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Wednesday 8 December 2010

At home with the Georgians

I finally managed to catch up with Amanda Vickery's new series At Home with the Georgians, and this is a 'must-see' for all Austen fans. Vickery is one of my favourite authors on the period, and I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. When Vickery visited Chawton Cottage and sat at Jane Austen's writing desk, you could see the thrill she felt on being on such hallowed ground.  Vickery also explored the other side of the marriage question through the diaries of some Georgian men - how they longed to set up home and have a soul mate to keep them company. Surely food for thought for all budding Regency novelists!

2 comments:

TONY said...

Hi Sue. I've seen the first episode too. Yes, I thought the diaries were very moving, especially the fell farmer and then there was the diary of that spinster who lived amongst wealth and privealge with ther brothers family who inherited everything. Her life was an agony. Even Amada Vickery got choked up.

By the way, the Americans can't get this yet.

They feel very frustrated that we get everything first. Well, it is made here.

Thanks for this, Sue.

Tony

Sue Wilkes said...

Hi Tony. My husband made a very interesting point about the spinster living with her brother's family - why didn't she get a job if she hated it there so much? I guess these women were in effect trapped by their class and the expectations of their families as much as by their poverty.