Victorian Books

Alison Winter has written a thorough , well-researched look at mesmerism in Victorian Britain that is actually a thorough look at Victorian Britain through the concept of mesmerism. It was amazing to see how mesmerism touched on such Victorian concepts as gender relations, the emergence of science and medicine as a profession, and class relations. The chapters on mesmerism and colonial India, and the effect of the idea on mesmerism in changing the image of the homebound invalid were the most fascinating. All the famous characters from this period appear somewhere in this vast study. The metaphor seemed to stretch a little thin when reading and politics were added to the mesmerisic mix near the end of the book, although this was nevertheless very interesting. A good book that makes me interested to read more about this time period in Britain.

This excellent book contains many fascinating threads, interwoven skillfully to produce a most satisfying reading experience. It is certainly a good history of altered states of consciousness obtained by interpersonal communication. The Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer borrowed the notion of "animal magnetism" (science was infatuated with magnets in those days) and went about effecting cures by touching patients with a glass wand in an abracadabra setting. The phenomenon took his name ("mesmerism") until the Scott James Braid started calling it "hypnotism" based on the Greek name for sleep. As should be expected, Victorian mesmerism/hypnotism bares little resemblance to modern medical hypnosis.

It is also a story of the origins of modern anesthesia: the only known general and dental anesthetics available until the 1840's were alcohol and opium. Anesthetic gases, such as ether and nitrous oxide, had been known since the 1790's, but no one had thought about applying them to block the excruciating agonies that attended surgical interventions in those days. This neglect in blocking pain was due, in part, to the medical profession's ambivalence about the eradication of pain; an ambivalence not entirely lost to this day. For example, when a patient by the name of J. Wombell (age 42) had a leg amputated at the thigh while in a mesmeric trance, he remained quiet and cooperative and had no memory of pain afterwards. He lived another 30 years. The case was given enormous publicity throughout Britain, but doctors were not convinced. Many believed there was collusion between the surgeon and the patient; that Mr. Wombell had been fully awake during the surgery and had been just pretending to have felt no pain.

Finally, it is a history of Victorian medical science and its wobbly foundations. Elliotson, who was responsible for introducing the stethoscope to Britain (for which he was much criticized) took up the practice of mesmerism and eventually had to resign his university post after a series of "experiments" in which it appeared that his patients were faking their altered states of consciousness. The work of Esdaile, a Scottish surgeon working mesmerically with native patients in Calcutta is given a well deserved full chapter.

The book is not forbiddingly esoteric. Its language and concepts are accesible to reasonably well educated readers. Those with interests in psychiatry, or psychology, or sociology, or history, or all things Victorian, will enjoy the work. A mediocre index detracts from perfection; but an excellent bibliography returned this reader's good feelings about the book.

Mrs. Jeffries and the household staff help Inspector Witherspoon solve another case involving the murder of a flower seller that just happens to be the illegitimate daughter of a very weathly, yet lonely man.

This is the 6th book in the Mrs. Jeffries series and did not disappoint. The characters are richly drawn and the setting makes you feel as though you are enveloped by the fog. This is definately a cozy style mystery, and was not very difficult to determine who the murderer was. However, the series is definately worth a try as the characters grow and the relationships between them are strengthened with each book.

The first book in the series is "The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffies" and worth a read. Enjoy!

I know that I usually read these books for the characters. Ms. Brightwell does a very good job with making her characters come to life, and each book helps round out each of the amateur sleuths that live at Edmonton Gardens. Usually the mysteries are fun and easy to figure out, but not this one. This story is a bit more complex and the book has lots of twists and turns. The murder of a non-descript flower girl on a London street on a foggy November night shouldn't be that complicated (at least not during these times), but it is. There are lots of rivalries and double-dealings, and it even stumps Mrs. Jeffries until it's almost too late. This is an entertaining series, and I look forward to the next book.

I adored this love story with an Edwardian setting when I was much younger, and it's still great romance, but on a recent rereading I had to overlook class snobbery, racism, and anti-German paranoia. All of these are due to the period in which it was written, and probably reflect the attitudes the characters would have had, but still, it's a bit hard to take sometimes.

All Elswyth Thane's Williamsburg novels are exceptionally enjoyable, but this one is my favorite. The heroine, Pheobe Sprague, is completely original, even by today's standards. (I won't expound on that for fear of giving away plot intrigues!)For those who've read the other "Williamsburgs", this book follows in that same vein of writing - a smart historical novel with plenty of history to keep you intellectually engaged along with very realistic romance to keep you turning the pages. (For your reference, Thane's Williamsburg novels include, in chronological order: Homing, Dawn's Early Light, Yankee Stranger, Ever After, the one I'm reviewing which is The Light Heart, Kissing Kin, and Homing.) Thane's story somehow genuinely captures what love should be, offering the reader both a great escape into an involved story as well as a better ideology for love. Thane is great - this book in particular is really great. Buy it! You'll love it! (After proof reading my review, I've gotten so worked up about the book, I'm going to have to read it again. I've probably read it 20 times... no exaggeration.)

