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The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson, Volumes One and Two Written by Herself
I shall not say why and how I became, at the age of fifteen, the mistress of the Earl of Craven. Whether it was love, or the severity of my father, the depravity of my own heart, or the winning arts of the noble lord, which induced me to leave my paternal roof and place myself under his protection, does not now much signify; or, if it does, I am not in the humour to gratify curiosity in this matter. I resided on the Marine Parade at Brighton, and I remember that Lord Craven used to draw cocoa trees, and his fellows as he called them, on the best vellum paper for my amusement. "Here stood the enemy," he would say, "and here, my love, are my fellows. There the cocoa trees, &c." It was, in fact, a dead bore. All these cocoa trees and fellows, at past eleven o'clock at night, could have no peculiar interest for a child like myself, so lately in the habit of retiring early to rest. One night, I recollect, I fell asleep; and, as I often dream, I said yawning, and half awake, "O Lord! O Lord! Craven has got me into the West Indies again." In short I soon found that I had made but a bad speculation, by going from my father to Lord Craven. I was even more afraid of the latter than I had been of the former. Not that there was any particular harm in the man beyond his cocoa trees; but we never suited nor understood each other.
736 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1825
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 7, 2009
I have to admit that this is not a book I would've picked up on my own. I like history but prefer the Middle Ages and the Tudor period. This book came in a set about women in history. I wanted the other books in the set.
It's very entertaining. It is impossible not to like Wilson. At times, she is funny. She writes, "I have one advantage over other bad females writers and prosing ladies, which is, that I do not think myself agreeable". Sometimes she is very modern in her comments on how society sees women, "She is a bad woman the moment she has committed fornication, be she generous, charitable, just, clever, domestic, affectionate, and ever ready to sacrifice her own good to serve and benefit those she loves, still her rank in society is with the lowest hired prostitute".
Still, at times, one wonders if Wilson isn't playing a final game with her readers, giving them what they want instead of the truth.
It's very entertaining. It is impossible not to like Wilson. At times, she is funny. She writes, "I have one advantage over other bad females writers and prosing ladies, which is, that I do not think myself agreeable". Sometimes she is very modern in her comments on how society sees women, "She is a bad woman the moment she has committed fornication, be she generous, charitable, just, clever, domestic, affectionate, and ever ready to sacrifice her own good to serve and benefit those she loves, still her rank in society is with the lowest hired prostitute".
Still, at times, one wonders if Wilson isn't playing a final game with her readers, giving them what they want instead of the truth.
November 27, 2017
It was surprising that this was written in the 19th century. In many ways Harry ( Harriette) seems so modern. Her lack of interest in getting married and her firm belief that women should have the same rights to fun as men. She isn't a prostitute. She is what we would call a girlfriend. She decided to write these memoirs as a way, since she was penniless, middle aged, and had been cheated out of her retirement money. Before publishing, she offered all her ex boyfriends a chance to buy themselves out of her book. I thought this showed class. I did not take this as blackmail, as some people have. I think she was only asking 200£ which is very modest. Sadly, we have no way of knowing who all bought themselves out of the book. What is left though, was really good.
Harry isn't sleazy at all in her memoirs. Her writing style is intimate, like sharing secrets with a friend. She was a free spirit! She did not choose her men strictly by money or looks or titles. Once chosen, she was very faithful to them. When marriage was offered, she always declined. She said she liked her freedom too much. She kept her boyfriends until they crossed the line by going to another woman or by not giving her money to live on, then she just moved on to someone else. She liked good looking men, but liked them able to hold a conversation and make her laugh. She abhorred stupid men.
She had a crazy sense of humor and was mischievous. One time a guy in his 60's wanted to meet her at a hotel. She was only 18! So she sent her old nurse, who was in her 60's, to meet the guy. He must have been so embarrassed!
There were some descriptions of what life was like then; traveling for instance; and life with servants. I would have liked more details in certain aspects of her life, but as she says herself" This is not a complete confession but merely a few anecdotes of my life and some light sketches of the characters of others, with little regard to dates or regularity, written at odd, in very ill health."
Anyone who wants to know what life was like in the 19th century for the popular people,( the ton), I would highly recommend this book. There is also a mini dossier in the back, a fascinating intro and sketches and cartoons included.
