I have been getting my fill lately of the whole upstairs/downstairs thing! Giles Waterfield's novel, Markham Thorpe reminded me a lot of Gosford Park. Young Ellen comes to the great house, Markham Thorpe, to work as a maid. You'll not be surprised to hear that not everything about the running of the household is as it should be. Ellen is a very likable character, but easily manipulated by those around her. This was an entertaining summer read, though the ending was a bit anticlimactic. There was a bit of a mystery thrown in as well, but I thought the ending might have been a little bit rushed. I think the reading experience of this book was diminished just a tiny bit by Sarah Waters's Fingersmith. How could poor Ellen possibly compete with Susan Trinder and Gentleman and the scam they have going? And I am getting an inkling that not all is what it should be there as well (not your run of the mill scam anyway)! While there was a twist to Markham Thorpe it didn't stun me, whereas I am expecting great things from Fingersmith. Still it was most definitely an enjoyable read. Now I am ready to lose myself well and truly in Fingersmith.
To go along with my mental pictures of the gentry and their fancy houses I have a few visuals to refer to as well. Juliet Gardiner's The Edwardian Country House is a companion book to the PBS series Manor House, which I never did get to see in its entirety. Guess what I have gotten from Netflix this week. The book is chock full of photos and even more text about life in a country home. I can't help myself--I find this period endlessly fascinating. I sometimes wonder where in the food chain I would have ended up had I been born during this period. No doubt I would have been a scullery maid with my luck!
This may sound terribly cheesy, but I will also be watching Regency House Party as well (another PBS show I completely missed). Yes, probably reminiscent of the Dating Game (but in fancy dress), but it sort of sounds like fun at the moment. Granted we'll be going back in time for this one, but still the same concept of life in an era of aristocrats, and well, everyone else.