The World of Downton Abbey Author: Visit Amazon's Jessica Fellowes Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1250006341 | Format: EPUB
The World of Downton Abbey Description
Review
Acclaim for Downton Abbey:
"This extraordinary upstairs-downstairs drama, written by Oscar-winning 'Gosford Park' screenwriter Julian Fellowes, is a dramatic, intelligent, soapy, comic, and wise piece of work." --The Boston Globe
"There is no mystery about the potency of this series, slathered in wit, powered by storytelling of a high order." --The Wall Street Journal
"Possibly the best show of the year...'Downton Abbey' is all that 'Upstairs, Downstairs' was, and more." --The Los Angeles Times
About the Author
JESSICA FELLOWES, is the author of The World of Downton Abbey, based on the Emmy Award winning television series, Downton Abbey. She is a journalist and the former Deputy Editor of Country Life, as well as the niece of Julian Fellowes. She lives in London with her husband and son.
JULIAN FELLOWES is the Emmy Award-winning writer and creator of the TV series Downton Abbey. He is also the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Gosford Park and the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Snobs. He lives in London and Dorset.
- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press (December 6, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1250006341
- ISBN-13: 978-1250006349
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
This book was released in the US earlier this week; I received my copy today and spent a couple of hours this afternoon looking through it. I wanted to review it right away in case anyone is considering buying it as a present for a Downton Abbey fan. It's a beautiful book and one that I'd have been thrilled to get as a gift. It's printed on thick, high quality paper and the photography is stunning. I would note that as Series 2 has not yet aired in the US, if you want to see the show without knowing anything in advance, some of the text is spoilerish here and there. The first instance that I found came at the end of Chapter 2, "Society." The photos are from both Series 1 and 2. There are also a number of "behind the scenes" photos. There are no extensive profiles of or interviews with the principal actors, if you are particularly interested in that, just short (1-2 sentence) snippets, and quotes now and again. There is some history to provide context for the fictional world of Downton (American heiresses marrying into the aristocracy, including Julian Fellow's inspiration for Cora, for example) as well as some information related to the series' production and filming. I did learn things from this that I hadn't heard before, and particularly enjoyed Julian Fellow's stories about ancestors of his who (unknowingly) inspired or gave him ideas for scenes and characters. Fans who have researched and read a lot about the Edwardian era will not likely learn anything new from the text, but I bought the book mainly for the photographs and information about the series, particularly so was not disappointed at all. In summary, I can't imagine any Downton fan not liking this book! The suggestions for further reading are good, though the section on life below stairs could be more extensive.
From the robin's-egg blue of the actual book, to the luminous dust jacket, to the fonts, and really, the entire book design, everything looks very elegant and Edwardian. If you've followed my blog Edwardian Promenade for a while, or read books about the Edwardians, some of the historical content isn't exactly new per se, but Fellowes does a great job of placing the cold, plain facts of the era in the context of Downton Abbey's inhabitants. The book kicks off with a forward by Julian Fellowes, where he discusses his philosophy towards the series and continues to share his deep love affair with the long-gone society that inhabited the English country house.
Fellowes (Jessica, that is), takes us literally through the world of Downton Abbey, starting with family life, touching on society and its changes, life belowstairs, fashion of the age, the function of the country estate, romantic relationships, and war. Last but not least is the chapter devoted to behind the scenes of the series, though the entire book is interspersed with tidbits of the actual production. The amount of work that goes into creating this incredible high drama is astounding, and without pictures of the sets and costumes and crew I would find it difficult to believe this wasn't pulled together with the wave of a wand.
Best yet are the mini-interviews from the cast and crew, whose interesting-and sometimes entertaining-recollections of filming series one and two (based on the synopses I've placed on the site, the book hints at happenings up to the second or third episode) are a treat. The one that stands out to me is historical adviser Alastair Bruce's conversation with Sophie McShera (Daisy), who complained that she never got to see the house since, as scullery maid, Daisy rarely left the kitchens!
The World of Downton Abbey Preview
Link
Please Wait...