Harry isn't sleazy at all in her memoirs. Her writing style is intimate, like sharing secrets with a friend. She was a free spirit! She did not choose her men strictly by money or looks or titles. Once chosen, she was very faithful to them. When marriage was offered, she always declined. She said she liked her freedom too much. She kept her boyfriends until they crossed the line by going to another woman or by not giving her money to live on, then she just moved on to someone else. She liked good looking men, but liked them able to hold a conversation and make her laugh. She abhorred stupid men.
She had a crazy sense of humor and was mischievous. One time a guy in his 60's wanted to meet her at a hotel. She was only 18! So she sent her old nurse, who was in her 60's, to meet the guy. He must have been so embarrassed!
There were some descriptions of what life was like then; traveling for instance; and life with servants. I would have liked more details in certain aspects of her life, but as she says herself" This is not a complete confession but merely a few anecdotes of my life and some light sketches of the characters of others, with little regard to dates or regularity, written at odd, in very ill health."
Anyone who wants to know what life was like in the 19th century for the popular people,( the ton), I would highly recommend this book. There is also a mini dossier in the back, a fascinating intro and sketches and cartoons included.
April 17, 2012
This memoir was scatter-brained, unorganized, and very real. I found it refreshing, almost like listening to someone chat about their day. Hariette is real, she shows her life as she experienced it.
I would be interested in comparing Hariette's version of events to other people who knew her and the people and places she talks about. Her stories and accounts of the people around her are interesting and often funny or tragic. As intriguing as her stories are, they are based primarily on her personal opinion. I would like to read any other personal accounts of the people described, just to compare impressions and understand the their personalities better.
I found myself very invested in Harriete's story. I didn't agree with her, or even understand her completely, but I liked her. She wanted to be happy, to be independent, she wanted to be admired but not controlled. Throughout her story she opens up about her feelings, disappointments, amusements, and about her personal relationships. At the same time she never fully says everything, there is an undercurrent of reserve, of hiding how much certain losses affected her. She says what happened, sometimes she shows sadness, but usually with just a blunt acknowledgement of facts. I believe, having finished reading her memoirs, that she had to be strong, move forward, for so long that she can't focus for too long on her past sadness.
Harriete talks a lot about her arguements with her families and "protectors". Though occasionally she claims fault and shows regret, overall she believes herself in the right, or less at fault than others. There are a couple of people that she obviously cares about throughout her life, people that Hariette could count on and trust, they are discussed with love and portrayed well. Those who betrayed her trust, left her badly, or hurt her are portrayed in a much more negative or ridiculous light. There is no doubt in my mind that is she is biased, but who isn't when telling their own story?
I had to use both the book's biographical notes as well as other research material due to my lack of knowledge of the period, people, and events. A downside to the chatty, confiding air of the book is that the author takes it for granted that the reader will know about the people, places, and events going on around her.
These memoirs are a unique look into Regency England. This isn't a book to read if you want to learn specific dates or facts, but it gives an idea of personalities, emotions, and the social day to day interactions of the courtesans and the ton. Even though her facts aren't exact Hariette Wilson was there, she lived in those times, met those people, and experienced that life.
I would be interested in comparing Hariette's version of events to other people who knew her and the people and places she talks about. Her stories and accounts of the people around her are interesting and often funny or tragic. As intriguing as her stories are, they are based primarily on her personal opinion. I would like to read any other personal accounts of the people described, just to compare impressions and understand the their personalities better.
I found myself very invested in Harriete's story. I didn't agree with her, or even understand her completely, but I liked her. She wanted to be happy, to be independent, she wanted to be admired but not controlled. Throughout her story she opens up about her feelings, disappointments, amusements, and about her personal relationships. At the same time she never fully says everything, there is an undercurrent of reserve, of hiding how much certain losses affected her. She says what happened, sometimes she shows sadness, but usually with just a blunt acknowledgement of facts. I believe, having finished reading her memoirs, that she had to be strong, move forward, for so long that she can't focus for too long on her past sadness.
Harriete talks a lot about her arguements with her families and "protectors". Though occasionally she claims fault and shows regret, overall she believes herself in the right, or less at fault than others. There are a couple of people that she obviously cares about throughout her life, people that Hariette could count on and trust, they are discussed with love and portrayed well. Those who betrayed her trust, left her badly, or hurt her are portrayed in a much more negative or ridiculous light. There is no doubt in my mind that is she is biased, but who isn't when telling their own story?
