The World of Downton Abbey: A Book Review

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The World of Downton Abbey: A Book Review

January 18, 2012 by Vic

People simply can’t get enough of Downton Abbey, as my site meter tells me. Everything we bloggers write about the costumes, actors, and historical details is lapped up by eager readers and on nights when the series is aired, my visitor count goes through the roof.

People just can’t get enough of the Crawley family and the servants who cater to them. Not everyone goes online for information. For those who prefer to receive their information in print, The World of Downton Abbey might be the perfect companion piece to their Downton Abbey viewing experience. The text is by Jessica Fellowes, niece of writer Julian Fellowes, who writes the foreword. The book is lavishly filled with photographs and illustration, and covers such topics as Family Life, Society, Change, Life in Service, Style, House to Estate, Romance, War, and Behind the Scenes. If you are intrigued but aren’t sure about purchasing this book, you can find a sneak peek at Amazon.com.

Sybil, Mary and Edith. Credit: Courtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE

You’ll find wonderful details in The World of Downton Abbey that you can’t get any where else. Take this picture of the Crawley sisters, for instance, which was used to promote season one. It turns out that the dress for Mary was a costume designed to fit the actress, that Edith’s was a retread from the Merchant Ivory production of A Room With a View, and that Sybil wore an original Edwardian dress.

The World of Downton Abbey is lavishly illustrated

I purchased the book for my Kindle touch, and at $14.99 I found it quite reasonably priced. But here was the problem: my Kindle offers only black and white text and the photos look grainy. Only Kindle Fire offers a full spectrum of colors. And so I have to read the book on my PC or laptop, which is no big deal, for the images are glorious on my 20″ monitor and, unlike many people of my acquaintance, I don’t mind reading from a screen.

Click here to purchase The World of Downton Abbey.

Read my Downton Abbey articles here.

Read my Downton Abbey Series 2 articles at this link.

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen's World, Popular culture | Tagged Downton Abbey, Edith Crawley, Jessica Fellowes, Julian Fellowes, Mary Crawley, Sybil Crawley, The World of Downton Abbey | 16 Comments

16 Responses

on January 18, 2012 at 10:28 Patty

Vic,

My favorite character is missing from the cover – Carson. Jim Carter is a terrific actor.
- on January 18, 2012 at 11:29 Vic
  
  You’re absolutely correct! And that is the promo picture they are using for Season 2.
on January 18, 2012 at 18:04 dentelline

Hi Vic,
Je suis jalouse de ne pas pouvoir regarder Downton Abbey!
Rien que de voir tes photos et lire tes articles, je me languis la série TV.
Thanks for sharing!
Have a good evening!
on January 18, 2012 at 21:43 Melanie

This book looks fascinating. Is it available in print as well?
- on January 19, 2012 at 09:51 Vic
  
  Yes it is.
on January 18, 2012 at 23:18 Karen Field

I just ordered this last night. I can’t wait for it to come.
- on January 20, 2012 at 21:56 Vic
  
  Let me know what you think of it, Karen!
on January 19, 2012 at 12:17 Maria Horvath

Congratulations! Your beautiful blog has been chosen for a Versatile Blogger Award. Please check it out at this link:

http://ghpoetryplace.blogspot.com/

All the best,

Maria Horvath, of the blog A Poem A Day from the George Hail Library.
- on January 20, 2012 at 21:55 Vic
  
  Thank you, Maria. I am so honored!
on January 19, 2012 at 20:08 Beth

My copy arrived from Amazon a couple of days ago and it is gorgeous and well worth the money. There is a lot of info about the show and behind-the-scenes info and details of life during the time period as well. And the photos and illustrations are all in full color. Incidentally, Mr. Carson IS on the cover as is the full cast; the cover wraps around the spine of the book and continues onto the back so everyone is pictured.
- on January 20, 2012 at 21:55 Vic
  
  Beth, I noticed Mr. Carson’s image in another photo. Since I own the Kindle version, it was hard for me to see the cover in all its full glory.
on January 20, 2012 at 15:30 Linda Merrill

Hi Vic – I had no idea I could get Kindle on my Mac desktop – 20″!! I use it on my iPhone, where there are no pics. So thank you for enlightening me. I’ve downloaded this book and am excited to dig in!!
- on January 20, 2012 at 21:54 Vic
  
  So glad I could help you in this, Linda. Let me know what you think of the book, which is so informative.
on January 20, 2012 at 23:57 Evangeline Holland

Having been provided with the UK edition for review last year, I’m almost tempted to splurge on the US edition to own both versions!
on January 24, 2012 at 17:00 The Lit Bitch

Love Downton Abbey!!

I’ve been seeing a lot of articles about book recommendations for DA fans. Normally I try not to shamelessly plug my own blog on my comments but I think you will enjoy this….I am trying to compile a reading list of Downton Abbey inspired books or books simply set in the Edwardian Era.

I had a surprisingly difficult time finding any books lists with fiction books (most were just non-fiction books). So I am putting together a little scavenger hunt for books that are DA inspired or set in the Edwardian Era on my blog. I am calling on all my literary friends, bloggers, and authors to help out. If you find a book (any genre) feel free to link up on my blog! Here are the details of ‘Project Downton’ as I like to call it:

http://www.thelitbitch.com/?page_id=1477
on March 6, 2012 at 01:43 Angie

Got the book last week – absolutely phenomenal companion to the series. So much information – historical, contextual, behind the scenes – it’s great! Makes the me love the series even more :)

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