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Ragionamenti #1.II
The Secret Life of Wives
In this hilarious sequel to The Secret Life of Nuns, courtesan Nanna reveals to her confidante, Antonia, what really goes on in the lives of married women. A woman can only be saved from a life-threatening craving and utter damnation by a well-endowed priest; an over-devout matron releases her inner devil when she meets an attractive hermit; an insatiable wife is redressed by her husband in a most barbarous manner—these are merely some of the “truths” that Aretino exposes behind the respectable mask of marriage. And in describing the subterfuges, machinations, and diabolical ruses wives resort to—unbeknownst to their poor husbands—in order to secure the secret object of their desires, Aretino adds another titillating page to his immense catalog of human characters. Italian satirist and poet Pietro Aretino was one of the most versatile writers of the 16th century; the author of plays, poetry, and letters, he is now principally remembered as the originator of European pornography.
116 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1534
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About the author
Pietro Aretino
241 books34 followersPietro Aretino was an Italian author, playwright, poet and satirist who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 11, 2025
Somewhat repetitive. If you have read the first two of this series this feels like the same thing.
November 15, 2022
Historic ridiculous pornography filled with funny innuendos.
June 26, 2012
We Americans tend to get a lot of flack: for our tumbling math and science scores, our epidemically high divorce rates-- all characteristics of a society that has left the virtues of perseverance and diligence behind. However, every now and again, we get a reminder of the good old days-- and nothing represents good old fashioned values more than the image of the long-married wife.
But the long-married wife, as portrayed in Iris Krasnow's book, The Secret Life of Wives isn't who you'd expect. She doesn't preach the values of persistence or communication in a marriage. She doesn't even discuss fixing the marriage. Instead, this book is a calling to every woman to fix themselves.
Chock-full of real-life accounts of women over fifty--who, at the crossroads of a mid-life crisis, might have contemplated casting off the dead weight of an emotionally-unavailable husband, decides to keep him and instead, embarks on a solo trek toward her own personal desires, the message of this book is clear: "Wives, fulfill thyself".
The author, while promoting the overall message of self-fulfillment, attempts to provide diverse situations. Tales of women who spend entire summers away from home (in Italy, no less) pursuing lofty artistic goals mix with stories of women who stick it out through emotional abuse to emerge on the other side of twenty years still married and women who `sustain' a marriage with flirting to downright adultery.
But what do these stories mean for the woman on the other side of midlife crisis, still in the throes of raising small children in a young marriage or to those still fantasizing of walking down the aisle with their soul mate? After reading this book, are we to believe that marriage is, in the end, simply a societal arrangement for the benefit of raising children and garnering social acceptance? Or do we rebelliously (or foolishly) decide that marriage can truly be that romantic, intimate union of souls that we all yearn for?
The message, according to Krasnow, is consistent: that marriage is as unique for each woman as the motivations for the choices to remain in a marriage. And after reading this book, one thing is clear: The only common denominator is that in the end, when it all comes down to it, marriage is like life itself: Inevitably, a solo journey.
But the long-married wife, as portrayed in Iris Krasnow's book, The Secret Life of Wives isn't who you'd expect. She doesn't preach the values of persistence or communication in a marriage. She doesn't even discuss fixing the marriage. Instead, this book is a calling to every woman to fix themselves.
Chock-full of real-life accounts of women over fifty--who, at the crossroads of a mid-life crisis, might have contemplated casting off the dead weight of an emotionally-unavailable husband, decides to keep him and instead, embarks on a solo trek toward her own personal desires, the message of this book is clear: "Wives, fulfill thyself".
The author, while promoting the overall message of self-fulfillment, attempts to provide diverse situations. Tales of women who spend entire summers away from home (in Italy, no less) pursuing lofty artistic goals mix with stories of women who stick it out through emotional abuse to emerge on the other side of twenty years still married and women who `sustain' a marriage with flirting to downright adultery.
But what do these stories mean for the woman on the other side of midlife crisis, still in the throes of raising small children in a young marriage or to those still fantasizing of walking down the aisle with their soul mate? After reading this book, are we to believe that marriage is, in the end, simply a societal arrangement for the benefit of raising children and garnering social acceptance? Or do we rebelliously (or foolishly) decide that marriage can truly be that romantic, intimate union of souls that we all yearn for?
The message, according to Krasnow, is consistent: that marriage is as unique for each woman as the motivations for the choices to remain in a marriage. And after reading this book, one thing is clear: The only common denominator is that in the end, when it all comes down to it, marriage is like life itself: Inevitably, a solo journey.
