Sex and Sexuality in Victorian Britain by Violet Fenn (Second Hand)

Peek beneath the tightly buttoned-up waistcoats and crinolines of 19th-century Britain in this lively and accessible exploration of Victorian attitudes toward sex and sexuality. Violet Fenn offers a candid, often humorous, and always insightful look at how people in Queen Victoria’s era navigated love, lust, and everything in between.

Far from being a uniformly prudish society, the Victorians were full of contradictions—publicly moralistic yet privately inventive. Fenn examines how gender roles, class, religion, and power shaped sexual norms, and how people responded with surprising, sometimes bizarre, and often ingenious solutions to the challenges of maintaining a healthy sex life.

The book delves into:

• Male and female sexual behaviour and double standards

• The intersection of sex with medicine, science, and superstition

• The influence of fashion, literature, and politics on sexual identity

• Hidden desires, taboos, and the underground world of Victorian erotica

Fenn’s engaging style makes complex social history feel intimate and relatable, offering readers a fresh perspective on their great-great-grandparents’ world. Whether you're a historian, genealogist, or simply curious about the past, this book is both enlightening and entertaining.

“Did the Victorians live up to their prudish reputation? This book answers that—and more—with wit and warmth.”

ISBN : 9781526756688

 

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