File:MySecretLifeVol1(1888).djvu

English: My Secret Life is the memoir of a Victorian gentleman's sexual development and experiences. It was first published in a private edition of eleven volumes, which appeared over seven years beginning around 1888. The work is anonymous but has been attributed by some to Henry Spencer Ashbee (1834-1900), though others argue against Ashbee as the author and one scholar suggests William Simpson Potter (1805-1879). It is written in the first person and the narrator goes by the name of "Walter", though whether Walter was a real person, a fictional character, or a conglomerate is undetermined. Likewise, it is unclear whether Walter represents the author. Some argue that Ashbee is Walter, others that Walter is a composite character taken from experiences of Ashbee and his friends. William Haywood (1821-1894) is also suggested as the identity of Walter.