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A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister

12 reviews

savage_book_review's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

Picked this up as it's included in my Audible subscription and I really enjoy the author's podcast, 'Betwixt the Sheets'. Kate Lister is an engaging and energetic historian, who deals with the history of sex, scandal and society with frankness, openness and with a lighthearted humour that still manages to convey the more serious side of the subject.

As she states, it would be impossible to present a comprehensive history of this topic, so she has chosen to focus more on curiosities and less considered topics in this book. For example, drawing a link between the invention of the bicycle and the emancipation (sexual, fashionable and political) of women. It comes across as well researched, well presented and well balanced - although the author's opinions are clearly recognisable throughout, it is first and foremost a history, reporting the facts as they are known. In some respects this was a little disconcerting for me as I am used to hearing more of her own thoughts and opinions via the podcast, but it was interesting to experience this more scholarly side to her.

Clearly, there is a lot of explicit language and descriptive imagery throughout. Indeed, there is a whole chapter dedicated to the history of the 'c' bomb! It should be squirm-inducing, but the author takes pride in shining a light on these private practices and stressing that there is nothing to be ashamed of. The point is repeatedly made that shame around the subject is purely a social construct and that discussions about sex should be far more common. Likewise, although not said directly, the message that comes across is that as long as what you are up to is legal, safe and between consenting adults, you do you.

It's really interesting to see the changes in the perception of sex over the centuries, and the debunking of a few myths about the most 'liberated' and 'repressed' eras of history. I also love how she has included various euphemisms in the text for various sexual acts, and notes the earliest date that we have evidence they were used. Some are well known and still common, others really show their age and definitely raise a giggle! In some regards, I would like the book to have been longer so that more subjects could have been covered. Equally, she addresses the fact that she can only report these things on the basis of her own experiences and life - she sensitively deals with questions of race, gender and sexual orientation where they arise, acknowledging that she cannot possibly reflect all the nuances because she does not necessarily form part of the community being discussed. This gentle approach is a positive reflection of the progress made when compared with the historical sources quoted in the text, which were produced by such a narrow section of society.

I wouldn't say that any of the topics covered are obscure, but I'd argue that some may be a little too 'niche'. Part of me wonders if the book might appeal to a wider readership if it had chosen broader subject matter and explored the more general history of sex and relationships and historical perceptions thereof, rather than the specific subjects mentioned. Nevertheless, it is a very interesting read!

The one criticism I do have is that there are a few phrases and details that are repeated on several occasions throughout, sometimes almost verbatim and sometimes within the space of a couple of pages (or even paragraphs). Nothing another pass with an editor couldn't fix, but I found myself getting a bit frustrated when it kept happening.

For the audiobook, the narration was not as smooth and enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. When the author is reading her own words, it works brilliantly - her voice is conversational, light and easy to listen to. However, when faced with quotations from sources and the pronunciation of names from history or of foreign writers, her reading becomes incredibly stilted; it sounds like she hasn't practiced the pronunciation in advance and is trying to sound it out there and then. There are also a few moments where a name or a date gets absorbed into the text surrounding it so it's a little unclear what she's quoting from. Of course, reading the physical version would negate these issues.

An interesting read.

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acemummerz's review

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informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A wonderful fairly short text on the history of sex from a western/ UK perspective. Very well referenced with a multitude of links to other texts to expand your knowledge further. Funny and educational.

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cattheteawitchfairy's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

5.0

A really interesting book that I will take to build upon with other research! Looking at sexuality has always been a difficult topic but this book links it to so many things and explores it all in a sensitive, funny and informative way. Would highly recommend!

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tlholmes's review

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

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bookchatwithbeth's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

I only wish some of the chapters were longer or the book twice as long. It was fascinating!!!

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bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.75

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mateoj's review

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adventurous informative medium-paced

4.0

very entertaining and informative, and I appreciated the extensive use of primary sources. It was a welcome surprise to read the disclaimer in the introduction acknowledging the existence of trans people and the fact that primary sources almost always take a cisgendered view on sex and genitalia, but I do wish Lister had done more in her own use of language to try and correct that instead of just offering a disclaimer and going on to adhere to that cis-centric perspective. A few "people with vulvas" and "people with penises" would not have been unwelcome, but nonetheless I have to give her credit for even acknowledging the issue at all. The condemnation of FOSTA/SESTA and explicit support of sex workers was also a welcome surprise.

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