out to accomplish. These women were confident, captivating, exciting, passionate, and adventurous; well-deserving of books dedicated to the way they lived their lives. I found myself feeling more empowered, sensual, inspired... but I still thought that Prioleau left something to be desired in the way she tried to depict these histories. Mid-way through the book, I was exhausted of reading what had quickly become redundant descriptions and would rather have done my own research for more comprehensive information.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting compilation of short biographies of numerous women throughout the ages who were able to overcome the patriarchal basis of society and become wealthy and powerful in their own right. Along the way are commentaries by the author that add spice and interest to the variety of women who used their wiles to control men and get what they wanted. Though men will find it interesting, the book was written for women or at least the commentary of the author seems to be directed at women. Throughout the work the author notes that good looks do not necessarily make a good seductress and that several of the more famous seductresses were rather plain looking for their time.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful read that goes extremely well with Greene’s “the art of seduction”. This should be on every woman’s reading list.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are ugly, don’t fear! You still can ensnare and dazzle men and have an incredible sex life. There, I summarized the whole book for you. Now you don’t have to read it.

Somehow this book was so redundant to the point where I felt like… every individual woman in this book actually was the same person? I have a feeling Prioleau really oversimplified the lives of these women and their relationships. It seems like generally the “seductresses” she picked came from unstable backgrounds, were grossly unattractive (but they weren’t. I looked at some images of the women she was describing and they looked perfectly normal to me, not some disfigured monster she kept insisting they were), and had some qualities that made them interesting. Further, she picked exclusively white or Western women to represent her arguments, save for Cleopatra and the mythic goddesses, I guess.

I’m disturbed that she decided to use really racist language to describe the ugliness of some of these women, like La Pavia, a French courtesan with “a bulbous Mongolian nose” and Mrs. Frank Leslie who was “unpretty by any gauge” with “a face of a cigar store Indian’s nose.” Yo??????? Maybe re-evaluate your Western ideals of beauty and stop perpetuating the idea that white features = beautiful and feminine.

As another reader has said, she has no grounds for invalidating the feelings of a sex worker who said she felt that being a courtesan was not a desirable occupation. Sure, she made the best out of her situation, but there’s no need to glamorize this line of work as empowering or special if someone in that industry says it wasn’t so in their experience. Dismissing women is not feminist or empowering.

The only thing I can appreciate about this book is that she say you should pursue your own interests, whether it is in the arts, education, or politics, with gusto. She encourages women to be independent instead of supporting characters in men’s lives. I can’t help but also internalize ageist views on women and feel like once I hit 30, I’m basically expired meat, so it’s validating to see some anecdotes of women who lived vibrant lives past their “prime” years.

[Rachel]

So far this book is not at all what I expected, but not in a bad way. The preface and the first chapter are explaining the book as the history of seduction and seductresses, how it relates to feminism and how if more women did things like those of famous seductresses, we would be more liberated. My favorite quote so far is about how men "cling like crotch crabs to their historic prerogatives of the initiative, double standard, promiscuity, mate trade-ins, domination and domestic copouts."I also really enjoyed the 2nd chapter, which was about prehistoric seductresses like earth goddesses (think Venus of Willendorf), Sumerian goddesses (Inanna and to a lesser degree Ishtar) and eventually Minoan snake goddesses and Aphrodite.









I am having a lot of reading to do for school, so this book will be postponed until a later date.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat fun, but confusing. Mini biographies of some very interesting women. Albeit the bios are reductive to the point of pithy and even trite. Having read full biographies on a lot of them, some of the author's points were over-simplified and glossy as compared to the researched fact. The author also keeps talking about some goddess Innana, and I kept wondering when I'd met her and what she was all about. Apparently all the women in the book are some manifestation of Innana, but I failed to grasp the connection fully.

Also, the whole thing was gushingly, bombastically repetitive, to be complete hyperbole in places.