I had to use both the book's biographical notes as well as other research material due to my lack of knowledge of the period, people, and events. A downside to the chatty, confiding air of the book is that the author takes it for granted that the reader will know about the people, places, and events going on around her.
These memoirs are a unique look into Regency England. This isn't a book to read if you want to learn specific dates or facts, but it gives an idea of personalities, emotions, and the social day to day interactions of the courtesans and the ton. Even though her facts aren't exact Hariette Wilson was there, she lived in those times, met those people, and experienced that life.
April 19, 2007
Wow! What a life! Harriette Wilson was the most promiment curtesan of her day. She was not a kept woman, but rather she kept men! I think the most fun thing about it is that she wrote her memoirs as blackmail...so she tells the most scandalous tales while still maintaining dignity. Her family, friends, true loves, bad lovers, and even Lord Byron all leap from the page out of the past and into your heart. A fun look into regency England.
March 24, 2008
I don't know how or why I came into posession of this book. I took a very long time reading it. I kept it by my bed and would just read a page or two at night. The story itself is charming and cute. I love that period in history. She is the most adorable little tart who always has a new drama to talk about.
February 9, 2021
It only took one episode of Bridgerton to make grab this book off my shelf. Harriette is a charming and witty companion who tells a great story. She's not a great author, but this book is an act of revenge and blackmail, rather than an attempt at literature. It is sort of chronological, but I could only identify a few specific periods: 1808, before the Duke of Wellington (or Sir Arthur Wellesley as he was at the time) sailed to the Peninsula for the first time, 1809 when he returned to the Peninsula and 1814/15 during Bonaparte's sojourn on Elba and subsequent escape. Most of my reading on the period over the past fifty years has been on the Napoleonic wars, so it's been good to take a look at the 'home front', albeit a rather less respectable view of it than you get from Jane Austen! The war does actually intrude on Harriette's story, inasmuch as it directly affects her when various 'gentlemen' depart for the wars, although there is an extended section relating to the 10th (PWO) Hussars in Brighton, which is interesting. She certainly was a remarkable woman who had quite a degree of independence for those times although, at the bottom of it, she was still reliant on the 'protection' of aristocratic gentlemen who, in spite of all their romantic declarations, could drop her like a ton of bricks, when a 'proper' marriage beckoned. She seems under few illusions, though, and is quite disarming about her mode of life and has a wicked sense of humour; take this example as she describes a handsome admirer: "Really all these things, and thirty thousand a year besides, were enough to melt a heart of stone ...". I suspect I will be joining Wellington back on campaign before too long, but I am unlikely to forget Harriette's description of him as looking like a rat catcher!
June 10, 2012
From BBC Radio 4:
Nancy Carroll stars as Harriette Wilson, one of the most infamous and talked-about women of the early 19th century. Her lovers included aristocrats, adventurers and even the Duke of Wellington himself. And when they all ceased to support her after her retirement, she had a simple bargain for them - 'pay up, and I'll keep you out of my memoirs'.
Nancy Carroll stars as Harriette Wilson, one of the most infamous and talked-about women of the early 19th century. Her lovers included aristocrats, adventurers and even the Duke of Wellington himself. And when they all ceased to support her after her retirement, she had a simple bargain for them - 'pay up, and I'll keep you out of my memoirs'.
November 25, 2023
A bit scattered and clearly from one strong point of view (highly suggest the counter memoir by Julia Johnstone) but a fantastic source of life in peak Demi-monde england
July 13, 2013
It's a shame Harriette Wilson wasn't discovered as a writer in her youth. It was only when she became famous as a courtesan and published her memoirs that people seemed to care what she wrote. Wilson's writing is witty and funny, although she is, I think, somewhat arrogant about her desirability among men. My only hang-up so to speak was her constant French conversations that she did not bother to translate. I had this problem with the book, The Courtesans, as well. Perhaps the authors assume that we, who wish to read about courtesans, can all read French. In Harriette Wilson's defense, since she was living in 19th century England, she probably did believe that all her readers knew at least some French. All and all, I found the book rather entertaining.
December 30, 2016
Oh, wonderful, terrible, hilarious Harriette. Such a readable memoir, affectionate and scathing.
