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Summary
On the surface, the Victorian age is one of propriety, industry, prudishness and piety. But scratch the surface and you’ll find scandal, sadism, sex, madness, malice and murder.
Presented by Stephen Fry, this series delves deep into a period of time we think we know, to discover an altogether darker reality. The stories we’re told offer a different perspective on an era which underwent massive social change. As education, trade, technology and culture blossomed, why was there an undercurrent of the ‘forbidden’ festering beneath Victorian society?
Across 12 episodes, Stephen presents a series of true accounts of the dangerous low life and debauched high life of Victorian Britain.
This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. You can download all 12 episodes to your Library now.
Audible Sessions with Stephen Fry
Behind the scenes with the presenter of Victorian SecretsCritic reviews
★★★★☆ (The Times)
"Scandalous bedtime storyteller Stephen Fry's new podcast bursts the image of the Victorians as prudish and pious... Debauchery, told with delicious relish." (The Guardian)
"Fantastic...[from] the ever eloquent Stephen Fry." (BBC Radio 4)
What listeners say about Stephen Fry's Victorian Secrets
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maz
- 12-03-19
Please remove the piano background
The piano is like chinese water torture - I can practically guarantee whoever added it did not sit and listen for long enough to understand its negative impact. Stephen Fry is brilliant as usual and makes the subject interesting but it is difficult to listen for very long.
29 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ElizabethLovick
- 14-12-18
Ruined by the intrusive musak
Stephen Fry was brilliant. The historians were brilliant. The subject matter was brilliant.
But.
The music "behind" the speech was so loud that there were times when I could not hear what the interviewees were saying. As a result, listening to this was not relaxing, but hard work. Such a shame.
76 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- C Dale
- 14-11-18
Distracting music.
I found this book impossible to listen to. The incredibly annoying, distracting, all pervasive piano music throughout the readings by Mr Fry completely destroyed the listening experience for me. Such a shame, because I really enjoy his narration.
95 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Trax UK
- 30-11-18
That darn piano!
I gave it 2 episodes and the ‘background’ piano finally got to me. I’m sure that the stories are interesting enough without it but my head just can’t filter it out.
82 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ian
- 20-07-19
optional required heading
loved it, very interesting & entertaining. heard the narrator before somewhere, he's very good. top marks
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MissusWarren
- 26-10-18
Fascinating look at our not too distant past
Beautifully performed, as always by Mr Fry, but also an excellent supporting cast; telling an intriguing, fascinating history of Victorian life, from the perspective of "secrets". Thoroughly recommend and wondering how folks in a couple of hundred years time would look at our society today!... So fascinating to realise - as is often the case when you study history - how you can draw the threads of the past into how we have turned out today.
16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tracy Norwood
- 30-10-19
His voice is it addictive the stories are amazing
Every chapter in this book left me wide-awake but questioning what happened back in the 1820s book was astounding and actually kept me awake to hear the end of the chapter my best purchase so far
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anna Smirnova
- 06-08-19
Fascinating listen
As everything Stephen Fry does, it's an excellently made podcast. It intrigues the listener and I like the acting pieces which add life to the performance.
11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simon
- 21-10-18
The Quintessential Englishman!
Well, well, Stephen Fry appearing in Victoria(sic) Secret! Now there's an image to conjure with . . . though I am sure that even Stephen himself would agree that it's maybe not one to conjure with too long! He really is an absolute star on Audible and this is another fine series that he's helped bring to life with his narrating talents.
To suggest that the quality of this offering is based on Fry alone would be to do it a massive disservice though. This is a fascinating part of both British and world history and it's explored with a genuine relish for the subject. I was a little perturbed at first at how much the program seemed to be relying on expert contribution from US Universities but the subjects had global reach and the quality of the insight offered was excellent.
Never falling into the trap of glorifying or just simply titillating this is a very wry adult look at some of the quirkiest and at times darkest of aspects of Victorian life.
81 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- OK
- 17-07-19
A hint of spice in each chapter
Stephen Fry just made the story sound really fantastic, and the book is very interesting! Totally enjoyed!
2 people found this helpful