The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate

My edition of this book comes with a keenly-observed introduction by Julian Fellowes.  The copyright is from 2007, and while he mentions Gosford Park, I wonder if he had any idea that a future project would eclipse its fame.  The 'upstairs/downstairs' storyline has always held massive appeal so for anyone who hasn't had their fill over the past couple of years of Downton Abbey get yourself a copy of The Shooting Party.

Set in Oxfordshire on the estate of Sir Randolph Nettleby, Baronet, the annual shooting party is about to take place during the autumn of 1913.  Gaslight fills the spacious rooms and the aromas of tobacco and perfume meld as the country house fills with guests from across the country and Europe.  Meanwhile in the outbuildings, stables, gamekeeper's cottage, gun room and kitchen, there is a flurry of activity as the staff work rigourously to ensure that everything runs smoothly.  The claret is ready to be poured when needed, there is cake ready to be sliced at a whim and while out on a shoot a gentleman need not take his eyes off of the fleeing birds as a freshly-loaded rifle is placed into his outstretched hand by his loader.

While this isn't Downton Abbey who could blame me for making comparisons?  At a dinner party where the guests are feasting on lobster vol-au-vents and drinking champagne, I laughed when young Cicely displays a playful wit. 

  "'Oh, but the Walker Kerrs are perfectly well connected too.  Mr Walker Kerr was a son of Lord Craven.  He was killed in the most ghastly circumstances in Africa.'
  'How terrible.  What sort of circumstances?'
  'He was eaten.  By a huge black Zulu.'
  'Oh really, Cicely,' Ida who was on the other side of the table had caught her daughter's last remark.  'You are naughty.  It was nothing of the kind.  He was killed in a perfectly straightforward manner in the Zulu wars.'
  'Exactly,' said Cicely, undaunted.  'In a perfectly straightforward manner.  For a Zulu.'"

A conversation which could easily have taken place amongst the Granthams at table.  Although, I'm still trying to decide whether the Dowager Countess would favour the lines of Ida or Cicely.  I digress.

Isabel Colegate examines the etiquette of the aristocracy in every single gesture from the studs worn in a man's shirt to the decision to begin an affair.  And the realization to some that none of it really matters.  The Great War is looming and among the staff downstairs there is the hope that it will be an equalizer, a chance to break free from their legacy of servitude.  A tragedy during the shoot brings into focus the concept of gentlemanly behaviour for Sir Randolph and some of his guests.  For one guest in particular though the incident is barely worth noting, an act that firmly places Cicely on the side of those less fortunate than herself.

The only thing that deflected some joy for me in the reading of this book is that there are so many characters introduced in the early stages of the story.  I resorted to making a quasi-family tree/guest list on a sheet of paper to keep everyone straight.  Other than that tiny distraction this is a brilliant novella and one I will be returning to time and again when I need a fix of the quintessential 'upstairs/downstairs' story set during the Edwardian era.  Thanks once again to Book Snob for recommending it to anyone who would listen.  She was right!

Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple

Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms have subsided ever so slightly with the storyline of Greenbanks by Dorothy Whipple.  The book opens on Christmas Day in 1909, with everyone gathered together in a comfortable house surrounded by snow.  There isn't anything like the controlled chaos of a 'downstairs' in this adaptation of Whipple's Edwardian family but you get the idea.

The Ashton's saga is a scaled-down version but several of the storylines from Downton Abbey are recognizable.  An older generation holding steadfast to tradition, a younger set trying to break free from the mold, letters calling young men to war and bandage classes for women.  And if men aren't always having the last word these days, society still dictates conscience and behaviour to quite a degree.

Louisa and her philandering husband, Robert, are parents to adult children who still run to them for advice on how to remove themselves from sticky situations.  With so many dynamics involving the core family, respective spouses and offspring they provide enough fodder for their own lively soap opera.  Whipple's restraint prevents Greenbanks from running to high drama but successfully brings the reader to a state of anticipation wondering how each event will conclude.

Affairs, illegitimacy, the female struggle for independance, World War I, money woes, sly financial dealings and yes, even a dishy vicar keep Louisa from growing too complacent about her family and staff.  Her one constant is granddaughter, Rachel, who prefers the spare room at Greenbanks to her bedroom at home.  And who could blame her with a father who scoffs at the idea of women filling their heads with knowledge.  I silently egged her on through each opportunity to achieve fulfillment and laughed when she used putty to fill the holes in her desk in an attempt at dentistry.

Greenbanks is a thoroughly enjoyable read, a cosy book.  My only issue with it came at the very end when a few words into the afterword I realized it wasn't the next chapter!  Surely an author I adore wouldn't abandon me right then and there, wondering about the impact of a certain character's absence at the breakfast table?  But she did.  I'm not overly ticked about it or anything, life goes on...which is the point Dorothy Whipple was making with this sort of ending.  I would like to think happily ever after comes into it but I'm not so sure.

Attractions and Distractions

Feast or famine, it's so often the way.  Most of the time I despair for something decent to watch on television.  Something which will broaden the mind, feature a corset or parasol or at the very least not be eight years behind the British viewer's experience (BBC Canada...are you listening?).

Apologies to David Starkey but my latest historian crush is Amanda Vickery.  Forget the "Ooh, can I have your autograph" sort of thing, I just think it would be fantastic to have a close friend who could chat about the price of breakfast cereal today as well as contraception from the Georgian era over a cup of tea.

Since At Home with the Georgians aired here a few weeks ago there is no moment too brief to re-watch a snippet of an episode.  I especially love that although the presentation may be of historical facts, the men and women are represented as the modern citizens they were of their day.  An attractive home, food on the table, decent values and security for the future are just a few basic wants which haven't changed throughout the years despite technology and shortened hemlines.  The way Professor Vickery caresses the pages of a diary reclaimed from the bowels of an archival storage facility displays an awe and respect for its writer that goes beyond academic research.  Clearly she is passionate about her work and the people she gleans facts from.  If you're her neighbour or friend...lucky! 

For an earthier approach to educating a viewing audience about life at home during the Edwardian era we are two episodes in to Edwardian Farm.  Ruth, Peter and Alex are back, living to period in a cottage in Devon, toiling away on the farm and in the kitchen.  You can practically smell the aroma of sweat coming from their tired bodies.  Most of the time I would be quite willing to pitch in alongside but when offal is on the menu I am more than happy to be watching from my sofa.  And each foray into these historical experiments leaves me with a yearning to try my hand at cheese making, what's that all about?

We're having our own domestic issue at the moment, a four year-old stove with its third major issue.  Don't think I haven't envied Ruth Goodman and her wood stove minus its electronic motherboard.  I've been eyeing up our fireplace and picturing how it would look with a spit and cauldron.  But what to do about baking cakes and cookies?  There has been more time spent visiting appliance stores, reading consumer reports and angry customer forums than my books for pleasure these days which does not make me a happy lady of the house.  I'm in the midst of my own Aga saga, so to speak...now there's an idea!  Don't I just wish.