jeevester_21's review against another edition
3.0
A bit pornographic but overall very informational. Also I guess some of the anecdotes were exaggerated for effect but it was enlightening.
stupidsalad8's review
challenging
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
traumatizing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Alcohol, Colonisation, Addiction, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
adambwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty much every kind of sexual act (and "perversity) that one could imagine. The book was referenced in a historical text on homosexuality (Sodom on the Thames) and is incredibly interesting in its historical significance, speaking, perhaps, first-hand about actual events taking place in the early and mid-19th century. Real people, schools, brothels, and court cases are mentioned and/or implied, and the book closes with a brief account of (in)famous ancient Romans.
need_more_meta's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
likecymbeline's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know quite how to rate this book or if there was a point in my trying seeing as I did read it for school. And, more to the point, because it is Victorian pornography. Do I compare it to other books I read? Do I compare it to erotica, contemporary and past? Do I compare it to other Victorian pornographic novels? I just don't know, and I'm not sure that there is much to be had out of trying. It is, of course, ridiculous. It is also fascinating, and thinking about it in terms of its publication and original readership--thinking about who was reading it and when and where--is another aspect of the text entirely (that its original readers probably did not care so much about). I read this on the boat from Igoumenitsa to Ancona and fully appreciated the discretion of possessing an e-reader for the first time. It is meant to be titillating so of course it is in some respects, but it is also comical (intentionally and unintentionally) and unlikely. It wouldn't be my first recommendation for a book to get off with (though different strokes for different folks, as they say), but if you're curious about just how unrepressed the Victorians could be when they chose, take a gander.
clmckinney's review against another edition
4.0
This book details the sexual escapades of the fictitious character of Jack Saul in the victorian era. It is a tawdry read. I enjoyed the beginning of it but after awhile it got repetitive in its depiction of a hustler. I think the author is courageous and brave for writing during a dangerous time for gays. For this it gets a 3.8/5.
gls_merch's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
The Sins of the Cities on the Plain (a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah) is purported to be a "memoir" of a male prostitute, highlighting stories from his life including two scandalous events from London headlines. While there was a real-life Jack Saul, scholars dispute certain events presented as facts when it is more likely heresay and others likely to have been embellished for story-telling. As literature, each vignette is pretty much identical to the last except for minor changes in participants and setting. This was repetitive and tiresome. At the end of the day, this book is best viewed as a historical curiosity, the first example of gay erotica.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
andresreading's review against another edition
5.0
It is beautifully written, and provides the reader with a glance at the hidden sex lives of the 19th century.
jeevika's review against another edition
3.0
A bit pornographic but overall very informational. Also I guess some of the anecdotes were exaggerated for effect but it was enlightening.