When Suburban Souls was first published in 1901 by Charles Carrington, an active publisher of erotica in England and France, its sexual frankness and autobiographical disclosures quickly made it as sought after as My Secret Life. The first edition was strictly limited and did not become widely available until 1968, when Grove Press published the work in the United States.

The author identifies himself only as Jacky S., a 43-year-old British broker with the Paris stock exchange. His memoir tells of his five-year love affair with 19-year-old Lilian Arvel. At the beginning of their romance, Lilian seemed to reciprocate Jacky's passion and willingly joined in mutual "exploration games," fondly calling Jacky her "Papa" and submitting to his strangest whims. Jacky's intentions toward Lilian were honourable, and while she lasciviously encouraged him to debase her, he did not object when she refused to give up her virginity. Gradually, however, their affair developed into a strange standoff, then came apart after the signs of infidelity became unmistakable -- Lilian had lost her virginity to someone else and entered into a peculiar relationship with her stepfather.

Jacky occasionally digresses to tell of various light-hearted sexual interludes with others. But for five years Lilian controlled Jacky's destiny, even though she could not return his love. This edition also includes 20 appendices, among them the complete text of another novel, The Yellow Room, referred to in Suburban Souls as having been edited by Jacky S. ( )

OK, OK, we get it. Lilian is a liar who took advantage of you?! As if. More power to her -- you were a complete ass. ( )