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Reviews
The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe by Tony Perrottet
dexychik's review against another edition
4.0
At times, it was more hasty literotica than historically salacious. So obviously, I liked it.
bookhoarding's review against another edition
2.0
Fascinating look at part of the erotic history of Europe. The author mixes history with his travels in a way that doesn't make it feel like an all-out history lesson. He also goes to great lengths to gain access to some of the mythic items. The only drawback to this was the experience his family had. During the first half of the book the few mentions his wife and kids get make it seem like they aren't having any fun, that the entire trip is centered around him, with no room for them to enjoy the trip.
jemcam's review against another edition
2.0
I haven't finished this one, but what I did read was okay.
meowmeowfood's review against another edition
3.0
Pay no mind to my stars -- I never set a standard 1-5 rating, haha.
This book was a fun little travel romp. It was less about the actual erotic history and more about his adventures in trying to find things. He talked a lot about his family, about travelling, about their lodgings, etc. while interspersing it with seedy anecdotes about old perverts. It was fun. I wouldn't recommend it to people who wanted the actual history of these events, but it was a fun travel memoir with enough interesting tidbits to get you started on more books about the subject (i.e. he goes to Paris and talks a bit about the belle epoque so if that peaks your interest you can find more detailed books about that era in the back index).
Good for summer and/or if you are planning a European vacation!
This book was a fun little travel romp. It was less about the actual erotic history and more about his adventures in trying to find things. He talked a lot about his family, about travelling, about their lodgings, etc. while interspersing it with seedy anecdotes about old perverts. It was fun. I wouldn't recommend it to people who wanted the actual history of these events, but it was a fun travel memoir with enough interesting tidbits to get you started on more books about the subject (i.e. he goes to Paris and talks a bit about the belle epoque so if that peaks your interest you can find more detailed books about that era in the back index).
Good for summer and/or if you are planning a European vacation!
gvantsachaduneli's review against another edition
5.0
Culture study through the lens of sin and perversion, what an amazing concept !
wrestleacademic's review against another edition
3.0
Unsurprisingly my favorite parts dealt with Italy. But the whole thing was a quick, enjoyable read, even if there were a number of parts where I wanted more (more history, more detail, more evidence than may actually exist).
jmeston's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the read and was glad I wasn't along for his actual family-accompanied journey. I think it's a good thing that he didn't really examine his own motives or attitudes towards the sexually charged museum items he sought to find. It really is a tour-ist's account of what one can see now of notorious landmarks of the past.
karenmusic's review against another edition
2.0
In many articles and reviews this was billed as a funny guide through Europe's sexual history, and while it was that, it was also a sometimes excruciatingly detailed memoir of a man who drags his family across the continent without regard to their vacation wishes as he attempts to get into places the public cannot, for the most part, get access to.
As the book wore on, I started nitpicking at the story. If something is great, small things don't matter when the whole of it is enjoyable. But I found myself wondering about a man who walks into a country restaurant that closes at 2 pm and is annoyed that he won't get served because it's 2:05 (why should they want to serve you after closing, 5 minutes or not?). And calls activities such as drawing while sitting on a balcony and talking while sitting in a cafe "eccentric routines". And is so proud of his progressiveness he brags about buying his city-raised 10 year old a boar hunting dagger. And did nobody in editing catch that framboise means raspberry, not strawberry? The truth: the bibliography is the best part of the thing. It led me to much better books.
At first it is light and informative, full of historical odds and ends, but about halfway through the book I was struggling to stay interested as pages and pages became filled with nothing of historical value, but instead turned into the recounting of a nightmare family vacation. As Mr. Perrottet quotes Lord Henry Brougham about the hours dragging on in Switzerland "Ennui comes on the third [hour], and suicide attacks you before the night."
As the book wore on, I started nitpicking at the story. If something is great, small things don't matter when the whole of it is enjoyable. But I found myself wondering about a man who walks into a country restaurant that closes at 2 pm and is annoyed that he won't get served because it's 2:05 (why should they want to serve you after closing, 5 minutes or not?). And calls activities such as drawing while sitting on a balcony and talking while sitting in a cafe "eccentric routines". And is so proud of his progressiveness he brags about buying his city-raised 10 year old a boar hunting dagger. And did nobody in editing catch that framboise means raspberry, not strawberry? The truth: the bibliography is the best part of the thing. It led me to much better books.
At first it is light and informative, full of historical odds and ends, but about halfway through the book I was struggling to stay interested as pages and pages became filled with nothing of historical value, but instead turned into the recounting of a nightmare family vacation. As Mr. Perrottet quotes Lord Henry Brougham about the hours dragging on in Switzerland "Ennui comes on the third [hour], and suicide attacks you before the night."
fitzmillion's review against another edition
2.0
I knew going in to this book it wouldn't be the most academic work, clearly slanting a bit more populist. And the parts of the book that talk about the actual topic -- strange little sexual tidbits from history scattered through Western Europe -- are interesting, often lesser known, and well cited. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the book was a nice bibliography (short, but the book is 70% travelogue, which obviously doesn't need citations).
So why is it rated two stars? Because most of the book is actually about his travels (meh) and worse, about his family (KILL ME). His wife is pretty amusing, so her inclusion isn't purely necessary, but doesn't detract. But his kids. His kids! Not only do they not contribute anything to the narrative, all we get is stories of them whining and throwing fits. There are often lines attesting to the locals glaring at the kids as they run rampant and misbehave, which is fair because rein in your kid! I often had to force myself through "Cute" (were they supposed to be cute? they just sounded embarrassing) stories of these kids running loose and then complaining until the author moved on before he was done with his research because his family was bored. It's a research trip, I don't care that your kids are bored. Do the whole work, or don't write the book.
So why is it rated two stars? Because most of the book is actually about his travels (meh) and worse, about his family (KILL ME). His wife is pretty amusing, so her inclusion isn't purely necessary, but doesn't detract. But his kids. His kids! Not only do they not contribute anything to the narrative, all we get is stories of them whining and throwing fits. There are often lines attesting to the locals glaring at the kids as they run rampant and misbehave, which is fair because rein in your kid! I often had to force myself through "Cute" (were they supposed to be cute? they just sounded embarrassing) stories of these kids running loose and then complaining until the author moved on before he was done with his research because his family was bored. It's a research trip, I don't care that your kids are bored. Do the whole work, or don't write the book.