October 21, 2020
Henry Louis Gates Jr. "discovered" this autobiographical novel in 1981. For decades, it was believed to be the first work of published fiction written by a woman of color in North America. It was usurped by a woman named Hannah Crofts after Gate's Jr. "discovered" her novel, A Bondswoman's Narrative. Its original publication predates that of Our Nig and we'll read it as our 2002 selection as that was the year it was rediscovered.
Both of our Harriet/tes surprised me but Our Nig surprised me most of all. In the story, Mag Smith (why are the downtrodden in these books so often called Maggie? My mind runs to insidious disdain for the Irish but that makes me sad and disappointed in humanity.) finds herself in the difficult position of being an unwed mother. Her child dies and she takes off looking for a place to resettle where no one knows her or her past. It's important to note that Mag is a white woman living in the North because at this point she's going to give in to the love of a kind black man named Jim. He loves her and she'd love to not have to become a beggar and so she marries him. That's right, interracial marriage in an 1859 novel written by a black woman. That's pretty shocking, but it's not what shocked me most!
They have two children and then Jim dies. Feeling incapable of sustaining herself and her children financially (hard times to be a woman ya'll!) she takes on one of Jim's business partners as her common-law husband. When it becomes necessary to travel in search of work Mag's husband suggests they leave her daughter, Frado (who, I must confess, I read as Frodo more often than not) with a neighboring white family. On the pretense that she'll only be visiting for a few days Mag does just that, and then never returns for her.
Frado lives a strange kind of half-life here. She is frequently beaten, does many of the menial chores, lives in an unfinished room above the kitchen and freely interacts with all the members of the household, attends school, and receives gifts. She is, the reader feels, neither slave nor free. One thing is certain, however, and that is that she not happy. When she turns 18 she is sent to work, sewing, for another poor white family and this seems to be her lot in life - being passed by fate and circumstance from one poor white family to the next, free from being owned by another human being but enslaved to poverty. None of this surprised me though.
What surprised me was that the book was not well received in its time. In 1859, it was considered by abolitionists in the north to be a pro-slavery novel. Yes, a pro-slavery novel written by a black woman. See, the novel directly challenges the economy of the north and criticizes it for instituting a type of slavery while parading about with their banner of freedom and equality for all. The north snubbed their noses at this book because it called them out in a most remarkable way. It called direct attention to the problem of poverty - regardless of skin color. It posited that in the bright and shining north - that bastion of freedom - anyone could be enslaved for a lifetime by the cruel reality of economic poverty perpetuated by a social system that relied on the free and unending labour of the poor.
Three and a half decades earlier and a continent away - another Harriette was struggling with the possibilities of poverty in her own way. Born into a family of 15 children in Mayfair, London, her father owns a small shop. He was quite fastidious and while they were not poor - they were also not wealthy and the girls "went" to work at quite young ages. If Harriette's memoirs are to be taken at their word (and there is some debate now and was in her own day about how precisely they stick to truth) then Harriette first became a mistress in 1801 at age 15. She would make her living and reputation on these financially lucrative relationships. However, when she reached old age her former suitors stopped paying their arranged dues and so she used the only weapon she had - that mighty pen and paper. She told them all to pay up or become immortalized in her memoirs. It worked with many of these high profile politicians and military men. the likes of The Duke of Wellington and George IV (who begged her not to mention what she knew of his final mistress - not what she knew of him) do not feature although they could have and many of the men that do feature, do not feature kindly. Those who paid what they owed are free from mention.
Two different women. Two different time periods. Two different skin colors. Two different continents, both enslaved by societies that provide no clear way for them to be anything other. They both used, to the best of their abilities, any and all tools available to them to work the systems in which they found themselves to their favor as best they could with varying levels of success. It is striking to me though, how so many of the titles I've read thus far center around some sort of poverty-driven oppression.
Reading these two Harriettes (1825, 1859), Ourika (1823), A New England Tale (1822), and Such a Fun Age (2020) together in January - demonstrated a 200 year set of bookends of conversations about unique forms of human bondage from the perspective of women. The conversations twists and turns but continues on.
