The Romance of the Harem (Victorian Literature and Culture Series) (Paperback)

by Anna Harriette Leonowens (Author), Susan Morgan (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Leonowens is best known as the heroine of the musical The King and I . Less well known is that her duties at the court of the Thai king included the education of the women in the king's harem in English and Western culture. This book, originally published in 1872 and long out of print, deals with her experiences in, and perceptions of, that oddly Eastern institution, inhabited by 9000 p. xviii women and children. Roundly condemned as fiction when first published, the work is now recovered by editor Morgan ( Sisters in Time ) as a kind of fictionalized history. Written in florid prose, the stories are fabulous--grisly tales of witchcraft, bastinado and other tortures (at one point the king builds a scaffold outside Leonowens's window, ostensibly to hang a woman and her illicit lover but in fact to terrorize Leonowens, who is in conflict with him over harem policy). Such tales are out of keeping with a king who was, by the standards of the day, an enlightened Western-style monarch. Morgan tries hard to equate Leonowens's style to contemporaries like Eliot and Dickens. In the end, however, the book is perhaps best viewed as a relic of its time rather than anything of enduring value.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
From setting foot in Asia in 1849 (or was it 1845?) as Anna Crawford (or was it Anna Edwards?) to waltzing with Yul Brynner in glorious technicolor, Anna Leonowens and her romanticized experiences as the only Westerner behind the walls of Nang Harm (the walled harem of the king of Siam) have had a long, colourful, and often controversial existence. Reproduced here is the original 1873 edition of "The Romance of the Harem" by Anna Leonowens (long out of print) which was the source for a 20th century book "Anna and the King of Siam" known to us all through Rogers and Hammerstein's "The King and I". "Why", asks Susan Morgan in her provocative introduction, "should we read this obscure travel account, with its dubious and often inaccurate or uncheckable facts and its author of shady repute?" For several reasons: first, the narrative speaks in its unique way to three of the most incendiary issues in 19th century England and America - imperialism, slavery and women's rights. Further, "Romance" is the only inside story ever written by a Westerner of life behind harem walls in 19th-century Thailand. Every morning for more than 5 years, Anna Leonowens took her young son by the hand and walked into an isolated community of 9000 women and children. And finally, when accepted as fictionalized history, Anna Leonowens's dramatic stories about some of the women in that harem take a prominent place on the growing shelf of rediscovered 19th century women's travel narratives. This book is an addition to women's studies programs, Asian studies, literature and history courses. It should also fascinate general readers with a taste for exotic cultures and settings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Virginia (August 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813913284
• ISBN-13: 978-0813913285
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #905,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

98 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, romantic novel., July 12, 1999

By A Customer

Mrs. Leonowens is a fine writer. Though most of here stories have been debated whether they were true or not, it reads as a good book if not a historical novel. Ms. Morgan gives a lot of backround to the author and book and unviels an amazing truth about Anna Leonowens. I like the book because it was like a small door to the world of yesterday that is dead with only a faint memory behind. I also like storiesof history.The book is heavy like most Victorian novels I've read. It takes longer than most but worth the effort. In this copy we see a picture of Anna Leonowens herself. If you enjoyed this you ought to read Anna and the King of Siam.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Victorian woman looks at life in a Siamese harem, September 19, 2001

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

The introduction to this book is as interesting as the book itself. Anna Leonowens remains a controversial character. The truth of her stories is questionable, her own biographical information may have been selectively edited or changed to reflect a more genteel background than Anna really had. Was she, in fact, an Anglo-Indian? Much scandal surrounds her still.

This book is the source, along with her other book The English Governess at the Siamese Court, for Margaret Landon's better known work Anna and the King of Siam. This book has the story of Tuptim, the concubine who was executed for running away, disguised as a priest. It is written in a typically Victorian elaborate style, so can be heavy going for some people. However, if you are curious about Anna herself, this is a must-read.