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Stephen Fry's Victorian Secrets

By: Stephen Fry, John Woolf, Nick Baker
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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.
    ©2018 Audible, Ltd. (P)2018 Audible, Ltd.
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Episodes
  • Ep. 1: Family Secrets

    Ep. 1: Family Secrets
    Oct 18 2018

    Of course, all families, high born and low have secrets. Confidential conditions of mind or body. Black sheep. Skeletons in cupboards. Unmentionable uncles. Naughty nephews... aunties who aren't... conventional. More often than not it boils down to something - sexual.

    This episode is about the keeping and uncovering of family secrets. In a way it unlocks all the secrets in all our episodes.

    Many Victorians, especially the more successful ones, feared shame. In a way this fear was something quite new. A new and growing newspaper industry was keen to amplify that shame. And a new middle class, desperate to cling to its new-found monied status, felt threatened. And, new theories about heredity, coming later in the century, meant that (perish the thought!) shamefulness could be passed on – like red hair or big feet - from generation to generation.
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    44 mins
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  • Ep. 2: The Buckingham Palace Freak Show

    Ep. 2: The Buckingham Palace Freak Show
    Oct 18 2018

    Step right up, step right up and don’t be shy - welcome to Victorian Secrets, and the secrets of... The Freak Show. The secrets of enormously fat men and bearded ladies, the secrets of exotic women with enticingly large buttocks, the secrets of Siamese Twins and dwarf families and, in particular, the secrets of our own, our very own Aztec Children, seen by half a million people on the European continent before they publicly revealed their own, personal, extraordinary secret.

    We’ll go backstage to hear the terrible secrets of the freaks themselves, we’ll lift the lace curtains of Buckingham Palace, where our own Queen, god bless her, took tea with the tiny, the towering and the terribly formed.
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    37 mins
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  • Ep. 3: Pornography, Pleasure and the Press

    Ep. 3: Pornography, Pleasure and the Press
    Oct 18 2018

    This episode will penetrate some of the secrets of Victorian sexuality, public and private and will challenge some deeply held misconceptions.

    We tend to think of the Victorians as dyed in the wool prudes, and we have latched onto the idea that the Victorians felt their values of self-discipline, temperance and hard work were threatened by the temptations of the flesh. This episode will show in enjoyable detail that ordinary Victorians’ attitudes to sex was for the most part enthusiastic, unembarrassed and surprisingly well informed. Apart, that is, from one secret sexual practice that was loathed, feared and tragically misunderstood.
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    34 mins
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Great Britain
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What listeners say about Stephen Fry's Victorian Secrets

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Profile Image for Jake

Fantastic book!

That was highly entertaining and insightful look at Victorian England! Stephen Fry was as usual brilliant and you could hear his passion and intrigue come across within his narration. I very much recommend this book, it is a great listen. It is also free.

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36 people found this helpful

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loved it, very interesting & entertaining. heard the narrator before somewhere, he's very good. top marks

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Profile Image for rublesd32

brilliant

downloaded as it was free really informative brilliantly acted and narrated
really enjoyable series will be listening to more

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Profile Image for Patches

Victoria Secrets

Absolutely loved it! Stephen Dry is an excellent narrator as he draws the listener in with suspense and intrigue! The Actors portraying individuals in the story execute it incredibly well!

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Profile Image for David Porter

Enlightening

really enjoyed the 40minute segments. Well read, nicely broken up into interesting and informative units.

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Profile Image for Timmar1979

I am most definatly amused

Brilliantly told, well researched and well planned series. some real historical corkers, and interesting facts

I will happily admit I learned a few things, and unlearned some others

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Profile Image for Indre

Brilliant!

I want more!

Can't find other podcast similar or satisfying as much as this podcast was!

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Profile Image for ValL

Finished too soon!

As a history lover and amateur anthropologist these were right up my street. Each episode was approx 35 minutes (which I feel is the perfect length for audiobooks and podcasts). Stephen Fry's style and personality makes him the perfect narrator with wit, respect, curiosity and aplomb!

The episodes were all fantastic and I only wish there were more! Hopefully there will be a second installment!

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Profile Image for Anjasan Ramdass

Oddly Entertaining 😄

This production was well put together and from the listening you know a lot of research went into this work.
Mr. Fry did an excellent job of narrating and the voice actors also did a marvellous job. I highly recommend this for a true story telling.

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Profile Image for James Bostock

entertaining look at Victorian values

the varieties of topics covered is breathtaking.

sometimes salubrious, always enlightening.

an absolute gem of a book.

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