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125 reviews for:
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle
Fiona Carnarvon
3.45 AVERAGE
125 reviews for:
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle
Fiona Carnarvon
3.45 AVERAGE
I'm a huge Downton Abbey fan, and I enjoyed this read about the life of the 5th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, who lived at Highclere Castle (where the show is filmed) in the late 1800s-early 1900s. I could see similarities to a few of the Downton characters in their real-life counterparts, which made it a little more fun. :)
Think of it as a long "special feature" to Downton Abbey. Except the real inhabitants were far more impressive people. They discovered Tut's tomb, for instance.
I wish a few things about this book:
1) That it had been written less as a narrative of historical facts and more of a historical fictionalization of the life and times of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon and,
2) That it had revealed something I wasn't already aware of from my habitual reading of Victorian fiction and watching of period dramas.
Much of the narrative explanations I'd gleaned for myself from reading Edith Wharton (The Buccaneers) and, perhaps not oddly, those characters seem to be based on these real-world historical members of society. (Though finding a real-world Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser in the mix in Lady Evelyn Herbert Beauchamp was a delightful surprise!) My love and knowledge of the fictional characters perhaps made their real-life inspirations seem derivative.
If I had less knowledge of the period, I suspect I would have liked this book better.
1) That it had been written less as a narrative of historical facts and more of a historical fictionalization of the life and times of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon and,
2) That it had revealed something I wasn't already aware of from my habitual reading of Victorian fiction and watching of period dramas.
Much of the narrative explanations I'd gleaned for myself from reading Edith Wharton (The Buccaneers) and, perhaps not oddly, those characters seem to be based on these real-world historical members of society. (Though finding a real-world Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser in the mix in Lady Evelyn Herbert Beauchamp was a delightful surprise!) My love and knowledge of the fictional characters perhaps made their real-life inspirations seem derivative.
If I had less knowledge of the period, I suspect I would have liked this book better.
So I read this book with one purpose in mind -- keeping the spell of Downton around me (I know - nerd). Surprising turn of events ... I gained a lot of perspective about WWI, all variety of campaigns, political and troop movement and sadly carnage. Then there's the family's connection to discovery of King Tut's tomb. The author can write, too. Great book.
*First Reads Won*
I have not seen the show for Downton Abbey, and I still loved this book. It was very interesting and well written. Most of the details had relevance and were put in an order that made sense. There were a few spots where the grammar was... unique, but over all it was amazingly edifying. Lady Almina and her family were intriguing characters that epitomized the standard of life for the very rich in England during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is amazing to think how money could be thrown around for parties by those who still enjoyed philanthropic work. They were sometimes at odds with the world around them, but Lady Almina got things done that needed too.
I have not seen the show for Downton Abbey, and I still loved this book. It was very interesting and well written. Most of the details had relevance and were put in an order that made sense. There were a few spots where the grammar was... unique, but over all it was amazingly edifying. Lady Almina and her family were intriguing characters that epitomized the standard of life for the very rich in England during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is amazing to think how money could be thrown around for parties by those who still enjoyed philanthropic work. They were sometimes at odds with the world around them, but Lady Almina got things done that needed too.
Super interesting history of Highclere Castle and the "real" inhabitants. Great, especially if you are missing Downton Abbey.
Since I fell in love with Downton Abbey, I have wondered about Highclere Castle and if there was a book that the show was based on. While this book isn't the gossipy fun that you find in the drama, it does tell the story of the real inhabitants of the castle. I especially enjoyed learning about the Earl's excavations in Egypt and Lady Almina's passion for nursing. There are definitely parallels between the real inhabitants and the show. Enjoyable.
I read this book because I love Downton Abbey and was interested in learning more about the people and the house in reality. (It was also a gift.) This book offers lots of information and history. However, it was written in such a rambling way that I had difficulty reading it. It felt like neither a storied version of history nor a biography. I nearly stopped reading it several times. Despite interesting subject matter, I could only give it two stars because of the writing.
informative
medium-paced