Fiction is my first love, but sometimes when a subject is just too good to stick to one genre, I have to read the real background. Case in point being my love of history; sometimes I'd rather read the history book discussing a time period rather than a historical fiction novel based on the time period. So begins a nice little side series of some well-written nonfiction books!
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew
by Daniel Pool
Have you ever wondered how to play whist? Ever thought about the difference between a Hall and a Park? Ever wondered what the difference was between a lawyer and a solicitor? And of course: Oxford or Cambridge?
For those fans of Austen, Brontë, Dickens, Trollope, and Gaskell, this book will explain any references you may not have gotten the first time around.
It covers every aspect of English life, from the government to society to economics.
One of the best aspects of this book is the continuous references to popular 19th century books like The Eustace Diamonds, Emma, Jane Eyre, Can You Forgive Her?, and many others. It will explain the hallmark of a true lady or gentleman (the fact that they did not have to work for a living), what made certain trades acceptable (the fact that you did not accept money directly for services rendered), and how to address a Duke or Earl and what happened when you gambled away all of your property. It will explain currency, the smallest being the half farthing and the largest being the 1,000 pound note; holidays, the first of the year being Twelfth Night on January 5 and the last being Boxing Day,the first weekday after Christmas.
Also helpful is a large glossary with frequently used terms and phrases used in the books that are no longer used in today's society. For example; an abigail was a lady's maid, a bathing machine was a large covered wagon pulled by a horse in the water, and a boxseat is what the coachman driving your carriage would sit on.
Easy to read, divided into convenient sections and at times humorous, the book is an interesting supplementary read to whatever English literature you might be reading at the time.
If you liked this then you will like: Governess: The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres by Ruth Brandon
by Daniel Pool
Have you ever wondered how to play whist? Ever thought about the difference between a Hall and a Park? Ever wondered what the difference was between a lawyer and a solicitor? And of course: Oxford or Cambridge?
For those fans of Austen, Brontë, Dickens, Trollope, and Gaskell, this book will explain any references you may not have gotten the first time around.
It covers every aspect of English life, from the government to society to economics.
One of the best aspects of this book is the continuous references to popular 19th century books like The Eustace Diamonds, Emma, Jane Eyre, Can You Forgive Her?, and many others. It will explain the hallmark of a true lady or gentleman (the fact that they did not have to work for a living), what made certain trades acceptable (the fact that you did not accept money directly for services rendered), and how to address a Duke or Earl and what happened when you gambled away all of your property. It will explain currency, the smallest being the half farthing and the largest being the 1,000 pound note; holidays, the first of the year being Twelfth Night on January 5 and the last being Boxing Day,the first weekday after Christmas.
Also helpful is a large glossary with frequently used terms and phrases used in the books that are no longer used in today's society. For example; an abigail was a lady's maid, a bathing machine was a large covered wagon pulled by a horse in the water, and a boxseat is what the coachman driving your carriage would sit on.
Easy to read, divided into convenient sections and at times humorous, the book is an interesting supplementary read to whatever English literature you might be reading at the time.
If you liked this then you will like: Governess: The Lives and Times of the Real Jane Eyres by Ruth Brandon
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