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| Final Rating: 3.8/5 |
A convincing little book
This modest book may be well sought after by Downton Abbey fans but it should be noted that it can also serve as an inviting small collection of trivia for any armchair historian of magnetic bygone eras. I will readily admit I fall into that second shining class ever since I held my English grandmother’s well-thumbed passed down copy of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management at an impressionable age and that interest only grew as I later wandered the elementary shelves picking up classics that beckoned with equally fascinating subjects and plots about refined grand lifestyles and those who served in their own strict world. Even today I seem to still be looking for "just one more" reference to pick up and I'm very happy to tell others that I was overall pleasantly surprised by Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff and thought it a convincing little work.
In this inviting collection that is set up as a useful manual for the daily lives of staff employed within the celebrated walls of Downton Abbey, the modern reader will find a little of everything carefully listed and explained from: hierarchy of positions, absolutely fascinating “receipts” (some even from Mrs. Beeton’s better known cooking titles) the proper way to store silver, avoiding the grave error of serving a fine claret after pudding, maintenance of a Lord’s pocket watch, illustrations of interest, the necessity of always having trusty vinegar and salt ready, to the importance of wasting little in those times with collecting left over tea leaves (to sprinkle on carpets for easy dust removal) to stale bread (for cleaning certain types of wallpapers). That last little fact had me stop and think about the forgotten careful practices of that era, the stories my grandparents told me concerning their early lives and saving everything and the value of taking pride with hard work. I didn’t expect to receive those kinds of open-ended messages and reflections from this type of small interesting book (although I wish it would have been longer and went a bit more in depth on certain subjects and positions), but it was a welcome find and has secured a proper place on my shelves of references and reminders.
* I would like to thank St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for opportunity to read and enjoy Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff
This modest book may be well sought after by Downton Abbey fans but it should be noted that it can also serve as an inviting small collection of trivia for any armchair historian of magnetic bygone eras. I will readily admit I fall into that second shining class ever since I held my English grandmother’s well-thumbed passed down copy of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management at an impressionable age and that interest only grew as I later wandered the elementary shelves picking up classics that beckoned with equally fascinating subjects and plots about refined grand lifestyles and those who served in their own strict world. Even today I seem to still be looking for "just one more" reference to pick up and I'm very happy to tell others that I was overall pleasantly surprised by Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff and thought it a convincing little work.
In this inviting collection that is set up as a useful manual for the daily lives of staff employed within the celebrated walls of Downton Abbey, the modern reader will find a little of everything carefully listed and explained from: hierarchy of positions, absolutely fascinating “receipts” (some even from Mrs. Beeton’s better known cooking titles) the proper way to store silver, avoiding the grave error of serving a fine claret after pudding, maintenance of a Lord’s pocket watch, illustrations of interest, the necessity of always having trusty vinegar and salt ready, to the importance of wasting little in those times with collecting left over tea leaves (to sprinkle on carpets for easy dust removal) to stale bread (for cleaning certain types of wallpapers). That last little fact had me stop and think about the forgotten careful practices of that era, the stories my grandparents told me concerning their early lives and saving everything and the value of taking pride with hard work. I didn’t expect to receive those kinds of open-ended messages and reflections from this type of small interesting book (although I wish it would have been longer and went a bit more in depth on certain subjects and positions), but it was a welcome find and has secured a proper place on my shelves of references and reminders.
* I would like to thank St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for opportunity to read and enjoy Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff
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