Recurrent dreams trouble Emma's sleep. A haunting familiarity draws her into a romance with Steve, resulting in their marriage. They relish their time spent together in Alaska, until their mentor dies, beginning a series of changes with devastating consequences. First their best friends move from Alaska to California and Steve is transferred to Vermont. Then tragic events erode trust and soon Emma finds herself choosing between either repeating the mistakes of the distant past or boldly forging a new path.

Meanwhile, Emily of Victorian New York offers glimpses of her life in Emma's dreams. An independent businesswoman, Emily lives quietly until a new customer and her husband James enter her shop. A startling electrical connection between proves irresistible, but leads to tragedy when Emma discovers her pregnancy. Her story foretells the challenges her modern counterpart will face as their stories interweave.

Authors Donna Vail Jones and Randy Jones combine their poetic voices in PEBBLES IN A POND. More than a romance, PEBBLES IN A POND examines the intricacy of relationships when viewed over more than one lifetime. Reincarnation allows two stories to overlap in a tale of haunting beauty. While the tale is occasionally bogged down with an overabundance of exposition, the overall effect is at once mesmerizing and entrancing. Further, the authors' combined background in psychology and environmental studies deepens the reading experience with a sophisticated and knowledgeable undertone, even as their extensive travels and dream experience likewise combine in a fascinating background that lends the novel a touch of reality touched by the supernatural. Highly recommended.

Recurrent dreams trouble Emma's sleep. A haunting familiarity draws her into a romance with Steve, resulting in their marriage. They relish their time spent together in Alaska, until their mentor dies, beginning a series of changes with devastating consequences. First their best friends move from Alaska to California and Steve is transferred to Vermont. Then tragic events erode trust and soon Emma finds herself choosing between either repeating the mistakes of the distant past or boldly forging a new path.

Meanwhile, Emily of Victorian New York offers glimpses of her life in Emma's dreams. An independent businesswoman, Emily lives quietly until a new customer and her husband James enter her shop. A startling electrical connection between proves irresistible, but leads to tragedy when Emma discovers her pregnancy. Her story foretells the challenges her modern counterpart will face as their stories interweave.

Authors Donna Vail Jones and Randy Jones combine their poetic voices in PEBBLES IN A POND. More than a romance, PEBBLES IN A POND examines the intricacy of relationships when viewed over more than one lifetime. Reincarnation allows two stories to overlap in a tale of haunting beauty. While the tale is occasionally bogged down with an overabundance of exposition, the overall effect is at once mesmerizing and entrancing. Further, the authors' combined background in psychology and environmental studies deepens the reading experience with a sophisticated and knowledgeable undertone, even as their extensive travels and dream experience likewise combine in a fascinating background that lends the novel a touch of reality touched by the supernatural. Highly recommended.

This is a very good survey of Victorian social history. Thompson adopts a thematic approach with chapters on Economy and Society (articulation and expansion of the working and middle classes), The Family (family structure and demography), Marriage, Childhood (a lot of information on education), Homes and Houses, Work (the emergence of a modern, disciplined work force, Play, and Authority and Society. Cumulatively the chapters give a good sense of the organization and character of Victorian life across its diverse populations. Each chapter is written very well. The potential weakness of a thematic approach is that it can obscure the character of change over time. Thompson does a very good job in each chapter of outlining the evolution of different facets of social experience across the many decades of the Victorian period. The emergence of a self-conscious working class with distinctive cultural features, the expansion and differentiation of the middle classes, the expansion of government, and the increasingly industrial and urban quality of life are depicted very well. There is also a lot of revealing detail in each chapter. Discussions, for example, of the nature of education, the effects of Poor Law revision, and the differences between different industries are very interesting.
Thompson's major theme, which he pronounces in the title and develops in most chapters, is the emergence of "respectable society." Thompson uses this term to mean more than the narrow, conventional sense of moral respectability. Respectability in Thompson's usage imples a certain amount of self-consciousness on the part of the emergent Victorian middle and working classes. Thompson's use of respectability includes also a sense that features of the working and middle classes came to be widely accepted by all Victorian social groups as these groups occupied increasingly important positions in British society. While Thompson doesn't discuss politics, the emergence of "respectability" parallels the increasing importance of the middle and working classes in political life in Britain.

The Rise of Respectable Society is one of the best recent scholarly overviews of Victorian culture and society. Thompson argues persuasively that there was a unified value system-- the cult of respectablity-- to which the majority of both middle-class and working-class Victorians subscribed. This book is a good antidote to sensationalist accounts of Victorian England that focus exclusively on flamboyant high life or the shadowy underworld. It's a bit dry, but eminently readable.

Paul Marlowe's SPOREVILLE is a mysterious piece of historical fiction. It takes place in late 19th century Canada, but also has hints of fantasy and science fiction. The main character is a very logical and scientific fifteen-year-old named Elliot Graven.

