![\"inenglish\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.evildressmaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/inenglish.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI got fifth season\u00a0Downton Abbey book as a Christmas present from hubby. It’s called A Year in the life of Downton Abbey and I have gorged through it. Book is written by the niece of the creator Julian Fellows, Jessica Fellows. Book goes through the life in the mansion in the 1920’s, from the social season in London to the hunting season in Scotland, and so on.<\/p>\n
I like the authors style very much. She combines in funny and smooth way the historical facts with the details of a tv production, actors, characters and the whole imaginary society. There are interesting real\u00a0anecdotes from aristocrats lives and also fascinating recipes from that era. Even though book is mainly about the life in the mansion month by month, it also highlights the important parts of the production team like music, wardrobe and historical adviser. And of course book is filled with colourful photos of the people and sets.<\/p>\n
While reading the book it becomes clear how massive production the series is. Everyone from makeup, wardrobe, set masters and to historical advisers are not saving their effort to create just the perfect hairdo for Lady Rose, to provide lemons cut in the correct way to the kitchen or making just the right outfit for Lady Cora or Master Robert for hunting or picnic scene. Food stylists make sure the food served at the dinner party looks just right and historical adviser makes sure that extra at the background are not supposed to run, because no-one ran in the mansion in 1924. Series is created to the tiniest detail, and I’m sure not even the pickiest vintage people have mistakes to pinpoint out. Allthough the production team had to make some adjustments for the modern times. Like the fact that there is less smokers seen in the series than what was likely at that time. According to statistics at that time four of five men were smokers and almost half of women too. The eye to the detail must be one reason why the series is so popular around the world, it feels very realistic. Even though hubby thinks that sometimes the staff seems to meddle too much to the family issues, more than what was acceptable at that time.<\/p>\n
I find this very entertaining and interesting book to read and I think it is very well written. The stories by the people who really lived in that kind of world in the 1920’s make it feel very real. I think it’s a brilliant idea to write such a series of books about popular tv-series. I’m sure the fans of many other series would be happy to find similar books about their favourites. I also have two other books by Jessica Fellows, but until now I have only browsed them couple times. They are in original language and this was translated to Finnish so it was easier to read (even though I use English daily at home). I am definitely going to try some of the recipes in the book, like the parmesan bisquits or the lemon barley water. I will report in the blog as soon as I get that far.<\/p>\n