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198th out of 422 books
—
205 voters
The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe
by
Tony Perrottet (Goodreads Author)
Sex and travel have always been intertwined, and never more so than on the classic Grand Tour of Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today the Continent is still littered with salacious remnants of that golden age, where secret boudoirs, notorious dungeons, and forbidden artifacts lured travelers all the way from London to Capri.
In The Sinner’s Grand Tour, c...more
In The Sinner’s Grand Tour, c...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
May 10th 2011
by Broadway
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This should be much better than it is. As if to compensate for the seediness of the author's historical quest for Europe's historic underbelly, the text is constantly invaded with cutesy/moronic references to his wife and children, who unfortunately accompanied him during his research outings. It winds up as a rather manically sanitized account of the castles, museums, and other still-standing sites of Europe which I wanted to learn about.
By now I have a pretty good system worked out: when I read of an interesting book, perhaps in The Economist or the Guardian or in a stray New York Times article, I will request it from the library. Through diligent application of this technique, I am never short of something interesting to read nor do I miss a book that looks promising.
However, my system is not perfect. I have not been tracing the origins of the recommendation. Never have I felt the need to close the loop so acutely as with this...more
However, my system is not perfect. I have not been tracing the origins of the recommendation. Never have I felt the need to close the loop so acutely as with this...more
I saw the review in the NY Times twice (included as a good read for the summer) and after seeing the bawdy cover and as I was going on a road trip, I couldn't resist it. It was a fabulous read, perfect for traveling. As much as there was some criticism of taking one's family to see the famous sordid sex stops in Europe, I actually found the family aspect quite entertaining. My kids are grown and I did suffer through many jaunts to keep the kids happy so I understand where Tony Perrottet was goin...more
I picked this up after seeing the youtube video of the royal 'sex chair' in Paris and thought it was really hilarious and entertaining. It careens across western Europe from Scotland to Italy, stopping in at various wicked places on the way, and I learned a lot of juicy little tidbits about Marquis de Sade and Casanova and a lot of other characters I actually didn't realize were real historical characters. My favorite has to be the chapter on Provence where the marquis de Sade's castle has been...more
This was quite a good book, and I can see why Library Journal (or was it Booklist?) compared Tony Perrottet to Bill Bryson. It had all the elements of travel and history with a touch of humor and personal philosophizing. The subject was quite an interesting one, but the book was remarkably tame considering. Perrottet obviously had out his thesaurus and made every effort to write a book about sex without all the standard vocabulary. Even the descriptions that would seem relevant and, frankly, nec...more
I can't remember how I stumbled across this book, but its description as a recreation of the hidden, taboo aspects of the classical Grand Tour caught my attention. I envisioned trips to opium dens and brothels, Oscar Wilde's London and Byron's Swiss exploits. Some of my hopes were met -Byron had his own chapter and I was pleasantly surprised by a journey to Casanova's Venice -but the book as a whole seemed haphazard and random. Perrottet was not really uncovering the dirty secrets of the classic...more
A slight but amusing travelogue, detailing Perottet's quest to seek out the sites and objects associated with history's most notorious libertines. These include the 18th century Hellfire Clubs in Britain; the most infamous brothels (as well as the fabled, custom-built sex chair of the future Edward VII) in Paris; the chateau of the Marquis de Sade in Provence; the last redoubt of the free-loving Cathars in Languedoc; The Swiss Villa Deodati of Lord Byron; Casanova's haunts in Venice; a pornograp...more
The title alone caught my attention as I passed the travel section at Barnes and Noble. However, the book is more of a historical reference than a travel guide (although the fact Perrottet carted his wife and two young boys with him all over Europe did make for some hilarious moments).
If you're interested in the era of the Borgias, Casanova, and those time periods, you'll probably be interested in the book. Luckily, I read a lot of that sort of thing so many of the references made total sense....more
If you're interested in the era of the Borgias, Casanova, and those time periods, you'll probably be interested in the book. Luckily, I read a lot of that sort of thing so many of the references made total sense....more
Pay no mind to my stars -- I never set a standard 1-5 rating, haha.
