Mommy Brain

I finished What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England by Daniel Pool today, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves to read 19th century literature. I learned so much – and found many titles to add to my to-read list.

Pool is absolutely thorough in his description of 19th century life. The section titles include:

~ The Basics: explaining currency, measurements, the calendar, and the basics on England and London

~ The Public World: all the titles, social etiquette, calling cards, rituals, sections on the government and the Church of England, and much, much more

~ Transition: Coaches, Horses, the Railroad, the Mail

~ The Country: Life on the farm, who’s who in the country, local government, etc.

~ The Private World: marriage, sex, homes, food, furniture, clothing, and the hierarchy of servants

~ The Grim World: orphans, the workhouse, disease, doctors, and death

The above makes up part one of the book; part two is a detailed glossary of all those terms that we get stuck on when reading the likes of Vanity Fair, Great Expectations, and, of course, Austen’s works. This book will take up a prominent spot on my upstairs bookshelves, because I know I’ll be referring to it many times in the future.