Description
Henry Spencer Ashbee seemed a prosperous and respectable Victorian gentleman. But his well-upholstered chambers in Gray's Inn concealed a shocking secret: a vast collection of erotica and pornography, thousands of volumes strong.
The Erotomaniac is a fascinating account of Victorian curiosity, repression and subverted desire. Acclaimed biographer Ian Gibson has created an engrossing portrait of Ashbee, which examines the evidence that Ashbee himself may have been the author of the most famous work of Victorian erotica, My Secret Life.
The Erotomaniac by Ian Gibson is a fascinating account of Victorian curiosity, repression and subverted desire, focusing on the story of Henry Spencer Ashbee - a prosperous and respectable Victorian gentleman, whose chambers in Grey's Inn turned out to conceal a vast collection of erotica and pornography.
About the Author
Ian Gibson's celebrated biography Federico Garcia Lorca: A Life won the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. His biography of Salvador Dali was published in 1997 to much critical acclaim. He lives near Granada in southern Spain.
Reviews
'Here is the lust that dare not speak its name: Victoria may not have been amused; but I guarantee that you'll be.' Sunday Express '[A] gripping, finely researched jewel of a book.' Sunday Times
Book Information
ISBN 9780571209040
Author Ian Gibson
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 220g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 126mm * 18mm
