The first uncensored modern edition of this work was published in 1968 by Grove Press. Since then it has been republished by a number of publishers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The novel is told in first person, and the protagonist of the novel is Charlie Roberts. Charlie possesses a large penis, much virility, and a seemingly insatiable sexual appetite. The novel begins with "There were three of us - Mary, Eliza, and myself." Charlie describes his sexual initiation as an adolescent - as he is "approaching fifteen". He catalogs his sexual experiences including incest with his sisters Eliza and Mary, sex with his governesses, and his later sexual exploits with various male and female friends, and acquaintances. Besides incest, the book deals with a variety of sexual activities, including orgies, masturbation, lesbianism, flagellation, fellatio, cunnilingus, gay sex, anal sex, and double penetration. Taboo subjects such as homosexuality, incest, and pedophilia are common themes in the novel.
