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ronanmcd's review against another edition
4.0
This is a dense and intriguing book, the product of original work by the author.
Much of the text reinforces what a reader might expect to be the case, but there is plenty of surprise too. Mist of Georgian England it seems, the wealthy included, were renters, not owners. Spinsters even more so, were subject to frequent changes in their living arrangements.
The one thing I struggled with in reading the book is how undifferent the Georgians were. By the close you realise they were a historian's creation, a neat grouping signed with the reigns of monarchs. Life continued much as it did before and after. But right there in the middle, for just a glimpse, was a moment frozen in time.
Much of the text reinforces what a reader might expect to be the case, but there is plenty of surprise too. Mist of Georgian England it seems, the wealthy included, were renters, not owners. Spinsters even more so, were subject to frequent changes in their living arrangements.
The one thing I struggled with in reading the book is how undifferent the Georgians were. By the close you realise they were a historian's creation, a neat grouping signed with the reigns of monarchs. Life continued much as it did before and after. But right there in the middle, for just a glimpse, was a moment frozen in time.
friendofgosig's review
4.5
This is a really fascinating look into home life during the Georgian period, and the gender divides within the household. Vickery considers a range of class and circumstance, using a range of different sources, from court records, account books and personal letters. The stories she tells are interesting examples, and sometimes quite moving, showing the variety of experience even within the same class or circumstance.
firerosearien's review
4.0
Not what I was expecting (I was looking more for a this-is-what-you'd-find-in-a-Georgian-home), but still a fascinating look at gender history through a domestic lens. It's the type of book I would expect to be assigned in a history course cross-listed with women's studies. It will appeal to a certain specific, niche audience.
cakefairy's review against another edition
funny
informative
slow-paced
4.75
I, too, would be wooed with new wallpaper and teatrays.
lulufromdownunder's review
informative
slow-paced
4.0
A very informative book about 18 th century domesticity, from spinsterhood to marriage, condition of women, husbandry, fortune. Obviously from a PhD thesis.
emmkayt's review
5.0
A very satisfying read if, like me, you enjoy fairly academic social history - less so if you're apt to roll your eyes in dismay at the prospect of a chapter analyzing the correspondence ledger maintained by an eighteenth century wallpaper maker.
Amanda Vickery draws on an astonishing array of primary sources to explore the home life of people in Georgian England (and Wales a bit). I was fascinated to see the use to which she puts her sources - for example, court records of theft and burglary cases give her a greater understanding of privacy and locks in lodgings. She also discusses a number of interesting private journals and sets of correspondence. I enjoyed it a lot.
Amanda Vickery draws on an astonishing array of primary sources to explore the home life of people in Georgian England (and Wales a bit). I was fascinated to see the use to which she puts her sources - for example, court records of theft and burglary cases give her a greater understanding of privacy and locks in lodgings. She also discusses a number of interesting private journals and sets of correspondence. I enjoyed it a lot.