Both of our Harriet/tes surprised me but Our Nig surprised me most of all. In the story, Mag Smith (why are the downtrodden in these books so often called Maggie? My mind runs to insidious disdain for the Irish but that makes me sad and disappointed in humanity.) finds herself in the difficult position of being an unwed mother. Her child dies and she takes off looking for a place to resettle where no one knows her or her past. It's important to note that Mag is a white woman living in the North because at this point she's going to give in to the love of a kind black man named Jim. He loves her and she'd love to not have to become a beggar and so she marries him. That's right, interracial marriage in an 1859 novel written by a black woman. That's pretty shocking, but it's not what shocked me most!
They have two children and then Jim dies. Feeling incapable of sustaining herself and her children financially (hard times to be a woman ya'll!) she takes on one of Jim's business partners as her common-law husband. When it becomes necessary to travel in search of work Mag's husband suggests they leave her daughter, Frado (who, I must confess, I read as Frodo more often than not) with a neighboring white family. On the pretense that she'll only be visiting for a few days Mag does just that, and then never returns for her.
Frado lives a strange kind of half-life here. She is frequently beaten, does many of the menial chores, lives in an unfinished room above the kitchen and freely interacts with all the members of the household, attends school, and receives gifts. She is, the reader feels, neither slave nor free. One thing is certain, however, and that is that she not happy. When she turns 18 she is sent to work, sewing, for another poor white family and this seems to be her lot in life - being passed by fate and circumstance from one poor white family to the next, free from being owned by another human being but enslaved to poverty. None of this surprised me though.
What surprised me was that the book was not well received in its time. In 1859, it was considered by abolitionists in the north to be a pro-slavery novel. Yes, a pro-slavery novel written by a black woman. See, the novel directly challenges the economy of the north and criticizes it for instituting a type of slavery while parading about with their banner of freedom and equality for all. The north snubbed their noses at this book because it called them out in a most remarkable way. It called direct attention to the problem of poverty - regardless of skin color. It posited that in the bright and shining north - that bastion of freedom - anyone could be enslaved for a lifetime by the cruel reality of economic poverty perpetuated by a social system that relied on the free and unending labour of the poor.
Three and a half decades earlier and a continent away - another Harriette was struggling with the possibilities of poverty in her own way. Born into a family of 15 children in Mayfair, London, her father owns a small shop. He was quite fastidious and while they were not poor - they were also not wealthy and the girls "went" to work at quite young ages. If Harriette's memoirs are to be taken at their word (and there is some debate now and was in her own day about how precisely they stick to truth) then Harriette first became a mistress in 1801 at age 15. She would make her living and reputation on these financially lucrative relationships. However, when she reached old age her former suitors stopped paying their arranged dues and so she used the only weapon she had - that mighty pen and paper. She told them all to pay up or become immortalized in her memoirs. It worked with many of these high profile politicians and military men. the likes of The Duke of Wellington and George IV (who begged her not to mention what she knew of his final mistress - not what she knew of him) do not feature although they could have and many of the men that do feature, do not feature kindly. Those who paid what they owed are free from mention.
Two different women. Two different time periods. Two different skin colors. Two different continents, both enslaved by societies that provide no clear way for them to be anything other. They both used, to the best of their abilities, any and all tools available to them to work the systems in which they found themselves to their favor as best they could with varying levels of success. It is striking to me though, how so many of the titles I've read thus far center around some sort of poverty-driven oppression.
Reading these two Harriettes (1825, 1859), Ourika (1823), A New England Tale (1822), and Such a Fun Age (2020) together in January - demonstrated a 200 year set of bookends of conversations about unique forms of human bondage from the perspective of women. The conversations twists and turns but continues on.
Read
October 6, 2020Going to DNF this, at least for now, but I still have the book so I can pick it up if I want to again.
I really want to get through this book but it is SO LONG. And as a memoir, there's really no structure... I can't tell what the plot is besides a stream of consciousness as Harriette recalls gossip. And it's super depressing. Two of her sisters were also courtesans and one of them hated her (and she hated her back) and they tortured each other. Her sister (and sometimes she and her other friends) were also mean to men. They just all seem like villains and I know there's a reason... because they had to be advantageous in who they gave their affections to because they relied on that man to pay for their upkeep... but gosh, it is so depressing to read.
Also, I feel so bad for her "ugly friend" Julia who apparently never gets invited anywhere because she's not beautiful! And then the man she was mistress for threw her over after having 9 of his kids?! Ugh there are no HEA's here.
