A House in Gross Disorder: Sex, Law, and the 2nd Earl of Castlehaven

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.

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!