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laurpar 's review for:
Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
by Therese Oneill
Unmentionable is a book for all the women who dream about traveling back in time and living in another century (particularly the 19th). In this work of nonfiction, Therese Oneill explains how un-romantic that dream is: from rancid food to the trials of menstruating before tampons, this book gets into the nitty-gritty details of the 1800's that Jane Austen never seemed to mention.
Unmentionable is written in a very distinct voice, as if an aunt is advising you on how you have to behave when you visit somewhere new, with little comments and quips throughout the book. I listened to the audiobook version of this text, and it came off as humorous and light-hearted, but I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much had I read the hard copy. Then again, the hard copy features photos that sound like they added a lot to the book, so I guess either way you're trading off.
The topics discussed include clothing and grooming, social etiquette, marital dynamics, and many, many more interesting parts of daily life in the 1800's that have never been brought to light before. I especially appreciated the focus on women; throughout history, nonfictional accounts of women's lives have been few and far between, and this book really gives an interesting look into what daily life would have been for them in that time period.
At only 8 hours, this audiobook was a quick listen, but I found it thoroughly entertaining and revelatory. I wound up telling a lot of my friends about it, and I think it would make a great book club read, especially for clubs that appreciate some historical fiction or romance.
Unmentionable is written in a very distinct voice, as if an aunt is advising you on how you have to behave when you visit somewhere new, with little comments and quips throughout the book. I listened to the audiobook version of this text, and it came off as humorous and light-hearted, but I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much had I read the hard copy. Then again, the hard copy features photos that sound like they added a lot to the book, so I guess either way you're trading off.
The topics discussed include clothing and grooming, social etiquette, marital dynamics, and many, many more interesting parts of daily life in the 1800's that have never been brought to light before. I especially appreciated the focus on women; throughout history, nonfictional accounts of women's lives have been few and far between, and this book really gives an interesting look into what daily life would have been for them in that time period.
At only 8 hours, this audiobook was a quick listen, but I found it thoroughly entertaining and revelatory. I wound up telling a lot of my friends about it, and I think it would make a great book club read, especially for clubs that appreciate some historical fiction or romance.