Synopsis
'My Secret Life' is perhaps the most infamous of all underground Victorian erotica. It is the sexual memoir of a well-to-do gentleman who began at an early age to keep a diary of his erotic behavior. He continues this record for over 40 years, creating in the process a unique social & psychological document.
Authorship of the book is mysterious. Henry Spencer Ashbee, a book collector, writer & bibliographer notable for his particular focus on sexuality is suspected by some to be "Walter". He is very likely the compiler of the book's index, the provider of some editorial assistance & the person who saw the text into print.
Gershon Legman was 1st to link "Walter" & Ashbee in Legman's introduction to the 1962 reprints of Ashbee's bibliographies. The 1966 Grove Press edition of 'My Secret Life' included an expanded version of that essay.
More recently, however, Ian Gibson's 'The Erotomaniac: The Secret Life of Henry Spencer Ashbee' (2001, ISBN 0-571-19619-5) provides a detailed review of circumstantial evidence arguing that Ashbee wrote 'My Secret Life', presumably weaving fantasy & anecdotes from friends in with his own real-life experiences. Just prior to this, in May 2000, Channel 4 UK broadcast a documentary, 'Walter-The Secret Life of a Victorian Pornographer', which also claimed that Ashbee was Walter.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Search results for My Secret Life An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
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My Secret Life An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Unknown. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0451526023I5N00
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My Secret Life An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
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Unknown. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0451526023I5N00
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MY SECRET LIFE AN EROTIC DIARY
Seller: Mostly Books, Dallas, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Dust Jacket Condition: good. 7TH.PRINTING CLEAN TEXT MINOR SHELF WEAR CLEAN TEXT BOOK LOOKS GOOD MINOR. Seller Inventory # 60272
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My Secret Life An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Item in good condition and has highlighting/writing on text. Used texts may not contain supplemental items such as CDs, info-trac etc. Seller Inventory # 00097151127
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My Secret Life: An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
Published by
Signet Classic, New York, NY, 1996
ISBN 10: 0451526023
ISBN 13: 9780451526021
Used
Soft cover
First Edition
Seller: Books by White/Walnut Valley Books, Winfield, KS, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Signet Classic, New York. 1996. Softcover/Trade Wraps/Mass Market Paperback. 7th Printing by Line Number. Book is tight, square, and unmarked. Book Condition: Very Good +; several dogeared pages; bumping to lower front corner; slight opening creases. No DJ. Pictorial card stock wraps. Wraps are not bent or folded; spine is not creased or split; text is secure in binding. 576 pp 12mo. From his precocious childhood to the end of what he calls his "amatory career," an adventurous Victorian known only as "Walter" records a breathtaking carnal epic through hundreds of sexual encounters with one or more nursemaids, prostitutes, cousins, actresses, workingmen, and other men's wives. In ruling everything sexual within the realm of possibility, Walter reveals "varied delights?whims and fancies normal and abnormal," sexual violence, fetishes?and sometimes, surprisingly, love. From his many escapades, he learns an invaluable lesson: "One can never know too much concerning human nature." Portraying an era of notorious repression, in which the appearance of propriety had to be strictly maintained, My Secret Life provides a rare look at the hidden side of Victorian life: the upstairs and downstairs encounters where nothing is "proper"?or forbidden. First published in London around 1900, this landmark work freshly illuminates the complex sexual dynamics of a society strictly divided between rich and poor, male and female, sexual and chaste. In James Kincaid's abridgment, Walter and his world come to vivid life in new and often surprising ways. A clean very presentable copy. Seller Inventory # 019731
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My Secret Life : An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
Seller: June Samaras, STREETSVILLE, ON, Canada
Seller rating 2 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. Reprint. This erotic diary of an anonymous English gentleman in the late Victorian age has enthralled readers for generations. Originally an 11-volume set, this abridged version retains the full flavor of the underground bestseller. Detailing scores of intimate encounters, the volume highlights the contradictions inherent in straight-laced Victorian society. Edited, abridged, and with an introduction by James Kikaid with Richard Tithecott. 557p. Tight,clean, crisp copy. Seller Inventory # 038566
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My Secret Life An Erotic Diary of Victorian London
Seller: HPB-Emerald, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Mass Market Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_458621826