I really want to get through this book but it is SO LONG. And as a memoir, there's really no structure... I can't tell what the plot is besides a stream of consciousness as Harriette recalls gossip. And it's super depressing. Two of her sisters were also courtesans and one of them hated her (and she hated her back) and they tortured each other. Her sister (and sometimes she and her other friends) were also mean to men. They just all seem like villains and I know there's a reason... because they had to be advantageous in who they gave their affections to because they relied on that man to pay for their upkeep... but gosh, it is so depressing to read.
Also, I feel so bad for her "ugly friend" Julia who apparently never gets invited anywhere because she's not beautiful! And then the man she was mistress for threw her over after having 9 of his kids?! Ugh there are no HEA's here.
August 14, 2019
Think of this memoir as a mix between Mean Girl’s burn book and Sex & the City gossip column.
I love all things Regency and always knew that it was the custom for those of the ton to have mistresses, but reading about it from the viewpoint of said mistress was very eye opening.
Harriette really was a clever writer and I would have loved it if she could have written more, preferably novels. She was incredibly progressive for her time and I easily saw a lot of 2019 cultural attitude within her pages.
I didn’t give it a full 5-stars, just because of the French and constantly having to translate part of the dialogue got old quickly. That being said, she probably wasn’t anticipating someone 200 years later reading her memoir.
I love all things Regency and always knew that it was the custom for those of the ton to have mistresses, but reading about it from the viewpoint of said mistress was very eye opening.
Harriette really was a clever writer and I would have loved it if she could have written more, preferably novels. She was incredibly progressive for her time and I easily saw a lot of 2019 cultural attitude within her pages.
I didn’t give it a full 5-stars, just because of the French and constantly having to translate part of the dialogue got old quickly. That being said, she probably wasn’t anticipating someone 200 years later reading her memoir.
October 3, 2024
Which person best connects Lord Byron and the Duke of Wellington? Give yourself a big pat on the back if you can come up with the name of Harriette Wilson, the Greatest Courtesan of her Age, who was the lover of both. Congratulations too, if you knew that she was the cause of Wellington famously coming up with the phrase "Publish and be damned!", when she offered to edit her lovers' names out of her memoirs for a consideration of £200 per person. This is a sparky memoir and a fascinating insight into the times and the social status of courtesans, even if Harriette does protest rather too much about her honesty and constancy.
April 24, 2025
Harriette has a jumbling, scattered style that I found a bit tricky, but once I got into it, it was quite a revelation. Harriette is pragmatic and romantic at the same time, very witty but also very vulnerable. My favourite passage is where her sister Amy describes how a gentleman gives her £100 every time she fake-likes him patting her on the arm. "Aamy, Aamy..." My least favourite bit is how common it was for rich old men to virtually kidnap thirteen-year-old girls from lower down the social pecking order without anyone making much of a fuss. If you ever thought Regency society uptight and repressed, or Bridgerton over the top, this is well worth a read.
March 6, 2022
Very interesting read! Once I became familiar with the old English language style, I enjoyed learning about the everyday lives of upper class society during this era. It was also sad how Harriette Wilson's sisters (and there were many) were basically given to an older man to be 'taken care of' without any guarantee of a long-term commitment. In the book it was explained that because the girls did not have dowries, the sisters were 'taken care of' by these men. If I remember correctly, in the book, Harriette notes her sisters 'could have done worse'.
June 18, 2024
Interesting for the different world portrayed here. Scattered with the names of those who did not pay her not to mention them (Wellington‘s „publish and be damned“) there is nothing salacious here, but a fascinating exploration of how we think a society and its morés have changed, yet the National Enquirer‘s burying of stories for Trump may show us different!
March 22, 2022
lovely, passionate, and perfectly interesting; only, the amount of french is vexing.
November 21, 2017
Harriette Wilson's Memoirs (Paperback)
by Lesley Blanch (Editor)
by Lesley Blanch (Editor)
August 1, 2018
After the disappointment of De Monarchia I come with another. Perhaps I have to read the Amazon notes more or perhaps there is a degree of disguising. This appears to be another re-issue of another book well out of copyright and this time the publisher appears to be Amazon itself. Gone is the usual page at the front with the publishing history and instead you have to look on the very last piece of paper before the back cover before you find a copyright symbol and "Amazon".
