A Man With a Maid (V1, V2)
AnonymousThe Way Of A Man With A Maid, first published around the turn of the century, is a direct assault on the sexual and moral ills of Victorian England. Stylistically it falls midway between the two extremes mentioned above, but is no less valid for the message it imparts-oftentimes the graffiti on the outhouse walls reveals more about the psychological makeup of its frequenters than the current prize-winning novels cherished by same. But this is not an apology for the present book, and before it should be misconstrued as such, let it be said here and now that this book is considerably better in a literary sense than the majority of its contemporary underground companions, and furthermore, it is thoroughly enjoyable reading, a rare thing indeed. Seldom does such a seemingly serious work ring with such unmitigated humor. The greatest charm a book can have is to not take itself seriously when it is obvious that the reader cannot take it seriously either. The Way Of A Man With A Maid is overflowing with that very charm. But the message is there just the same, lurking just beneath the next burst of laughter, and for this we must be grateful to the anonymous author.
The Way Of A Man With A Maid is a fantasy, cut and dried, but what a fantasy! In it we have all the classic examples of sexual daydreams: the Casper Milquetoast hero who makes his wildest wish come true; the beautiful, untouchable heroine who winds up his more than willing love slave and confederate; and the abundance of ingenious, fantastic „devices“ which aid him along his path to wish-fulfillment, devices which clearly have no place in the real world. It should also be added that for purposes of acting out his fantasies-in book-form at least-our author-narrator has taken for himself the role of one of the idle rich (...)
[excerpt from the Introduction]