by Graham Robb
First published 2005
Graham Robb examines male and female homosexuality in Britain and America during the Victorian era. He draws evidence from legal cases, literary works, medical records, and everyday experiences to reveal a complex and self-aware homosexual community. The book incorporates well-known episodes like Oscar Wilde's trials alongside overlooked historical materials. Robb challenges contemporary assumptions about Victorian sexual repression by documenting instances of tolerance and openness that coexisted with persecution. His research demonstrates how homosexual individuals navigated a society that officially condemned them while often finding ways to live authentically. The book presents both familiar narratives of concealment and persecution and surprising evidence of acceptance and visibility, offering readers a nuanced portrait of love and identity in an era typically characterized as sexually restrictive.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, biography-memoir, lgbt, 19th-century, gay, academic
Vibes: intimate, nuanced, thought-provoking
Tropes: hidden-identity, social-commentary
Setting: Britain, America
Period: Victorian Era
365 pages · Paperback · Carocci
Content warnings: homophobia