So what we have here is a very large sized book - you will need a large handbag or a document case if you want to carry it around with you - typeset indifferently with inexplicable half page spaces scattered about in the middle of chapters.
The content itself is, I assume, the actual content of Harriette Wilson's memoirs and a fine piece of period gossip itself too stylishly if amateurly written - one of the first kiss and tell books written by one of the most beautiful and popular courtesans of her age. This book gets the two stars because of its content.
Why then only two? Well it loses one for the poor typesetting and presentation and two for its lack of interest in the reader. In order to get the full benefit of this book you have to know the context of the age and be fully conversant with the people mentioned in the book. Actually I have a lot of knowledge of the context and a fair knowledge of the most famous people and I could have upped the book a star on my own account.
However this is a review for any interested reader. What the book lacks is any note or commentary on people, events or places let alone the context of the time. This lack removes the ability of many readers to get much more out of the boo than a general feel for the age and some pretty fine anecdotes wittily written.
So if you do want to read Harriette's memoirs avoid this book and choose one that is more accessible to the general reader.
So what we have here is a very large sized book - you will need a large handbag or a document case if you want to carry it around with you - typeset indifferently with inexplicable half page spaces scattered about in the middle of chapters.
The content itself is, I assume, the actual content of Harriette Wilson's memoirs and a fine piece of period gossip itself too stylishly if amateurly written - one of the first kiss and tell books written by one of the most beautiful and popular courtesans of her age. This book gets the two stars because of its content.
Why then only two? Well it loses one for the poor typesetting and presentation and two for its lack of interest in the reader. In order to get the full benefit of this book you have to know the context of the age and be fully conversant with the people mentioned in the book. Actually I have a lot of knowledge of the context and a fair knowledge of the most famous people and I could have upped the book a star on my own account.
However this is a review for any interested reader. What the book lacks is any note or commentary on people, events or places let alone the context of the time. This lack removes the ability of many readers to get much more out of the boo than a general feel for the age and some pretty fine anecdotes wittily written.
So if you do want to read Harriette's memoirs avoid this book and choose one that is more accessible to the general reader.
January 28, 2014
I found it hard work at first, reading a gossip column/kiss and tell about folk I had little knowledge of. However with perseverance, this is a witty and intelligent account of a courtesan's life by a self taught woman writing in the style of Voltaire. I grew to love and admire Harriette and she was as good as her word. Her Wiki entry names four Prime Ministers and the Prince of Wales amongst her lovers, but only two Prime Ministers are named as such, they obviously failed her when she requested support. It was not what I was expecting but it was an enjoyable read.
March 3, 2016
The memoirs of this successful courtesan are interesting only historically - not because they describe important persons and their private lives but as an early version of tabloid kiss-and-tell nonsense. Who cares about the liaisons of this irritating woman with aristocratic idlers (with the exception of Wellington who despite Wilson's clear dislike from the start comes across rather more humane than the rest)? About the period we learn little and as for the life of a courtesan, I cannot say I have managed to form a coherent picture from this book.
April 18, 2016
I read this a couple of years ago for a paper that I wrote for a class on prostitution (gender history) and enjoyed it immensely. I found it absolutely fascinating to read how Harriette reflects upon herself and her life and to see how she positions herself as an independent woman in a patriarchal society. In general it fascinates me how 19th century courtisanes bended the rules of femininity in their time, constantly trying to find a balance between female virtues and vices.
March 8, 2021
We all know what the word courtesan means, and Harriette Wilson was premier among them in her day. She entertained all manner of important figures- writers, actors, nobles and political figures. She had a staggering number of lovers, which she candidly spoke about in her memoirs, which she wrote after her glory years. I was a little bored with the writing style, but I didn't expect a whole lot out of it. It really was quite interesting.
March 23, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book for research purposes, however, I would not call it a thrilling page turner. The language of the period is a little laborious and the 'in jokes' are 200 years old, and yet there is a charm to Harriette Wilson's writing which stands the test of time. If you're a Regency aficionado, you'll revel in the period detail.
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September 11, 2015I just couldn't get through this book and have quit trying. The introduction by Lesley Blanch is very interesting but I think Harriette Wilson and Julia Johnson should have stuck with that which they did best.
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July 28, 2010Only made it halfway through.
August 26, 2012
This charming book is like a slightly naughty Jane Austen novel.
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