This book was a fun little travel romp. It was less about the actual erotic history and more about his adventures in trying to find things. He talked a lot about his family, about travelling, about their lodgings, etc. while interspersing it with seedy anecdotes about old perverts. It was fun. I wouldn't recommend it to people who wanted the actual history of these events, but it was a fun travel memoir with enough interesting ti...more
This book was a fun little travel romp. It was less about the actual erotic history and more about his adventures in trying to find things. He talked a lot about his family, about travelling, about their lodgings, etc. while interspersing it with seedy anecdotes about old perverts. It was fun. I wouldn't recommend it to people who wanted the actual history of these events, but it was a fun travel memoir with enough interesting ti...more
A cute generalist history/travelogue book. The writing style is fluid and engaging without being overly flowery (a problem I often have with travel books). Yes, the authors family comes along on his adventures, but to me that never detracted from the story.
It was a very quick read and quite light in tone, which is exactly what I was looking for. I borrowed my copy from a friend (sorry author! no royalities here) and found out others in our social group had bought the book independent of each ot...more
It was a very quick read and quite light in tone, which is exactly what I was looking for. I borrowed my copy from a friend (sorry author! no royalities here) and found out others in our social group had bought the book independent of each ot...more
Awesome summer reading. Tony Perrottet drags his wife and young children around Europe as he compiles a patchy history of people who had sex with each other a long time ago. I'm sure this would be highly unsatisfying to anyone picking this up with quasi-scholarly intentions, as the dearth of real information is probably why there is so much Perrottet family in the book in the first place. Regardless, it ends up a nice balance of their charming quirky family adventures and mishaps and the histori...more
My only complaint with this book is that it was so short- I would love this man to write a longer, more comphrehensive version of all the historical seedy places he's inhabited in his writing career. Perrottet has a great sense of irony in his writing, and he doesn't mess around when trying to complete a quest to see a place of the underbelly in history. This travel memoir's highlight is the attempt to get through the Vatican guard to see the infamously hidden Pope's bathroom(aka the place where...more
2 stars for 'It was ok'
I had high hopes for this book. In many articles and reviews it was billed as a funny guide through Europe's sexual history, and while it was that, it was also a sometimes excruciatingly detailed mini memoir of a man who drags his family across the continent without regard to their vacation wants as he attempts to get into places the public cannot, for the most part, get access to.
As the book wore on, I started nitpicking at the story. If something is great, small things...more
I had high hopes for this book. In many articles and reviews it was billed as a funny guide through Europe's sexual history, and while it was that, it was also a sometimes excruciatingly detailed mini memoir of a man who drags his family across the continent without regard to their vacation wants as he attempts to get into places the public cannot, for the most part, get access to.
As the book wore on, I started nitpicking at the story. If something is great, small things...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this journey through the strange and secretive sexual world of (primarily) 18th and 19th century Europe. Tony Perrottet is clearly enthusiastic about the subject and therefore makes the book a fun and quick read. Some of the research clearance he manages to get is pretty incredible, mainly access to the Vatican's secret archives, and admittance to the enigmatic "Stufetta." He also wormed his way into one of Pierre Cardin's private homes, previously inhabited by the Marquis d...more
Eh, I found this book fairly mediocre. The history was interesting, but the book, which is written more as a travelogue than a history book, became rather annoying at times. I read this book to learn about scandalous papal bathrooms and dirty gentleman's clubs from years past(!) (wink wink nudge nudge), not to hear about the trouble the author had finding a public swimming pool that would allow board shorts, or the seedy hotel rooms he forced his wife and kids to stay in during his research. Not...more
I knew going in to this book it wouldn't be the most academic work, clearly slanting a bit more populist. And the parts of the book that talk about the actual topic -- strange little sexual tidbits from history scattered through Western Europe -- are interesting, often lesser known, and well cited. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the book was a nice bibliography (short, but the book is 70% travelogue, which obviously doesn't need citations).
So why is it rated two stars? Because most of the...more
So why is it rated two stars? Because most of the...more
This was quite a tickle! You have the author running around Europe digging into some rather debauched history with his wife and two sons (4 and 8 at the time). What could have been interpreted as just plain penile interest gets mitigated by the wholesome (or something that could pass as wholesome) family vacation setting. I will be visiting Anstruther, Scotland shortly and am sure that I will view the town from a whole new perspective after enjoying this unusual travel guide.
