maisie meets the dowager countess
it's spring break, a time where i can unabashedly immerse myself in a few of my favorite things! i think it's bliss to read for as long as i like, so it's not surprising that i'm nearly done with the entire maisie dobbs mystery series by jacqueline winspear (who, incidentally, spoke at a local bookstore last night).
at the same time, i've been catching up with seasons 1-3 of downton abbey, realizing by happy accident that the series run parallel to one another, both being set in england during the era of WWI and WWII. when read and watched in tandem, a fuller picture of life during the early to mid 1900's becomes clear and, even though both works are fictional, when taken together give a very detailed accounting of life for those in various class systems.
i get a kick out of imagining what it would be like for the heroine and psychological investigator miss dobbs to meet the dowager countess of downton abbey. maisie--gone from servant to just inheriting a large amount of money and property--having tea with the larger than life grantham family matriarch herself (played by maggie smith).
granted, i most immediately identify with the working class and can empathize with the roles of lady's maid, governess or school marm/spinster. conversely, i've imagined what it might be like to be lady so and so of such and such estate and the societal pressures (not to mention the amount of clothing changes--as i type this it is nearly supper time and i'm still in mismatched flannels if you must know) to keeping generations of wealth in the family.
i suppose each has blessings and drawbacks...who do you most identify with and why? also, i wonder what other books and movie sets might go well together that we haven't yet considered?
at the same time, i've been catching up with seasons 1-3 of downton abbey, realizing by happy accident that the series run parallel to one another, both being set in england during the era of WWI and WWII. when read and watched in tandem, a fuller picture of life during the early to mid 1900's becomes clear and, even though both works are fictional, when taken together give a very detailed accounting of life for those in various class systems.
i get a kick out of imagining what it would be like for the heroine and psychological investigator miss dobbs to meet the dowager countess of downton abbey. maisie--gone from servant to just inheriting a large amount of money and property--having tea with the larger than life grantham family matriarch herself (played by maggie smith).
granted, i most immediately identify with the working class and can empathize with the roles of lady's maid, governess or school marm/spinster. conversely, i've imagined what it might be like to be lady so and so of such and such estate and the societal pressures (not to mention the amount of clothing changes--as i type this it is nearly supper time and i'm still in mismatched flannels if you must know) to keeping generations of wealth in the family.
i suppose each has blessings and drawbacks...who do you most identify with and why? also, i wonder what other books and movie sets might go well together that we haven't yet considered?
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