September 12, 2007
This slim book is extracted from Pietro Aretino's Ragionamenti, a dialogue between two prostitutes on the three vocations of women -- nun, wife, and whore -- and the means by which women slip past the confines of those roles. Those means are, in this case, food and sex -- mostly sex. The adventures catalogued here are going to be familiar territory to any readers of pre-modern bawdry like medieval French fabliaux, Boccaccio, Chaucer, or The Arabian Nights, but Aretino's book distinguishes itself for its wealth of euphemisms for the sex act and the parts you use to do it; two favorites of mine were "belly clapper" (male) and the "Vale of Jehosaphat" (female), the Vale of Jehosaphat being the anticipated site of the Last Judgment.
This is published by Hesperus Press, an English publisher of literary stocking stuffers, usually novellas or excerpts of roughly a hundred pages, adequately designed, and often with new translations and annotations. I like what Hesperus is doing, but bear in mind that in a more reasonable world, you could expect to find a complete English translation of the Ragionamenti (from, say, Penguin or the NYRB) for the same price as this $13 excerpt.
This is published by Hesperus Press, an English publisher of literary stocking stuffers, usually novellas or excerpts of roughly a hundred pages, adequately designed, and often with new translations and annotations. I like what Hesperus is doing, but bear in mind that in a more reasonable world, you could expect to find a complete English translation of the Ragionamenti (from, say, Penguin or the NYRB) for the same price as this $13 excerpt.
March 31, 2009
Pietro Aretino, regarded and remembered as the originator of European pornography, explores the lives of sexually-starved women in this most scandalous of works, The Secret Life of Wives.
The novel is told by Nanna to her trusted and like-minded friend Antonia. With every anecdote, decent citizens are made to blush, but then allow themselves to be lured and led further into the indecent world of female carnal passions. These stories are shocking, yet possess an underlying humor. Aretino can be compared to The Marquis de Sade in the championing of such extreme and erotic material, all told in an equally extreme and indiscrete style, but the prose is not as flowing, succinct, or eloquent as de Sade's.
However, the metaphoric range and depth that Aretino commands is simply astounding. Perhaps, man knows how to make love, especially the raunchy kind, in a hundred ways, but Aretino knows how to describe it in a thousand.
The novel is told by Nanna to her trusted and like-minded friend Antonia. With every anecdote, decent citizens are made to blush, but then allow themselves to be lured and led further into the indecent world of female carnal passions. These stories are shocking, yet possess an underlying humor. Aretino can be compared to The Marquis de Sade in the championing of such extreme and erotic material, all told in an equally extreme and indiscrete style, but the prose is not as flowing, succinct, or eloquent as de Sade's.
However, the metaphoric range and depth that Aretino commands is simply astounding. Perhaps, man knows how to make love, especially the raunchy kind, in a hundred ways, but Aretino knows how to describe it in a thousand.
May 2, 2018
Interviews with “Vintage Wives” who’ve been married 20+ years and still happy.
Highlights:
1. You don’t get it all from one person in one place; Separate Summers—have retreats alone where you can focus on your hobby or soul searching, time for renewal without worrying about anyone else’s needs.
2. Healthy couples give each other space to grow WITHIN the marriage.
3. Aloneness can enhance intimacy.
4. Feed your soul so you don’t resent marriage.*
5. Ask: What do I need to do to WANT to stay married?
6. Be predictable by doing what you say, this builds trust.
7. Thinking about death every day keeps you humble.
8. Effective communication + learning to fight fair, honest and quick = successful marriage.
Highlights:
1. You don’t get it all from one person in one place; Separate Summers—have retreats alone where you can focus on your hobby or soul searching, time for renewal without worrying about anyone else’s needs.
2. Healthy couples give each other space to grow WITHIN the marriage.
3. Aloneness can enhance intimacy.
4. Feed your soul so you don’t resent marriage.*
5. Ask: What do I need to do to WANT to stay married?
6. Be predictable by doing what you say, this builds trust.
7. Thinking about death every day keeps you humble.
8. Effective communication + learning to fight fair, honest and quick = successful marriage.
September 18, 2007
Delightfully fun smut! Sacrilegious, voluptuous and packed full of whimsy and metaphor.
November 15, 2008
16th-century Italian smut/satire. Full of hilarious euphemisms and mean-spirited gossip, translated into very contemporary-feeling vernacular English.
February 26, 2012
Sequel to The Secret Life of Nuns where Nanna and Antonia continue their conversation about what women really get up to. Good bawdy fun and an excellent translation.
August 29, 2012
Highly entertaining and very well written! Aretino has more words for sex and its constituent parts than one would realize was possible.
June 30, 2014
Yes extremely amusing ... Full of loose morals ... But all descriptions reasonably tasteful ...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews