Nude asian beauty combing hair

Sepia

Vintage Nude Posing on Chair

Erotic Victorian Novels - Many Available to Read on the Internet

The Pearl

William Lazenby, 1879-1880

This first entry is a slight cheat: The Pearl was not actually a book, but a magazine published briefly in 18 volumes and two Christmas Annuals until the publishers were threatened with prosecution for distributing obscene literature.

The Pearl contained pornographic stories—many were serialized and included such classics as Lady Pokingham or They All Do It and Sub-Umbra or Sport Among the She-Noodles—plus dirty jokes, limericks, and humorous song and poem parodies. The magazine’s primary focus was humor; the stories were often satirical in nature, though still very explicit. You can read The Pearl on-line.

The Romance of Lust

Anonymous, 1873-1876

This verbose, first person narrative follows the fictional Charlie Roberts from his young sexual awakening all through his maturation and development. The Romance of Lust chiefly noted not for the perversity of the acts themselves, which include orgies and incest. All four volumes are available on-line.

The Sins of the Cities of the Plain

The Lives

Also known as The Recollections of a Maryanne, The Sins of the Cities of the Plain is a pioneering work of gay erotic fiction chronicling the experiences of a rent-boy—a “Maryanne” (19th Century slang for a homosexual). Some of the characters are drawn from actual people, such as the transvestites Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park. The author’s name is certainly a pseudonym. Intimate encounters include cross-dressing and orgies.

This book gives a fascinating glimpse into the hidden world of upper and lower class gay Victorians. Unfortunately, it cannot be found online.The Nunnery Tales

Anonymous, 1866

This book is also known as Cruising Under False Colors, A Tale of Love and Lust. It features plenty of sacrilege flavored action with bawdy nuns and salacious priests among the fictional characters. It also includes raunchy humor, possibly exaggerated explicit intimacy, and lesbian encounters (no surprise as the story takes place in a convent), erotic flagellation and spankings, group encounters, incest, and a little cross-dressing.

Interestingly, it may have been adapted from a much older 17th century French work and has been reprinted often. You can read the book on-line.