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Lord Libertine: Or, the Memoirs of a Gentleman of Pleasure, Being a Rake's Progress from London to Paris in the Revolutionary Year 1792
Book by Esler, Anthony
- GenresHistorical Fiction
285 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Want to read
May 22, 2022Very excited to own this baby. And I have to say it has the best editorial reviews EVER:
A Gloriously Bawdy Swashbuckler
Droll and delightful
-Publishers Weekly
...
What happens when the GREATEST SEDUCER of the age meet the UNDESEDUCIBLE Lady Barbara - and accepts a WAGER to BED her inside of a month?
EVERYTHING!
...
A bawdy, uninhibited novel of SEX and ADVENTURE, with joyous games in LUST, LOVE, and LECHERY in 18th-century London and Paris.
...
SEXUAL ROMPS...A GOOD READ, FULL OF DROLLERIES AND DARING!"
-The Hartford Courant
...
WITTY, FROTHY, FUN TO READ
-Richmond News Leader
...
HOWLINGLY FUNNY...PURE ENTERTAINTMENT."
-The Chattanooga Time
Well, sign me the fuck up :D
Seriously though, the all caps 💀😂
A Gloriously Bawdy Swashbuckler
Droll and delightful
-Publishers Weekly
...
What happens when the GREATEST SEDUCER of the age meet the UNDESEDUCIBLE Lady Barbara - and accepts a WAGER to BED her inside of a month?
EVERYTHING!
...
A bawdy, uninhibited novel of SEX and ADVENTURE, with joyous games in LUST, LOVE, and LECHERY in 18th-century London and Paris.
...
SEXUAL ROMPS...A GOOD READ, FULL OF DROLLERIES AND DARING!"
-The Hartford Courant
...
WITTY, FROTHY, FUN TO READ
-Richmond News Leader
...
HOWLINGLY FUNNY...PURE ENTERTAINTMENT."
-The Chattanooga Time
Well, sign me the fuck up :D
Seriously though, the all caps 💀😂
November 16, 2021
I went into this book predisposed to not liking it. It’s written in first person which is not my favorite. Second, the description of what I was going to read was misleading. This book was so witty, and well written that I ended up really enjoying it. There is a correlation between historians and novels that can produce really extraordinary books. Dale van Every is another example. The hero is so unlikable and yet I ended up falling in love with him. It made the ending believable.
May 15, 2014
For full disclosure, I'll say that I was already predisposed to not like this story simply because it is written in the first person, and I consider first person to be a very narrow and limiting writing style. Still, even if it had been in third person, I would still go with the one star.
The premise immediately ruined it for me. The hero is not only utterly immoral, but shockingly stupid. He's immoral not in the traditional "Oh, he has a lot of affairs", kind of rakish immoral, but the full on "I'm going to ruin a young woman's life for my own amusement" kind of immoral.
He accepts a bet that he will succeed in ruining (i.e. deflowering) a pious young woman in one month, or he will accept life long banishment from Britain and Europe. So, first the immorality, and then the stupidity. What kind of person would accept such an idiotic wager? If he wins, the other man will be banished, but the hero says directly that he doesn't really have much of an intense motivation to see the man banished. Thus, the wager is incredibly stupid because the hero risks all for a really pathetic potential return. What does he get if he wins? One sexual encounter with a virgin and the banishment of a man that he couldn't care if he stays or goes? =P
The premise immediately ruined it for me. The hero is not only utterly immoral, but shockingly stupid. He's immoral not in the traditional "Oh, he has a lot of affairs", kind of rakish immoral, but the full on "I'm going to ruin a young woman's life for my own amusement" kind of immoral.
He accepts a bet that he will succeed in ruining (i.e. deflowering) a pious young woman in one month, or he will accept life long banishment from Britain and Europe. So, first the immorality, and then the stupidity. What kind of person would accept such an idiotic wager? If he wins, the other man will be banished, but the hero says directly that he doesn't really have much of an intense motivation to see the man banished. Thus, the wager is incredibly stupid because the hero risks all for a really pathetic potential return. What does he get if he wins? One sexual encounter with a virgin and the banishment of a man that he couldn't care if he stays or goes? =P
December 11, 2012
This was a story filled with intrigue, action, adventure, love, & lust in the late 1700's, taking place in both England & France, during the Revolution. Lord Christopher Arundel, a notorious rake, is at odds with Lord Mortimer Durward. The 2 men absolutely despise one another, & when Durward proposes a gentleman's bet that Arundel can't "deflower" the beautiful Lady Barbara MacFarlane within a month's time, the adventure is off & running. At the same time, Prime Minister Pitt engages Arundel to recover stolen papers from the War Office that he believes to be Lady Barbara's possession, as she is a known sympathizer to the rebellion, & a supporter of the "levelers".
It's written in the form of a memoir, or firsthand account of the proceedings, by Arundel himself, to Reverend Throgmorton, as he & Lady Barbara are on a ship to the Americas. What brought them to be on this ship is the fullness of the story, & you will laugh your way through this :)
I classify this as historical fiction, as well as light reading & a quick read :)
It's written in the form of a memoir, or firsthand account of the proceedings, by Arundel himself, to Reverend Throgmorton, as he & Lady Barbara are on a ship to the Americas. What brought them to be on this ship is the fullness of the story, & you will laugh your way through this :)
I classify this as historical fiction, as well as light reading & a quick read :)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews