Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Harlots, Whores and Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale by Kate Lister

5 reviews

professorworm's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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littlehush's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.75

I love a book I can learn from, and I learned loads from this one on a subject I have a strong interest in, not least the development of women's rights through a fascinating lens. Really enjoyed the content, images (especially Eugene Atget whose work I'm already familiar with), and the light hearted lean. A good accompaniment for The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, and possibly also The Covent Garden Ladies also by Hallie Rubenhold if you have an interest here.
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yourbookishbff's review

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

This is my second by Kate Lister and a great expansion on sex work specifically for those who've read The Curious History of Sex. This is a very broad introduction to the topic, covering thousands of years and several continents, giving us glimpses into cultural shifts and defining moments in each era. A great starting point for anyone who wants to better understand the long history of sex work and the cyclical attempts to criminalize, zone, regulate and otherwise repress sex work and workers throughout millennia. 
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swedishfrisk's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book packs a lot of information into one book centering on the history of sex work in various parts of the world. 

I found this read very informative though I would have loved more space dedicated to the topic in the conclusion which ties in the recurring themes within the book to modern workers rights movements and battles for decriminalization. I think the book could have used a bit more time on this topic to wrap up all the ideas that were touched on but overall this is a great read. The most poignant line here being “It has taken thousands of years, but sex workers have finally managed to create space to speak for themselves” which highlights the importance of sex workers being the ones telling us what they need in terms of their rights as workers and individuals. 
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ashmash's review against another edition

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dark hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.25

Wanted to read something different to my usual choices in literature. I was worried about reading a history book as I thought it would be quite dense, but Kate Lister wrote an enjoyable, informative book about a topic I wasn’t very familiar with. If you’re looking for an overview of the history of prostitution then this is a great choice.
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