This book is a fascinating and in-depth look at Victorian lower class prostitutes and their upper class client base. Recounting the sexual exploits of Walter amongst a great many a maid, prostitute, belle, and a débutante of two, every encounter is described in a wonderfully graphic prose that perfectly captures the visceral backdrop of an era caught between stoic conformity and libertinage abandon.
The frank discussion of sexual matters and other hidden aspects of Victorian life make this book a rare and valuable social document. It has been described as "one of the strangest and most obsessive books ever written".