My Secret Life

ikonoqlast · Post by **ikonoqlast** » July 20th, 2013, 11:29 am

Victorian erotica. Gutenberg at

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30360

Also 'A Weekend Visit' which is Victorian as well (so far as I know, it could theoretically be a modernish fake) but is not available on Gutenberg. I don't have a copy either, but it must be available somewhere.

Also 'The Way of a Man with a Maid' which is also not on Gutenberg, but came up on Wiki when I tried to find information on 'A Weekend Visit' and sounds interesting. At least wiki has the statement "In his introduction to the Star edition of the book Alexis Lykiard notes its mordant humour and opines that it "is that rarity - an entertaining, funny and sexy book"

As Wiki says (and yes, I know about wiki...) it was in print in 1908 it should be fair game.

BellonaTimes · Post by **BellonaTimes** » July 20th, 2013, 8:20 pm

The first chapter has outright child sexual abuse and talk of pre-adolescent sexuality in it; I can't see anyone here recording it, at least not in the States. I'm amazed PG has it without a warning on it. The later chapters, after he reaches 18, might be more acceptable.

ikonoqlast · Post by **ikonoqlast** » July 21st, 2013, 1:37 pm

So does Stephen King's 'It'.

Cori · Post by **Cori** » July 22nd, 2013, 1:43 am

Though that isn't in the public domain for at least 70 years after whenever Stephen King dies.

BellonaTimes · Post by **BellonaTimes** » July 24th, 2013, 6:51 pm

ikonoqlast wrote:So does Stephen King's 'It'.

"It" is fiction and I don't remember it being as sexually explicit as the diary, probably because it was a horror story and not pure prurience. Not that I'm a prude by any means -- I did record a chapter of that sci-fi sex-pulp we did last year.

Why not just record it on your own and post it on archive.org?

English Andrew · Post by **English Andrew** » July 25th, 2013, 4:50 am

We have already recorded at least one Classical text which, by modern standards, would be considered as advocating child abuse. I think there may also be ones describing what Tiberius got up to on Capri.

J_N · Post by **J_N** » August 21st, 2013, 3:27 am

We had a similar discussion about a year ago viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40416

nothing came of it, though

ChuckW · Post by **ChuckW** » August 21st, 2013, 12:28 pm

J_N wrote:We had a similar discussion about a year ago viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40416

nothing came of it, though

I suspect some of these projects might get off the ground if some folks were allowed to record things anonymously.

ElleyKat · Post by **ElleyKat** » August 21st, 2013, 12:37 pm

You don't have to say your name in the recording. Is there an option to ask not to be credited in the book page?

ChuckW · Post by **ChuckW** » August 21st, 2013, 12:41 pm

ElleyKat wrote:You don't have to say your name in the recording. Is there an option to ask not to be credited in the book page?

The Librivox equivalent of a black plastic bag.

Cori · Post by **Cori** » August 21st, 2013, 12:46 pm

People can omit their name in any recording, as Elley says. Further they can use part or all of their real name or a pseudonym if that's more comfortable.

Every recording does need a book page credit, because that's how the catalogue is arranged. But I don't think it would be unreasonable to create a new account, in a neutral name, for this purpose. That said, it's a very thin veneer of respectability, and I don't think anyone should rely on it providing total anonymity, simply because voices are identifying in themselves. It would at best give deniability, which may be enough for some contributors.

J_N · Post by **J_N** » August 21st, 2013, 12:53 pm

personally, I wouldn't mind using my real name... if someone has a problem with me because of what I read... well that's their problem not mine... but I realise that other people (in other countries) might have reservations nowadays...

I just don't want to do any of the books on my own

ElleyKat · Post by **ElleyKat** » August 21st, 2013, 1:07 pm

I'm with ya there, Julia. Were I going to record in one of these collections, I'd prooobably not say "read by Elleykat!" in the recording itself, but I wouldn't mind it showing on my catalog page. ALTHOUGH, my penchant is for children's stories and fantasy, and I don't have much truck with smut. I'd probably read a section of this just to prove to myself that I'm ballsy, LOL. I'd have to look for a somewhat tame section though... I'd probably get all flustercated if the material were explicit.

J_N · Post by **J_N** » August 21st, 2013, 1:23 pm

I am sure it would make for some interesting bloopers

a lot of giggeling and 'they did WHAT!?!'s

Lucy_k_p · Post by **Lucy_k_p** » August 21st, 2013, 2:14 pm

I think there are two separate issues here:
1) Do we record erotica generally?
Yes, we have done it before.
I wouldn't have a problem putting my name on an erotic reading, and would also support anonymity for those who wanted to get involved without announcing it on their catalogue page. I see nothing wrong with the depiction of consenting sexual activity between adults or older teenagers.

2) Should we record this work in particular? (I think a few people have commented without going and looking at it.)
The first actual chapter (after all the prefaces) contains a description of an adult woman fondling a five year old's penis and the five year old being pained and disturbed by it, in a way that is clearly meant to be erotic and exciting for the reader.
Even aside from the legal issues (There are some countries where this absolutely counts as child pornography and carries exactly the same sentence as viewing photographs of actual children) while I support Librivox's goal to record everything in the PD and preserve even the unpleasant, racist and sexist bits of history, I would not want to read for this work, I don't think many other people would want to either and I don't think this particular piece of writing is in any way a priority for us to record.