Book Review – ‘Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England’ by Kathryn Warner

Thanks for Pen and Sword for gifting me a copy of this for review.

Reading this book was like revisiting some of my university courses on Women and Subversion, and the Female Experience, talking about infanticide, marriage, fornication, incest, pregnancy, and childbirth. It was so interesting to reread over some things I’ve studied, but also add some extra information that I wasn’t previously aware of.

It’s well-written, obviously well-researched, and the author is passionate about her subject, which is always important to keep you engaged in reading it. I loved the number of examples throughout the book. It means that you know that the arguments the author makes have a basis in fact. It’s always interesting to know about the lives of people in the past, especially when those lives really come to life through the primary sources.

I think one thing that I found a little difficult reading it is that there is so more information it can feel a little dry, in spite of the author’s obvious enthusiasm for the subject. I can’t quite put my finger on why it feels so dry though, because it is fascinating to read. It’s a bit of a juxtaposition. The selection of images, however, are interesting and a great variety.

If you’re interested in the history of sex and sexuality then this is a great read, as is ‘Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England’ by Carol McGrath, which pulls the two periods together and you can follow changing perceptions across the periods. Warner’s writing is engaging, and the book is full of little titbits of information, backed up by impeccable source work.

Chapters:

1. Appearance
2. Marriage (1), including age at marriage, weddings and customs
3. Marriage (2), including bigamy, rights and rank
4. Marriage (3), including second marriages and dowry
5. Marriage (4), including forced and unhappy marriages, and impediments
6. Sexual Pleasure and Relationships (1), including desire and virginity
7. Sexual Pleasure and Relationships (2), including adultery and pre-marital sex
8. Love Language
9. Pregnancy and Childbirth (1), including menstruation, conception and miscarriages
10. Pregnancy and Childbirth (2), including birth aids, midwives and mortality rates
11. Pregnancy and Childbirth (3), including baptism, purification and family size
12. Illegitimacy
13. Prostitution
14. Ravishment and Abduction
15. Incest and Consanguinity
16. Same-Sex Relationships
17. Gender Roles and Expectations