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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain
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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain Hardback - 2016

by Simon Goldhill

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From the publisher

"We can begin with a kiss, though this will not turn out to be a love story, at least not a love story of anything like the usual kind."

So begins A Very Queer Family Indeed, which introduces us to the extraordinary Benson family. Edward White Benson became Archbishop of Canterbury at the height of Queen Victoria's reign, while his wife, Mary, was renowned for her wit and charm--the prime minister once wondered whether she was "the cleverest woman in England or in Europe." The couple's six precocious children included E. F. Benson, celebrated creator of the Mapp and Lucia novels, and Margaret Benson, the first published female Egyptologist.

What interests Simon Goldhill most, however, is what went on behind the scenes, which was even more unusual than anyone could imagine. Inveterate writers, the Benson family spun out novels, essays, and thousands of letters that open stunning new perspectives--including what it might mean for an adult to kiss and propose marriage to a twelve-year-old girl, how religion in a family could support or destroy relationships, or how the death of a child could be celebrated. No other family has left such detailed records about their most intimate moments, and in these remarkable accounts, we see how family life and a family's understanding of itself took shape during a time when psychoanalysis, scientific and historical challenges to religion, and new ways of thinking about society were developing. This is the story of the Bensons, but it is also more than that--it is the story of how society transitioned from the high Victorian period into modernity.

Details

  • Title A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain
  • Author Simon Goldhill
  • Binding Hardback
  • Pages 344
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Ill
  • Publication date 2016
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated
  • ISBN 9780226393780 / 022639378X
  • Weight 1.3 lbs (0.59 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 in (23.11 x 15.49 x 2.79 cm)
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: British
    • Sex & Gender: Gay
    • Topical: Lgbt
  • Category Biography / Autobiography
  • Library of Congress subjects England, England - Intellectual life - 19th century
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2016007240
  • Dewey Decimal Code 929.209

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Citations

  • Library Journal, 09/15/2016, Page 94

About the author

Simon Goldhill is professor of Greek and the director of the Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Cambridge. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he is the author of many books, including Freud's Couch, Scott's Buttocks, Bront's Grave; How to Stage Greek Tragedy Today; and Love, Sex & Tragedy: How the Ancient World Shapes Our Lives, all also published by the University of Chicago Press.
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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain
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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

by Goldhill, Simon

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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain
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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

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Very Queer Family Indeed : Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

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The University of Chicago Press, 2016. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. New/New. This is a Very Solid and very bright British HistoryHardback in New condition with a New jacket. c2016, 1st Edition. 1st Printing. This book is in wonderful condition both inside and out. It is New and Unread! The black textured cloth cover is Very clean & very bright. The edges are all Very, very good. Very nice spine ends, no wrinkle. The pages are tight & bright & unmarked, no names. The jacket, with price, is in great condition with hardly any shelf wear. (No remainder marks.) Nice Illustrations! 336 Pages. All books are securely packaged and Promptly Mailed. #23486- 925
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Very Queer Family Indeed : Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

by Simon Goldhill

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The University of Chicago Press, 2016. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. New/New. This is a Very Solid and very bright British History Hardback in New condition with a New jacket. c2016, 1st Edition. 1st Printing. This book is in wonderful condition both inside and out. It is New and Unread! The black textured cloth cover is Very clean & very bright. The edges are all Very, very good. Very nice spine ends, no wrinkle. The pages are tight & bright & unmarked, no names. The jacket, with price, is in great condition with hardly any shelf wear. (No remainder marks.) Nice Illustrations! 336 Pages. All books are securely packaged and Promptly Mailed. #23485- 925
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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

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University of Chicago Press, 2016. Hardcover. New/New. New tightly bound hardcover in a new dust jacket. 8vo. (9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches) Clean text free of marks or underlining. Includes a bibliography and notes. 344 pp. Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. “We can begin with a kiss, though this will not turn out to be a love story, at least not a love story of anything like the usual kind.” So begins A Very Queer Family Indeed, which introduces us to the extraordinary Benson family. Edward White Benson became Archbishop of Canterbury at the height of Queen Victoria’s reign, while his wife, Mary, was renowned for her wit and charm—the prime minister once wondered whether she was “the cleverest woman in England or in Europe.” The couple’s six precocious children included E. F. Benson, celebrated creator of the Mapp and Lucia novels, and Margaret Benson, the first published female Egyptologist. What interests Simon Goldhill most, however, is what went on behind the… Read more
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A Very Queer Family Indeed: Sex, Religion, and the Bensons in Victorian Britain

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