Perverse Romanticism

"Sha addresses the ways in which Romantic literature advocated purposelessness in both aesthetics and sexual pleasure: art for art's sake and sex for the sake of sex. His analysis is original and insightful."—Frederick Burwick, University of California, Los Angeles

"An impressive display of Sha's masterful grasp of a wide range of scholarly literature, and a provocative thesis that will be of interest to academics in all three fields."—Katie Gray, H-Net Reviews

"Sha brings to these topics a keen intelligence buttressed by up-to-the-minute scholarship . . . He dazzles by the quantity and breadth of his reading and embodies the best interdisciplinary approaches so many scholars tout but rarely incorporate."—George Rousseau, Social History of Medicine

"His theoretical insights come together with acute readings and strong historical research."—Times Literary Supplement

"Richard C. Sha's fine study takes Byron's theme of 'perversion' in a different direction from the ethical, demonstrating how Romantic medical writing about the perverse influenced literary Romanticism. . . . Fascinating book."—Byron Journal

"Stunningly brilliant and original . . . a distinguished work that is well worth reading."—Geraldine Friedman, Review of English Studies

"Strong scholarship."—Myron D. Yeager, ANQ

"An engaging study."—Declan W. Kavanagh, BARS Bulletin and Review

"Sha's work . . . with its rich and engaging cultural context, significantly broadens and deepens our understanding of Romantic-era sexuality."—Rick Incorvati, Keats-Shelley Journal

"Sha's scholarship on behalf of perversion is formidable, and makes for fun reading."—Paul Youngquist, European Romantic Review