The Romance of Lust

The book was written and published anonymously in four volumes during 1873–1876 and is well known as a vivid example of an erotic novel in the Victorian era. It starts as a story of a 14-year-old lad who experiments with sexual sensations with his two younger sisters. As the story evolves, the protagonist gets in different situations to satisfy his sexual appetites, which grow as he gets older. The book covers all possible scenarios of sexual experiments, including the forbidden ones, like incest and pedophilia. Besides, the book includes stories about orgies, masturbation, homosexualism, lesbianism, and other tabooed topics in the Victorian era. Therefore, this book is attractive in scholarly research and used as an example of mid-nineteenth-century pornography.

The authorship of this book is questioned, as it was published anonymously. Yet, the style of writing and language hint to William Simpson Potter, who published several books on Prince of Wale's visit to India. The literary analysis suggests that if Potter hadn't written the book himself, he worked as an editor. The other possible candidate for authorship is Edward Sellon, a famous erotic novel writer in the 19th century.