The Secret World of the Victorian Lodging House

by Joseph O'Neill

Criminals, drifters, beggars, the homeless, immigrants, prostitutes, tramping artisans, street entertainers, abandoned children, navvies, and families fallen on hard times a whole underclass of people on the margins of society passed through Victorian l

Genres: Nonfiction, History

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2014

About the author

Joseph^O'Neill
There is more than one author with this name on Goodreads.

Joseph O'Neill was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1964 and grew up in Mozambique, South Africa, Iran, Turkey, and Holland. His previous works include the novels This is the Life and The Breezes, and the non-fiction book Blood-Dark Track, a family history centered on the mysterious imprisonment of both his grandfathers during World War II, which was an NYT Notable Book. He writes regularly for The Atlantic. He lives with his family in New York City."

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

This had the potential to be an interesting book. But it is seriously marred by the author's repeated and irrelevant jibes at modern views with which he disagrees. A mention of waste-pickers is accompanied by a sarcastic aside about modern ‘eco warriors’; slums are mentioned with an unsourced claim that the word is now not ‘politically correct’; the author even launches into a discussion of how independent and self-respecting the Victorian poor were for wanting to avoid the often nightmarish conditions of the workhouse—so unlike the ‘entitlement’ of 21st century people who are coddled and weakened by the welfare state. The author seems to agree with the Victorian concept of the undeserving poor, with glib remarks about native criminality and how state assistance really only makes things worse because it discourages hard work and self reliance.

What makes this jawdropping is that the book...I’m going to put this charitably...relies heavily on the work of James Greenwood, down to a long stretch of paraphrasing. Greenwood’s eyewitness writing about the depths of London poverty is tough-minded but notable for its deep compassion, and a recognition of the horrific way in which appalling conditions warp people. It seems remarkable to borrow quite so much from Greenwood yet impose the judgemental narrative of deserving and undeserving poverty that Greenwood writes about with revulsion. The author criticises modern entitlement without ever questioning the entitlement that allows people of immense privilege (such as moderns with electricity and fridges full of food and clean water) to e.g. dismiss desperately poor women selling themselves for survival as 'grasping whores'.

There is some good stuff in here when the author actually discusses the various kinds of lodging house in detail--which is, in fact, what I bought it for. Unfortunately, it’s hard to trust any history book that’s so blatantly a vehicle for the author’s political opinions. Which isn’t to say people should write without politics; I don’t think that’s possible, and it may not be desirable. And I am well aware that my own political views are not the only ones, and I know that many people will agree with the author. He certainly has every right to his views. But the fact is, if you can’t stop talking about modern political correctness gone mad!!! while writing about Victorian lodging houses, I’m going to question your ability to assess and present evidence in an even-handed way. It comes across as irrelevant polemic and undermines what is evidently a well-researched work.

The author has the ability to write fluently and readably. I didn't like the descriptive fictional snippets that opened some of the chapters; to my mind that sort of thing needs to be carried through if it's to be done at all, and I didn't think it was necessary in an often vividly written work. An editor should have dealt with that. And a copy editor should have dealt with the errors that litter the text, particularly in the presentation of numbers and the repeated use of ‘causal’ for ‘casual’. That seems pretty lazy for a book so keen on the morally improving qualities of hard work.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret World of the Victorian Lodging House – An honest account

Joseph O’Neill has written a book that should knock those who have a golden sepia view of the Victorian era, The Secret World of the Victorian Lodging House breaks down those ideals. For those of us who have studied social history this book is a reminder of how bad things were, and for the general reader will open their eyes.

What the reader will learn is that the Victorian lodging house was no romantic place, but a place where you would need to sleep with at least one eye open, and a hand on your possessions. The lodging house sometimes reminds me of the song from Les Miserables ‘Master of the house’ where he breaks down the price for sleeping with a window shut and always looking to lighten your loads and more.

What you learn from this book is that the underbelly of society passed through the lodging house, mainly the criminal elements, beggars, immigrants, prostitutes, street entertainers, navvies, the abandoned and families that were just about avoiding the workhouse. The book explains the harshness of the places and uses examples of known lodging houses, such as those that were in Britain’s worst slum Angel Meadow (do not be fooled by the name) in Manchester. Also drawing those from the worst areas of London, Birmingham amongst others.

Every town and city of the time had a lodging house or more in its borders and all had the same reputation of ill repute not the sort of place you would want to take your family. As terrible these places were they were a step above poor relief and prison, but it was not a very large step.

This really is an interesting book that covers many areas and also explains the foundations of the NSPCC and the Peabody Trust for example as well as places such as Port Sunlight as a response to the horrors of the Lodging House. As well as explaining how the introduction of the Public Health Acts came about in effect as an answer to the insanitary aspects of the lodging houses and the slums where they resided.

What you get from this books is that the ill treatment of immigrants is nothing new and we have been doing it for centuries, and the treatment of the Irish, Italians and Jews are just some of the examples that highlight this in the book. As well as the crimes that surrounded the lodging houses which really will open your eyes.

This truly is an excellent book, well researched and a book you can come back to time and time again, especially if you are studying social history and history from below. A fascinating and totally absorbing read and one that will leave an impression on you about life if you were at the bottom of the heap of humanity.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, but I found it a bit too dense and a bit too focused on the stories of the people who frequented the lodging houses instead of the history of the houses themselves. Still, the reasons some people had for needing to frequent the houses was surprising. Even more so the fact that even the lowest members of society who had literally nothing to offer the world still found it more acceptable to be in a lodging house paying for sometimes nothing more than a space on some hard concrete than a place in the workhouse where they would be given food. How very telling it was, this idea of maintaining some sort of dignity even when there was none to have.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I was looking for. Lots of history around the types of people who used lodging houses and the way they were perceived by the rest of society but I'd have liked more on what they were physically like as this was why I went to it for research.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but a little spoiled by the intermittent Daily-Mail-reader-esqe comments which set my teeth on edge.

[Danilo DiPietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proxy for New Yorker short story ‘The Time Being’ - discussed w Ann’s book club. What indeed is the meaning of life?

[Keckler Slover]

57:15 15. So today no redemption will be accepted from you nor from those who disbelieve: your lodging shall be the Fire; it is your patron and how awful is such a goal!”