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franuary's review
3.0
A charming peek into the day-to-day roles and traditions of Downton Abbey servants. Written from the point of view of Carson, Downton’s butler, the book gives details on a variety of tasks that would have been vital in running the estate smoothly. These include the still-useful (napkin folding; the quietest way to open a door), the semi-useful (the correct way to store silver; how to preserve truffles), and the likely-not-useful-at-all-but-still-interesting (tips on managing a wine cellar for an entire estate; olde-timey remedies for dropsy). This isn’t the type of book you’d likely read cover to cover, but for those going through Downton-withdrawal, a small dose is an excellent curative.
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the advance copy!
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the advance copy!
mirrorchaser's review
4.0
Cute! A must-read for any fans of Downton Abbey. Since the timeline and historical accuracy of Downton Abbey is famously gray, this is a great addition to help give a little perspective to the roles of each staff member. I can't imagine anyone who is a casual watcher or has never seen the show *gasp* would have any interest in this one.
felinity's review
4.0
Mr. Carson's guide to the efficient running of a household. Some is specific to Downton Abbey, including a little new background for Mr. Carson, but the majority comprises the rules which allow a house to be kept in good order, and to explain the roles and routine for each position. It's relatively short but very informative, not just about the household but also giving insight into the social customs and mores of the era as well as the incredible organisational skills needed by the butler, valet, cook and lady's maid.
The butler's section is, naturally, the most comprehensive, and contained a lot of fascinating detail about managing the wine cellar. There were also instructions for creating various cleaning solutions, for opening a bottle with a decayed cork, preparing a razor strop, the proper way to brush and clean clothes (including furs and lace collars), how to care for hats, even how to restore proper time to a pocket watch. There were the obvious instructions on serving at table and how to polish glasses and silverware as well as how to bend down correctly, and a new method of making tea - probably for a silver teapot, which will react differently from a porcelain one.
A few things were also out of place for a manual from Mr. Carson, but included out of general interest for the reader. (I don't see him caring about recipes for lady's pickles, or instructing on napkin folding.) There were also some anachronisms and a couple of minor inconsistencies, but these may well be fixed in the final version. (The position of scullery maid, for instance, wasn't mentioned at all, and all her duties were given to the kitchen maid.) I was a little surprised by the brevity of the housekeeper's section, but the details elsewhere made up for it. Discovering salt came in large blocks and had to be sieved each morning, for instance!
All in all, an interesting read. If the bus driver hadn't been alert I would have missed my stop at work, and that never happens, so you can see how intriguing it all was!
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The butler's section is, naturally, the most comprehensive, and contained a lot of fascinating detail about managing the wine cellar. There were also instructions for creating various cleaning solutions, for opening a bottle with a decayed cork, preparing a razor strop, the proper way to brush and clean clothes (including furs and lace collars), how to care for hats, even how to restore proper time to a pocket watch. There were the obvious instructions on serving at table and how to polish glasses and silverware as well as how to bend down correctly, and a new method of making tea - probably for a silver teapot, which will react differently from a porcelain one.
A few things were also out of place for a manual from Mr. Carson, but included out of general interest for the reader. (I don't see him caring about recipes for lady's pickles, or instructing on napkin folding.) There were also some anachronisms and a couple of minor inconsistencies, but these may well be fixed in the final version. (The position of scullery maid, for instance, wasn't mentioned at all, and all her duties were given to the kitchen maid.) I was a little surprised by the brevity of the housekeeper's section, but the details elsewhere made up for it. Discovering salt came in large blocks and had to be sieved each morning, for instance!
All in all, an interesting read. If the bus driver hadn't been alert I would have missed my stop at work, and that never happens, so you can see how intriguing it all was!
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
wanderlustlover's review
3.0
I didn't read this one all the way through as I bought it for a gift to give my stepfather, who is a massive Downton Abbey (the show, more than the history/historical background). It's really adorable, and informative about the times. Plus, written tongue-in-cheek by 'Carson' of the tv show. If you are a fan of the show I think you will deeply love this little addendum.
urlphantomhive's review
4.0
READ IN ENGLISH
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a big fan of the series, so when I saw this book come up on Netgalley I was simply delighted. Even more so, as this book focuses mostly on the running of the house and the different tasks for different members of staff.
I've always been a bit amazed by large houses like the one in Downton Abbey, and wondered about how hard it would have to be to keep everything running. If you, like me, have been curious to find out more about this, this book is highly recommended to you!
Written as if Mr. Carson wrote it, it handles all kinds of very important matters like a chapter on placing wine bottles the correct way. Like in the series Mr. Carson is very strict and wants to preserve the traditions as much as possible. It also includes time schedules so it would have been easy to fit in seven dress changings a day.
A very interesting account on living downstairs in Downton Abbey, and also a very nice book for fans of the show!
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a big fan of the series, so when I saw this book come up on Netgalley I was simply delighted. Even more so, as this book focuses mostly on the running of the house and the different tasks for different members of staff.
I've always been a bit amazed by large houses like the one in Downton Abbey, and wondered about how hard it would have to be to keep everything running. If you, like me, have been curious to find out more about this, this book is highly recommended to you!
Written as if Mr. Carson wrote it, it handles all kinds of very important matters like a chapter on placing wine bottles the correct way. Like in the series Mr. Carson is very strict and wants to preserve the traditions as much as possible. It also includes time schedules so it would have been easy to fit in seven dress changings a day.
A very interesting account on living downstairs in Downton Abbey, and also a very nice book for fans of the show!
musicalknitter's review
4.0
I found this book very interesting and well written. The style was reminiscent of the style of how servants would speak and act which made me feel right in the spirit of the information provided. The illustrations really helped me understand the role each job had and it gave a good feel for what life was like for a servant in a big house.