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603 reviews for:
Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
Therese Oneill
3.76 AVERAGE
603 reviews for:
Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
Therese Oneill
3.76 AVERAGE
Laugh out loud funny and informative. The Narrator is perfect for this book.
challenging
funny
informative
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content
Meh. It was ok. I mean, most of us understand that the Victorian era wasn't as romantic as those Victorian era novels make it out to be. It was filthy and sooty and disease-ridden. Got it.
The author of this book stated that, but didn't really delve into things outside of advertisements and newspaper articles.
It wasn't awful, but the author's constant snark was obnoxious and this probably wasn't the best follow up to the book on Lister...
The author of this book stated that, but didn't really delve into things outside of advertisements and newspaper articles.
It wasn't awful, but the author's constant snark was obnoxious and this probably wasn't the best follow up to the book on Lister...
I highly recommend the audiobook version. It was a riot and well researched.
I'm sure if you're like me, you've had the burning question of, "just what did people do on their period before tampons, pads, etc." No? Well, maybe you should have, in case of the zombie apocalypse, or something. The author takes us on a journey through life in the Victorian era. Complete with moral and cultural norms, hygiene practices, and all the little details that made life not so great in that time.
You the reader are spoken to directly in this book, as she tries to make you picture what it would be like if you went back in time and experienced these things firsthand. I can't say I've ever really read a history book that took that approach before, so it was kind of innovative and refreshing for me. And she has a sarcastic way of telling it, which made it humorous at the same time. Still non-fiction, but very approachable non-fiction.
This book is not for those who don't like frank discussion on private topics. Sex and more is discussed in great detail in this book. It starts out mild and progresses to those more taboo topics. I think it was a great book though and definitely piqued the interest of other people who I mentioned it to.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
You the reader are spoken to directly in this book, as she tries to make you picture what it would be like if you went back in time and experienced these things firsthand. I can't say I've ever really read a history book that took that approach before, so it was kind of innovative and refreshing for me. And she has a sarcastic way of telling it, which made it humorous at the same time. Still non-fiction, but very approachable non-fiction.
This book is not for those who don't like frank discussion on private topics. Sex and more is discussed in great detail in this book. It starts out mild and progresses to those more taboo topics. I think it was a great book though and definitely piqued the interest of other people who I mentioned it to.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
It's certainly an interesting book, and the author's wit makes it an entertaining read; however, I sometimes found the humor distracted me from the actual facts. I'd probably enjoy a more serious book on the subject but I still enjoyed the experience, and learned new things along the way!
This book has an interesting topic matter and seemed to be well researched, but the sarcasm was too much for me.
An entertaining way to discover the downside of 19th-century life.
When reading a novel in a 19th-century setting, has it ever struck you that the 'necessities' of life are glossed over? Well, it had me, and also the author of this book, Therese Oneill. She endeavors to lift the lid on chamberpots and outline how the day-to-day practicalities of Victorian life were negotiated.
The text covers a range of intimate details including bodily functions, sex, and women's health. Genuine texts from back-in-the-day are quoted to provide providence for the truly shocking views of doctors and other men about, amongst other things, how the womb ruled the brain and was the cause of all manner of mental derangement.
The author adopts a chit-chatty style which makes this an easy, quick read. The writing style started to grate on me when I was halfway through, but then came into its own when addressing the delicate topics in the second half - so all was forgiven.
Recommended to anyone interested in what everyday life was like in the past.
When reading a novel in a 19th-century setting, has it ever struck you that the 'necessities' of life are glossed over? Well, it had me, and also the author of this book, Therese Oneill. She endeavors to lift the lid on chamberpots and outline how the day-to-day practicalities of Victorian life were negotiated.
The text covers a range of intimate details including bodily functions, sex, and women's health. Genuine texts from back-in-the-day are quoted to provide providence for the truly shocking views of doctors and other men about, amongst other things, how the womb ruled the brain and was the cause of all manner of mental derangement.
The author adopts a chit-chatty style which makes this an easy, quick read. The writing style started to grate on me when I was halfway through, but then came into its own when addressing the delicate topics in the second half - so all was forgiven.
Recommended to anyone interested in what everyday life was like in the past.