'Vice and wretchedness exist in their most appalling and hideous forms, stalking about with bold front, unblushingly, as though vice were virtue.' For the middle-class moralists and reformers of Victorian London, poverty was synonymous with depravity: their descriptions of the urban working classes portray a swarming, undifferentiated mass, impoverished and immoral. In the absence of written accounts by the poor themselves, these nineteenth-century prejudices still cloud our understanding of popular attitudes to sensuality ...
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'Vice and wretchedness exist in their most appalling and hideous forms, stalking about with bold front, unblushingly, as though vice were virtue.' For the middle-class moralists and reformers of Victorian London, poverty was synonymous with depravity: their descriptions of the urban working classes portray a swarming, undifferentiated mass, impoverished and immoral. In the absence of written accounts by the poor themselves, these nineteenth-century prejudices still cloud our understanding of popular attitudes to sensuality and courtship, marriage and pregnancy. Love in the Time of Victoria overturns these prejudices by presenting and analysing an extraordinary range of hitherto unpublished first-hand documents: love letters and testimonies from working-class women who faced pregnancy alone, and from their suitors, relatives and employers. These unique and moving writings provide the fullest and most accurate picture to date of love and sex among the poor in Victorian London. Francoise Barret-Ducrocq has painstakingly uncovered autobiographical fragments which show women and men who are neither depraved nor unusually virtuous. They meet in the course of their work, in the streets or through family and friends; they seek romance in parks and pubs, servants' attics or rented rooms. The women's own records of their relationships resonate with all the singularities of desire passion and regret, and they reveal a wide range of responses to separation or abandonment. For, despite their limited options, these women continued to exercise real choice. Their words vividly bring to life the material and emotional conflicts of the poor in nineteenth-century London. This remarkable book restores dignity and individuality to its subjects, but never idealizes them. The stories here contain cynicism and tenderness, cruelty and generosity. As the author says, this is history amazingly like real life.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Ships from UK in 48 hours or less (usually same day). Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Ex-library, so some stamps and wear, but in good overall condition. May contain underlining and/or highlighting. 100% money back guarantee. We are a world class secondhand bookstore based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and specialize in high quality textbooks across an enormous variety of subjects. We aim to provide a vast range of textbooks, rare and collectible books at a great price. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. We provide a 100% money back guarantee and are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest standards of service in the bookselling industry.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Missing jacket. The dust jacket of the book is missing.
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Seller's Description:
This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside. This book has hardback covers. In poor condition, suitable as a reading copy. No dust jacket. Library sticker on front cover. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item, 550grams, ISBN: 0860913252.
