The Other Victorians

A Study of Sexuality and Pornography in Mid-nineteenth-century England

Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book The Other Victorians by Steven Marcus, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Steven Marcus ISBN: 9781351477758
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: July 12, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Steven Marcus
ISBN: 9781351477758
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: July 12, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Taking as his point of departure the authors, the audience, and the texts of Victorian writings on sex in general and of Victorian pornography in particular, Steven Marcus offers a startling and revolutionary perspective on the underside of Victorian culture. The subjects dealt with in The Other Victorians are not only those to have been "shocking" in the Victorian period. The way these subjects were regarded--and the way our notions of the Victorians continue to change, as the efforts of contemporary scholarship restore them to their full historical dimensions--are matters today of some surprise and wonder.

Making use, for the first time, of the extensive collection of Victoriana at the Kinsey Institute for Sex Research, Marcus first examines the writings of Dr. William Acton, who may be said to represent the "official views" of sexuality held by Victorian society, and of Henry Spencer Ashbee, the first and most important bibliographer-scholar of pornography. He then turns to the most significant work of its kind from the period, the eleven-volume anonymous autobiography My Secret Life. There follows an analysis of four pornographic Victorian novels--an analysis that throws an oblique but fascinating light on the classics of Victorian literature--and a review of the odd flood of Victorian publications devoted to flagellation. The book concludes with a chapter propounding a general theory of pornography as a sociological phenomenon.

With the publication of The Other Victorians, understanding of this period took a giant stride forward. Most of the writers and writings discussed by Marcus belong to Victorian sub-literature rather than to literature proper; in this way the work remains connected to a consideration of the exotic sub-literature. A brilliantly written book in its own right, this work transformed the study of the Victorian period as did no other.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Taking as his point of departure the authors, the audience, and the texts of Victorian writings on sex in general and of Victorian pornography in particular, Steven Marcus offers a startling and revolutionary perspective on the underside of Victorian culture. The subjects dealt with in The Other Victorians are not only those to have been "shocking" in the Victorian period. The way these subjects were regarded--and the way our notions of the Victorians continue to change, as the efforts of contemporary scholarship restore them to their full historical dimensions--are matters today of some surprise and wonder.

Making use, for the first time, of the extensive collection of Victoriana at the Kinsey Institute for Sex Research, Marcus first examines the writings of Dr. William Acton, who may be said to represent the "official views" of sexuality held by Victorian society, and of Henry Spencer Ashbee, the first and most important bibliographer-scholar of pornography. He then turns to the most significant work of its kind from the period, the eleven-volume anonymous autobiography My Secret Life. There follows an analysis of four pornographic Victorian novels--an analysis that throws an oblique but fascinating light on the classics of Victorian literature--and a review of the odd flood of Victorian publications devoted to flagellation. The book concludes with a chapter propounding a general theory of pornography as a sociological phenomenon.

With the publication of The Other Victorians, understanding of this period took a giant stride forward. Most of the writers and writings discussed by Marcus belong to Victorian sub-literature rather than to literature proper; in this way the work remains connected to a consideration of the exotic sub-literature. A brilliantly written book in its own right, this work transformed the study of the Victorian period as did no other.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Diasporic Women's Writing of the Black Atlantic by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Leisure Marketing by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Urban Growth and Innovation by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Listening to Music in Psychotherapy by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Communist International by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book The Japan Handbook by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Taxation and Gender Equity by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Evaluating the Responsibility to Protect by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Studies in the Islam and Science Nexus by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book An Introduction to Discourse Analysis by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Equity and Inclusion in Physical Education and Sport by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Whose Choice? by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Caring by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Public Law and Human Rights Statutes by Steven Marcus
Cover of the book Dictionary of Jargon (Routledge Revivals) by Steven Marcus
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy