Strange Antics:
A History of
Seduction
by Clement Knox
William Collins,
528 pages, £25In Strange Antics,
Clement Knox sets out
to discuss the history
of seduction as a
post-Enlightenment and “modern” phenom-
enon that “serves as vehicle for the explora-
tion of modern values, modern experiences,
and modern concerns”. In this context,
seduction is a specific action where perpetra-
tors extract consent for sex from the women
(and specifically women) they desire in a way
that degrades the seduced.
Knox does this by tracing a narrative
that begins in the late 17th century with the
infamous sexual provocateur and criminal
Colonel Francis Charteris in London. He
then crosses the continent to find Casanova
in Italy, follows Lord Byron to the fabled
Villa Diodati where Mary Shelley composed
her masterpiece Frankenstein, and skips
across the Atlantic to follow the boxing and
sexual careers of Jack Johnson, the first black
heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
During the course of this journey, Knox
hits on some points that are particularly
relevant now. His discussion of the panic
about a European slave trade in English girls
in late 19th-century London, for example,
closely mirrors current concerns about sex
trafficking. Similarly, Knox’s discussion of
America’s miscegenation laws and the brutal
treatment of Johnson for transgressing racial
sexual barriers seems timely given the return
of eugenic belief and false racial prejudices
masquerading as science that we have
recently seen. Underlying both these issues is
modern society’s obsession with protecting
the theoretical sexual purity of the ‘right’
kind of woman. In Knox’s words, “[All] men
could be seducers; only certain types of
women could be seduced.” Knox is able to
deftly show here that the ‘right’ woman is to
be understood as white, middle class and
sexually disinterested.At moments, Knox’s focus on modern
seduction narratives does his book a disser-
vice. His discussion of the ciscisbeo culture in
19th-century Italy (a sort of official live-in
valet-cum-lover for upper-class young Italian
brides) treats the phenomenon as an oddity
rather than a holdover from medieval courtly
love culture. Indeed, Byron’s chafing under
the strictures of his time as a ciscisbeismo
would be perfectly framed as a modern man’s
rejection of a medieval sexual dynamic.
At times, Knox also seems to forget the
terms of his own carefully argued frameworkBedroom mannersELEANOR JANEGA applauds a history of seduction that explores what this phenomenon
reveals about power dynamics between the sexes in the western worldBOOKSREVIEWS
Sexual adventurer A 19th-century engraving created to illustrate his memoirs shows the Venetian
adventurer Giacomo Casanova (1725–98) with two of those he charmed, Veronique and AnnetteThe panic about a
European slave trade in
English girls in late 19th-
century London closely
mirrors current concerns
about sex traffickingSEX & LOVEBRIDGEMANfor concepts of seduction and sexuality as
a societal construct. He asserts, for example,
in his discussion of Mary Wollstonecraft’s
societal rejection for her attempts to practise
‘free love’ that she was “forced... to confront
some basic truths about human relation-
ships”. How are we to accept a societal
construct is a “basic truth”, especially when
Knox has just reminded us of the sexually
permissive culture that existed in Tahiti
prior to European colonial intervention?
(If Tahitian women could enjoy sex free
from the bonds of shame and monogamous
strictures, then it is clear that no universal
‘truth’ exists.)
But these are the quibbles of the salon and
overall Knox has written a diverting work.
His prose is elegant, even if he is overly fond
of the word ‘chimerical’. Readers interested
in sexual history will find Strange Antics
a pleasurable and absorbing book.Eleanor Janega is a medieval historian at LSE
specialising in sex and society, and the author
of the Going Medieval blogStrangeAntics:
A Historyof
Seduction
byClementKnox
WilliamCollins,
528 pages, £25InStrangeAntics,
ClementKnoxsetsout
todiscussthehistory
ofseductionasa
post-Enlightenmentand“modern”phenom-
enonthat“servesasvehiclefortheexplora-
tionofmodernvalues,modernexperiences,
andmodernconcerns”.Inthiscontext,
seductionis a specificactionwhereperpetra-
torsextractconsentforsexfromthewomen
(andspecificallywomen)theydesire in a way
thatdegradestheseduced.
Knoxdoesthisbytracinga narrative
thatbeginsinthelate17thcenturywiththe
infamoussexualprovocateurandcriminal
ColonelFrancisCharterisinLondon.He
thencrossesthecontinenttofindCasanova
inItaly,followsLordByrontothefabled
VillaDiodatiwhereMaryShelleycomposed
hermasterpieceFrankenstein, andskips
acrosstheAtlantictofollowtheboxingand
sexualcareersofJackJohnson,thefirstblack
heavyweightboxingchampionoftheworld.
Duringthecourseofthisjourney,Knox
hitsonsomepointsthatareparticularly
relevantnow.Hisdiscussionofthepanic
abouta EuropeanslavetradeinEnglishgirls
inlate19th-centuryLondon,forexample,
closelymirrorscurrentconcernsaboutsex
trafficking.Similarly,Knox’sdiscussionof
America’smiscegenationlawsandthebrutal
treatmentofJohnsonfortransgressingracial
sexualbarriersseemstimelygiventhereturn
ofeugenicbeliefandfalseracialprejudices
masqueradingassciencethatwehave
recentlyseen.Underlyingboththeseissuesis
modernsociety’sobsessionwithprotecting
thetheoreticalsexualpurityofthe‘right’
kindofwoman.InKnox’swords,“[All]men
couldbeseducers;onlycertaintypesof
womencouldbeseduced.”Knoxis ableto
deftlyshowherethatthe‘right’womanis to
beunderstoodaswhite,middle class and
sexually disinterested.Atmoments,Knox’sfocusonmodern
seductionnarrativesdoeshisbooka disser-
vice.Hisdiscussionoftheciscisbeoculturein
19th-centuryItaly(asortofofficiallive-in
valet-cum-loverforupper-classyoungItalian
brides)treatsthephenomenonasanoddity
ratherthana holdoverfrommedievalcourtly
loveculture.Indeed,Byron’schafingunder
thestricturesofhistimeasaciscisbeismo
wouldbeperfectlyframedasa modernman’s
rejectionofa medievalsexualdynamic.
Attimes,Knoxalsoseemstoforgetthe
terms of his own carefully argued frameworkBedroom mannersELEANORJANEGAapplaudsa historyofseductionthatexploreswhat this phenomenonreveals about power dynamics between the sexes in the western worldBOOKS
REVIEWS
SexualadventurerA19th-centuryengravingcreatedto illustratehismemoirsshowstheVenetian
adventurer Giacomo Casanova (1725–98) with two of those he charmed, Veronique and AnnetteThepanicaboutaEuropeanslavetradeinEnglishgirlsin late19th-centuryLondoncloselymirrorscurrentconcernsabout sex traffickingSEX & LOVEBRIDGEMANforconceptsofseductionandsexualityas
a societalconstruct.Heasserts,forexample,
inhisdiscussionofMaryWollstonecraft’s
societalrejectionforherattemptstopractise
‘freelove’thatshewas“forced...toconfront
somebasictruthsabouthumanrelation-
ships”.Howarewetoaccepta societal
constructis a “basictruth”,especiallywhen
Knoxhasjustremindedusofthesexually
permissiveculturethatexistedinTahiti
priortoEuropeancolonialintervention?
(IfTahitianwomencouldenjoysexfree
fromthebondsofshameandmonogamous
strictures,thenit is clear that no universal
‘truth’exists.)
Butthesearethequibblesofthesalonand
overallKnoxhaswrittena divertingwork.
Hisproseis elegant,evenif heis overlyfond
oftheword‘chimerical’.Readersinterested
insexualhistorywillfindStrangeAntics
a pleasurable and absorbing book.EleanorJanegais a medievalhistorianatLSE
specialisinginsexandsociety, and the author
oftheGoing Medievalblog