Of Victorians and Vegetarians: The Vegetarian Movement in Nineteenth-century Britain

by James Gregory

Nineteenth-century Britain was one of the birthplaces of modern vegetarianism in the West. In 'Of Victorians and Vegetarians' James Gregory explores the relationship between this newly organized movement and wider culture and society. It evolved with a myriad of meanings and voices: partly for propagandist reasons, but also because of the varied motivations and characteristcs of vegetarians. Teetotallers, animal lovers, mystics, spiritualists and theosophists, as well as those who saw the diet as an effective and democratic medical treatment, all provided the constituents for a movement whose critics associated it with radicalism and faddism. Frequently counter-cultural, in its association with socialism and communitarianism throughout the period, vegetarianism also expressed in heightened form the already well-established values of self-help, philanthropy, thrift, Puritanism, domesticity and a belief in progress

Genres: History, 19th Century, Nonfiction, Food

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

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Reviews

[Saoirse · Rating 4 out of 5]

In one of the first comprehensive accounts of vegetarianism during the victorian period, Gregory considers the movement through a number of lenses including gender and class. It was great to read something so concise to supplement my dissertation research.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this but having to write a review for the Journal of British Studies helped move it up my list. It was fun to read something that complements my own research(19c & early 20c vegetarianism in the U.S.) and it is also a very well-written history of food reform in Britain.