- Paperback: 232 pages
- Publisher: OUP USA; New Ed edition (29 Mar 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0195139259
- ISBN-13: 978-0195139259
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.9 x 1.5 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 262,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
A House in Gross Disorder
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Review
"Thoughtful, scrupulously researched.... A clearheaded and instructive book."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post
"Cynthia Herrup's A House in Gross Disorder makes us rethink most everything we thought we knew about the notorious 1631 sodomy' trial of Mervin Touchet, the 2nd Earl of Castlehaven. Beautifully written and meticulously crafted, Herrup's study unfolds like a good detective story."--Jean Howard, Department of English, Columbia University, and Director of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender
"Cynthia Herrup's scrupulous reconstruction of the Castlehaven scandal and its legacy is an utterly fascinating read. But it is also rich in theoretical implications for the history of sexuality. Herrup shows how obscure conflicts within Castlehaven's household embodied virtually all the social and political tensions of the period, and thus how a routine dispute over property and inheritance could quickly escalate into a sensational trial for rape and sodomy. The nature
Product Description
Sex, privilege, corruption, and revenge--these are elements that we expect to find splashed across today's tabloid headlines. But in 17th century England, a sex scandal in which the 2nd Earl of Castlehaven was executed for crimes so horrible that "a Christian man ought scarce to name them" threatened the very foundations of aristocratic hierarchy. In A House in Gross Disorder, Cynthia Herrup presents a strikingly new interpretation both of the case itself and of the sexual and social anxieties it cast into such bold relief. Castlehaven was convicted of abetting the rape of his wife and of committing sodomy with his servants. More than that, he stood accused of inverting the natural order of his household by reveling in rather than restraining the intemperate passions of those he was expected to rule and protect. Herrup argues that because an orderly house was considered both an example and endorsement of aristocratic governance, the riotousness presided over by Castlehaven was the most damning evidence against him. Castlehaven himself argued that he was the victim of an impatient son, an unhappy wife, and courtiers greedy for his lands. Eschewing simple conclusions about guilt or innocence, Herrup focuses instead on the fascinating legal, social and political dynamics of the case and its subsequent retellings. In prose as riveting as the moral and legal dramas it depicts, A House in Gross Disorder reconsiders a scandal that still speaks to contemporary anxieties about sex, good governance, and the role of law in regulating both.
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First Sentence
Nothing remains of the mansion at Fonthill Gifford in which the Castlehaven household lived; even the church in which they worshiped is now gone. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Nothing remains of the mansion at Fonthill Gifford in which the Castlehaven household lived; even the church in which they worshiped is now gone. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Excellent
21 Nov 2005
Format:Paperback
A nice and satisfying read. Herrup combined a truly impressive amount of primary sources, scattered over 10 different archives and libraries. Instead of drowning in the source material and the vast body of secondary literature, she offers a nice, crisp and concise 150+ page analysis.
All the raunchy details of the Castlehaven case are there, but the supposed escapades of the Second Earl of Castlehaven are not the prime focus of this book. Through the relatively restricted prism of a scandalous lawsuit, Herrup achieves in painting a surprisingly broad and kaleidoscopical image of civil society in the mid-17th-century Britain. She skillfully treat themes such as the relations between men and wives, the official and actual perceptions of catholics and Irish, the delicate position of King Charles I and the strife at the royal court between old nobility and the recently ennobled.
Herrup carefully avoids any references to the marquis De Sade. It's easy to see why. Inclusion of De Sade would probably have broadened the scope of the book too much: times, country and circumstances were so much different. But still, it's seducing to compare the two. Sade was given a death sentence in 1772, just as Castlehaven 141 years earlier. Both men did not repent, both their wives were of questionable reputation. And the accusations against Earl Mervin could have directly inspired parts of Sade's Philosophy In The Boudoir.
All the raunchy details of the Castlehaven case are there, but the supposed escapades of the Second Earl of Castlehaven are not the prime focus of this book. Through the relatively restricted prism of a scandalous lawsuit, Herrup achieves in painting a surprisingly broad and kaleidoscopical image of civil society in the mid-17th-century Britain. She skillfully treat themes such as the relations between men and wives, the official and actual perceptions of catholics and Irish, the delicate position of King Charles I and the strife at the royal court between old nobility and the recently ennobled.
Herrup carefully avoids any references to the marquis De Sade. It's easy to see why. Inclusion of De Sade would probably have broadened the scope of the book too much: times, country and circumstances were so much different. But still, it's seducing to compare the two. Sade was given a death sentence in 1772, just as Castlehaven 141 years earlier. Both men did not repent, both their wives were of questionable reputation. And the accusations against Earl Mervin could have directly inspired parts of Sade's Philosophy In The Boudoir.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Great story, well-told
31 Jan 2001
Format:Hardcover
I loved this book. The story is unbelievable, and Cynthia Herrup does a great job of explaining all its ins-and-outs (no pun intended). If you want a novel, this ain't it. But if you want a great history book, this is for you. Me? I'm giving it to all my friends . . . and maybe my mom too!
Interesting but not for general readers
17 Jun 2011
Format:Kindle Edition
I suspect this book was written as a PhD thesis. It is big on post-structural analysis of the Castlehaven trial - looking to interpret the trial in terms of the legal, religious, political and gender issues of the day. It also analyses the subsequent retellings of the story over time and how writers and commentators continue to interpret the story in light of the prevailing issues and conflicts of their own times. This very academic commentary is woven throughout the book and ultimately weakens what might have been a compelling account. Sadly, the balance between events and interpretation has been lost. Readers who are not familiar with the historical context and the broad details of the reign of Charles I, will struggle to understand much of the author's interpretation anyway. There are some engaging aspects to this account but they owe more to the natural curiosity raised by a tale about sexual deviancy, family discord and uncertain guilt, than to the author 's heavy-handed attempts to tell us what it all means (without ever explaining why we should care).
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