Fascinating look at part of the erotic history of Europe. The author mixes history with his travels in a way that doesn't make it feel like an all-out history lesson. He also goes to great lengths to gain access to some of the mythic items. The only drawback to this was the experience his family had. During the first half of the book the few mentions his wife and kids get make it seem like they aren't having any fun, that the entire trip is centered around him, with no room for them to enjoy the...more
Sex sells...and is enough to sell Perrottet's enlightening book delving into the history of sex in 18th and 19th century Europe.
Despite its title and focus, there is nothing lecherous or crude about this book. Amusing and edifying, this book is a celebration of historically erotic places, people and relics. Filled with enlightening tidbits and facts, this is one of the best history books I've ever read.
My one complaint is that it ended rather abruptly.
Despite its title and focus, there is nothing lecherous or crude about this book. Amusing and edifying, this book is a celebration of historically erotic places, people and relics. Filled with enlightening tidbits and facts, this is one of the best history books I've ever read.
My one complaint is that it ended rather abruptly.
Who knew Europe could be so pervy? This is a great first hand experience to the taboo, the scandelous, and the downright "huh?" A lot of the information in this book you cannot find anywhere else. The author writes in a first hand account, and describes how and why he obtained his information and research. I applaud the author for being so downright blunt. If you have an open mind, it can really be a great laugh too!
Want to start researching historical sexuality across Europe but don't know where to start? This is the book for you. While not as in-depth as some may like, it gives a pretty good introduction into seex in the Victorian Era and across Europe, with intriguing tidbits dropped among the bigger topics. After reading this, I have so many topics I want to look into further. I really enjoyed this book.
Loved the ribald info and research Perrottet dredged up, as well as how he finagled himself into some pretty amazing venues and opportunities. Quick read, but would have loved more pictures/drawings of the people, places and events he describes. Could have also done without the constant references to wife and kids, although I'm sure his boys will have all sorts of stories to tell later in life!
Reading about what it was like to rub shoulders with Pierre Cardin or talk your way through the Vatican didn't really make up for what was basically one man's self-indulgent trip to look for phallic relics, wigs made of pubic hair and a sex-themed Renaissance bathing chamber. The writing was clean, the voice pleasant enough, but at the end I just felt, "ugh. That was pointless."
This book isn't awful, but this author acts like he's Bill Bryson, and Bill Bryson he is not.
This book could have been so interesting, but the juxtaposition of the material he is writing about with the stories about his wife and young kids just doesn't work. I also feel like the author reaches an interesting point with the history and he pulls out just too soon and switches to stories about his family... it just.falls.short.
This book could have been so interesting, but the juxtaposition of the material he is writing about with the stories about his wife and young kids just doesn't work. I also feel like the author reaches an interesting point with the history and he pulls out just too soon and switches to stories about his family... it just.falls.short.
Subtitled "A journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe", the author, his wife and two young boys go to places like the chateau of the Marquis de Sade, currently owned by Pierre Cardin. Entertaining and funny, the book could use a little more meat to it.
It was good, not great. It sort of felt like when your forced to sit through someone else's vacation videos. Some of it was interesting, but it got diverted a lot with the family stuff. It didn't really present tons of great information. I've watched documentaries about sex on the history channel and gotten more out of that than I did the book.
I wanted to like this more but it was, well, surprisingly tame. Nothing too radical was revealed and I feel that Perrottet could have explored each location a bit more. I did enjoy the read especially the bits about Byron and Shelley ,although the entire novel was brief and seemingly underdeveloped.
I always enjoy travelogues set in Europe and this one takes an "alternative" turn with visits to some of the shady side of things. I did feel bad for the author's family, however, as they got dragged along and stuck in not so fun places.
Unsurprisingly my favorite parts dealt with Italy. But the whole thing was a quick, enjoyable read, even if there were a number of parts where I wanted more (more history, more detail, more evidence than may actually exist).
Some reviewers disliked the parts about the author's family adventures, but I thought they really added to the story. He was quite funny, without going over-the-top about it and I really appreciated that I actually got his cultural references!
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Jun 01, 2011 08:28am
Jun 13, 2011 08:32pm