Entertaining, but grating on the nerves. The author needs to learn to hold back, or hire a better editor.

[Stef · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't even get through the end. The good: the anecdotes of real life women, especially recognizable names, were entertaining and insightful. The bad: the writer's definition of female empowerment was superficial and insulting. She relied upon women who were mentally imbalanced and money hungry to be her paragons of independence. I struggle with female figures being upheld as the beacons of female progress when all they do is participate in high end prostitution and suck the money from men around them. The author's style was hard for me to take seriously- too flowery, almost self-indulgent... I wound up resenting that this passed for feminist literature and tossed it in my pile of books not worth finishing.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. An uplifting and inspiring look at women who refused to be submissive, who refused to accept the roles and the stigmas society laid upon them. Some were beauties, but many were not. Some were sirens from the time they hit puberty, others discovered their seductive powers late in life. All of them, whether wealthy or poor, beauty or no, commanded an innate sense of what men want (and need, though they don't often recognize it in themselves) in a woman in order to fall madly, truly madly, in love with her.
We as modern women can learn a lot from our predecessors, our roots as Earth Mothers, Sex Goddesses, and Powerful Huntress, but only if we know the truth of them.

[Rachel Swords · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute delight of a book! Woman as femme fatale at her finest is noted within the pages of "Seductress" with several infamous examples (Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Mae West, Catherine the Great) and a few who were notorious in their day, but have faded with obscurity (Isabella Stewart Gardner, Martha Gelhorn, Louise Labe). Each woman is fascinating in her history and abilities, which range from mild to astonishing. Worship of the sexual goddess, woman as seductory artists, and seduction in politics are just some of the other topics covered. I loved this thorough examination of women's studies-albeit in a different light.

[Tiffany Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prioleau seems unwilling to explore the criticism of the women whose lives she chronicles for more then the space it takes to brush it off. Her prose, when discussing vagaries and underlying themes, is cloying and overly floral; think Tom Robbins pumped up with estrogen...without a plot...and not that good. Her ideas were interesting; I am inclined to go back to her source material. My favorite parts were the biographies of famous seductresses, but even these I felt were too cursory. Overall, it was ok.

[Noellasue · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading a few chapters, I was anxious to skip to the biographies. Reading the biographies, I quickly became bored - they all sounded the same.

The seductresses were portrayed as goddesses. I found that to be a bit unreal. It seems as though the men who were seduced were weak and unable to stand on their own. Even after they were cheated on time and time again, they came back for more. Personally, I'd rather have a man who's strong enough to stand up to me.

To be honest, I skimmed most of the second half of the book just to say I'd finished it.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book completely eradicates all conceptions that feminists can't revel in thier beauty and sexuality and love being loved! The women in this book were made famous for their abilty to read what men wanted, as well as for thier wit and intelligence. Now that is a serious triple threat! It was once said, "A witty woman is a treasure, a witty BEAUTY is a power" and I think this still holds true if only we weren't so afraid to use what we have!

[Olivie Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

[June's read for the S.P.E.L.L., Society for the Promotion of Erotic Ladies in Literature.] Every woman needs to read this book. The writing exuberantly embraces the divine feminine; it's full of fascinating historical/mythological women, empowering its audience (i.e., women) by casting aside the patriarchy-friendly morality we were so relentlessly taught to discount. Don't skip the notes—they were some of my favorite pieces of astoundingly blunt and "holy shit, u right" commentary.

[Kristi Marshae · Rating 2 out of 5]

the theme of this book grew tiring very quickly; it's as if the author is lecturing the reader on how to be a sex kitten & she constantly emphasized how to keep the boys coming back for more (gag). only redeeming factor is that i learned about a few very fabulous ladies, and it has since led me to reading more about their lives.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book! It is all portraits on women throughout history who have, as the title says, ravished the world and everyone around them. the book is separated into different sections depending on the type of seductress the woman was. It's a fasctinating read. I think the saddest part, though, is how little-known most of these women as.