This charming little book, a translation from the French of one supposedly written in 1857, would no doubt have been considered scurrilous at the time, but it now seems simply to be one of the most light-hearted ‘initiation romps’ of the Victorian period. It would have served well as an instruction manual for young people of the nineteenth century. It has been re-published a number of times, mostly anonymously. It is narrator is an aristocratic lady, who relates her amorous experiences with wonder and reverence, as well as an innocence that is lacking in later, more cynical Victorian works. Her first experiences are those of observation, and her virginal marriage proves happy enough, if unsatisfying (in terms of ‘operational size’), but it is her vigorous lover who completes her education. This is a surprisingly stimulating book, which helps to put the related literature of the period into perspective. ( )