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The World of Downton Abbey

By Meredith | Posted in book reviews, historical, nonfiction, pop culture, reading

“The sun is rising behind Downton Abbey, a great and splendid house in a great and splendid park. So secure does it appear that it seems as if the way of life it represents will last for another thousand years. It’s won’t.”

Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “most critically acclaimed television show” for 2011, Downton Abbey has taken the world by storm. The massively popular show was originally intended as a one-off miniseries; it did so remarkably well that the second season is now airing in the U.S. (having already aired in the U.K.) and a third season is in the works.

To complement the show, Jessica Fellowes (the niece of Downton scribe and executive producer Julian Fellowes) has written The World of Downton Abbey. Both a behind-the-scenes look at the show and its characters and a remarkably detailed exploration of British history at the beginning of the 20th century, The World of Downton Abbey is an impressively researched book every fan should have. Written with the cooperation of many members of the television show’s production crew, the book is both gorgeous, thanks to numerous photographs from the set, and well-written and engaging.

The book is divided into several chapters that delve deeper into the different aspects of life in England in the years leading up to and during the First World War. Chapters such as “Family Life,” “Society,” “Life in Service” and “House & Estate” provide a closer look at the day-to-day process of keeping a large country home like Downton functioning and thriving. Using the characters as examples, Jessica Fellowes explains how a young man like William or a young woman like Anna might get their start as a servant to a great family, while also outlining the history that brought American heiresses like Cora to England so they could marry into the aristocracy.

Other chapters (“Change” and “War”) focus on the vast and numerous changes that accompanied World War I. Here, the history is particularly important as it helps clarify the issues behind the storylines in the television show. The rise of socialism, the Irish troubles, and the general weakening of the power of the older generations all offer ample inspiration for the writers and the actors. Perhaps the most fascinating realization from The World of Downton Abbey was the realization that, in many ways, the world of Downton and the lives of its inhabitants act as a metaphor, mirroring our own rapidly changing world:

Life at the turn of the twentieth century was not so different from our own a hundred years later. Just as ongoing developments in technology influence the way we communicate, travel, life and work now, the Edwardians labored to adapt to the fast, furious arrival of abundant inventions. (pg. 72)

Throughout each chapter, there are sidebars filled with pictures and more details about specific characters or positions within the Downton world or a closer look at one aspect of the television show. Fellowes often includes notes about real people who inspired certain characters (for example, the real newspapers magnates who gave life to Sir Richard Carlisle) or insights about the skills and education a servant might need to perform their job. Additionally, the book is peppered with quotes from producers, actors, and the television show itself, offering an intimate glimpse of how this intricate and well-staged world comes together.

The World of Downton Abbey is as lavish as the Earl of Grantham’s drawing room and as practical as the maids’ uniforms. Brimming with information, details and histories, it is an indispensable companion to the enormously popular television show. It’s an absolute must-have for any Downton Abbey fan. 

[Photo Credit: Goodreads]

January 26, 2012 – 7:20 AM
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Word of the Week (56)

By Meredith | Posted in dictionary, eloisa james, historical, reading, words

479 years ago, on January 25, 1533, King Henry VIII of England secretly married his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was already carrying the future Queen Elizabeth I. Henry and Anne’s relationship was a rocky one – particularly since he was king of the country and already married to someone else. But one should never discount the Boleyns. Anne was exceptionally sagacious and managed to snare the king, convinced him to divorce his wife after breaking with the Catholic Church, and became Queen. Not too bad. It’s a pity she still ended up losing her head in the end.

Sagacious (“suh-gay-shuhs”)

Adjective; from Dictionary.com:

1. Having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd;
2. Wise, sage, clever, intelligent; sharp

“I am aware of that,” the dowager said, thawing a trifle. “I have met your mother on several occasions, and she always struck me as remarkably sagacious for one of her rank.” (The Duke is Mine, Eloisa James)

Sagacious was coined sometime during the early 1600′s, stemming from the French-rooted word “sagacity” which, in turn, comes from Latin words sagax (“of quick perception”) and sagire (“to perceive by/from the senses”). Originally, one who was sagacious was known for having a keen or acute senses, particularly the sense of smell. That meaning is nearly obsolete now and a person who is sagacious is someone who is especially perceptive and aware of the world around them, using their intelligence to their advantage.

Your turn, bookworms – do you consider yourself sagacious? Which literary character would you consider the most sagacious?

[Photo Credit: Google Images]

January 25, 2012 – 7:18 AM
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Darkness Falls

By Meredith | Posted in book reviews, cate tiernan, contemporary, magic, reading, YA

Nastasya may be more than 400 years old, but she’s only now learning to truly live a worthy life. After centuries of a hard-partying lifestyle, Nastasya has finally found something that might resemble peace and contentment at River’s Edge, a kind of rehab for wayward immortals. Though her life isn’t perfect, she’s slowly learning to appreciate the things she used to take for granted. But her doubts still linger. With her head clear, Nastasya is viewing memories of her family in a new light and worries that she’s filled with a darkness she can’t escape. When things start to go wrong, she falls back to her old lifestyle and her old friends, hoping to spare the people she’s come to care for. But going back may ultimately put her in more danger – danger she doesn’t see until it’s almost too late.

Darkness Falls is the second book in Cate Tiernan’s Immortal Beloved trilogy. It builds upon the solid foundation Tiernan set up in the first book and then delves deeper into the lives, histories and magical roots of the world she has created. There are more details about the lives of immortals, the magic they possess (for good or for evil) and the great possibilities and dangers that exist as a result. Tiernan still includes echoes of her Sweep series with the basics of immortal magic, but Nastasya and her friends are reside wholly within their own story.

Readers will be alternatively thrilled and shocked by the revelations about some characters, while also on edge as Nastasya struggles with new internal and external threats. While the pace of the novel does start a little slow, I appreciated having the time to fall back into this world. There’s not much “rehash” of information from the first book (which I also appreciated), but there’s also no rush to start the action. The story builds realistically and once the excitement and danger becomes obvious, I couldn’t read fast enough, turning pages furiously to find out what would happen next.

The best part of this book – and the series – is Nastasya. Even as a 400+ year old immortal, she’s still completely relatable. She’s sarcastic and snarky, but in Darkness Falls especially, she’s also vulnerable, filled with self-doubt and trying so valiantly to do the right thing. The Nastasya of this book is quite different from the Nastasya of the first book and I absolutely love that. Readers can clearly see how much she’s changed, how much she’s learned and how far she still has to go. Her witty asides to the reader made me feel as if I were listening to a friend confide in me and helped provide some moments of levity to balance the seriousness and heaviness of her story. And while those asides are Nastasya’s way of deflecting and covering up her real feelings, I still understood exactly how hard she was trying to be better and I loved her all the more because of it.

When I first finished, I was quite surprised with the choices Tiernan made. I had expected the conflict that occurs in the climax of Darkness Falls to come in the third and final book in the series. As such, I was left wondering where Tiernan could possibly take the story. But the more I think about it, the more I realize just how much I still don’t know. There are still so many unresolved questions (not the least of which is Reyn and his complicated past). Things that have only been hinted at in Darkness Falls could come back and I’m excited to see where Tiernan will take Nastasya next.

Cate Tiernan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, thanks in part to Darkness Falls and Nastasya. At times familiar and at times new and different, Tiernan has created a fascinating world of immortals and magic, a world in which our choices define who we are and where everyone – even those who are hundreds of years old – is still learning. 

[Photo Credit: Goodreads]

January 24, 2012 – 7:19 AM
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