Downton Abbey: Looking for a good read; real world vs fiction.

Cafe Society
1

I’ve recently jumped on the Downton Abbey bandwagon.

I understand that DA is purely fiction. Still though, this show has sparked my interest in the real world of aristocratic society in the mid to late 19th century.

If anyone knows of a good read, I’d appreciate some feedback.

2

Even more than Downton Abbey, Parade’s End made me interested in the early 20th century period. (Parade’s End is a 5-part BBC series finally making it to HBO next month; I’ve already got the DVD’s. It’s based on Ford Madox Ford’s tetralogy that is one of the best things I’ve read in years.)

The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm shows us England just before the first series of Downton. Entertainingly written, it spends plenty of time on the wealthy but also tells about labor struggles and the arts. Before the War, life was not perfect for everybody! And more interesting things were happening in London than the Yorkshire Lord Julian has decided to show us.

The Ascent of Women mostly covers the British women’s suffrage movement; remember Sybil of series 1? But it also covers larger women’s issues–with portraits of the women (and a few men) involved.

The Great War & Modern Memory focuses on writings of Brits on the Western Front. A seminal work for an event whose centenary is approaching. All the things left out of sieries 2…

This is a rather serious list & not all about the rich folks. (Although many suffragists/suffragettes & many officers came from the upper classes.) Use Amazon’s suggestions to explore further in areas that interest you. I haven’t read To Marry an English Lord yet; but that’s how Robert came to marry Cora. And “the Marlborough divorce” mentioned this series was the result of Conseulo Vanderbilt’s ill-starred marriage that propped up the crumbling Blenheim Palace…

3

I haven’t read it so I can’t say if it’s any good. But I know bookstores have been promoting To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace as a non-fiction book related to the Downton Abbey setting.

4

I haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet, but a friend recommended Below Stairs, the memoir of a maid who served in great houses like Downton in the 1920s.

5

Try John Galsworthy’s “The Forstye Saga”. It will be hard to get into due to the writing style (easier if you saw either PBS adaptation - I prefer the first). but I think it’s definitely worth it.

6

Got an email the other day from a British expat pal of mine (now running an organic farm up in the Hamptons):

7

I’m embarrassed to say I misread the OP (thought you wanted fiction or non-fic). My recommendation was for a fiction series. sorry.