Leaving a good medical practice in Kingston for Spohrville is one of the several odd things Dr. Graven has done since Elliot's mother died in a ship crash a year before. At first glance, Spohrville seems like a small sleepy fishing town, but almost immediately Elliot realizes that the town is just too weird to be normal. First of all, there is Paisley DeLoup (Loup is the French word for wolf), a girl who lives just outside the town, and has abnormally sharp canines and great night vision. She also believes in ghosts and séances. She reveals that the previous doctor had died under mysterious circumstances. Later, he goes to the yearly Eel Fair where there are prizes for Eel Bobbing and Eel Nibbling. To make things even worse, his watch gets stolen.

However, Elliot begins making connections between Spohrville's listless inhabitants, strange accidents, and the alarming number of fresh graves. When Elliot catches his father sleepwalking with the rest of the town, he knows that something sinister must be afoot. Together with Paisley and a shipbuilder's son, Denis Ludlow, they begin investigating and discover that their suspicions were very well-founded. In fact, they may now know too much to live.

SPOREVILLE is an unusual book. I don't think I've read many things like it and it has a lot of neat medical facts and information. Not all the questions raised in SPOREVILLE are answered and Paul Marlowe leaves plenty of room for a sequel, if not a series. A fun read!

Reviewed by: Natalie Tsang

Reviewed by Martin Yoder (age 14) for Reader Reviews (2/08)

In this book, the readers find a vision of the 1800s lying before us plainly and in a well-constructed manner. The genre of "Steam-punk," or, Victorian science-fiction, finds a new tale to its name, as well.

The protagonist of our story is Elliot Graven, the son of a doctor from Kingston, and he eternally regrets this move of his father's to Sporeville. The Deloups, including Elliot's spiritualist friend, Paisley, soon introduce the doctor and his only child to the bizarre village, and Elliot sees a dull and dreary country existence here. Of course, he meets the precise opposite in the presence of the narcoleptic and sleep-walking population, the crude run-down haunts of the town, and the magnanimous and frightening Dr. Strange.

This world of this tale is well illustrated by the language of the book, showing us with almost a first-hand account of the thought and mindset of the late 19th century. We find the emergence of some modern technology in life, which fuels a strange desire for the spiritual and the séance. The newfound strength of steam and coal make their presence with the fascinating ability to travel further and further away from the home. Yet, a fear is slowly settling into society, a fear that exploits every bonus, every step-ahead into merely a drawback.

The general teen reader will be interested by this story, for it illustrates the past with a steady hand, and carves intrigue well. The words of the old world might require an inquisition from a dictionary for the young, and perhaps the younger readers shouldn't find this on their shelves at all, but anyone past double-digits can read this and enjoy it.

I was quite interested in this book since I learned the meaning of its genre, and I certainly wasn't disappointed after reading it. Should I find some fault with it, is just an occasional dreary spell in the plot and those are never outlasting a few sentences.

This being a serialized work (a fall to some books, but hopefully not this one!), I should hope to find book two of the Wellborn Conspiracy a little longer, a little broader and, with good hope, even more intriguing than its prequel. Surely, the tale after "Sporeville" will be on a fair number of shelves everywhere.

A very nice collection of essays about various aspects of the life of the Victorian woman. I read this book for the first time as a graduate student researching aspects of Victorian sexuality, but read it again recently just for my own interest and found that it kept me fascinated. Also includes a very nice (albeit dated) bibliography by S. Barbara Kanner. Essays include:

"The Victorian Governess: Status Incongruence in Family and Society" M. Jeanne Peterson

"From Dame to Woman: W.S. Gilbert and Theatrical Transvestism" Jane W. Stedman

"Victorian Women and Menstruation" Elaine and English Showalter

"Marriage, Redundancy or Sin: The Painter's View of Women in the First Twenty-Five Years of Victoria's Reign" Helene E. Roberts

"A Study of Victorian Prostitution and Venereal Disease" E.M. Sigsworth and T.J. Wyke

"Working Class Women in Britain, 1890-1914" Peter N. Stearns

"The Debate over Women: Ruskin vs. Mill" Kate Millet

"Stereotypes of Femininity in a Theory of Sexual Evolution" Jill Conway

"Innocent Femina Sensualis in Unconscious Conflict" Peter T. Cominos

This book is an excellent source for anyone researching the Victorian era and the issues surrounding women writers. The book provides both statistical and interpretive information for any serious student or literary fan.

Interesting and attractive patterns are the main strength of this book. There are bedspreads, tablecloths and curtains, as well as smaller items such as placemats. I liked the patterns for knit or crochet borders that could be used on any sort of work.

There are many suggestions for adapting patterns for a different use, and indications for changing the dimensions of a particular pattern. I have tried a number of the crochet patterns and the results were quite nice. However, I did find occasional mistakes in the patterns, for instance a round missing on the pattern for a square. The illustration and common sense allowed me to determine how to fix it.

This is a fascinating book, with some frustrating aspects.

Hollingworth starts with a social history of Victorian needlework (especially whitework), which fills in an important gap for me. I've seen references to "whitework" but didn't know what it was, for instance, or why it had to be white. This part of the book is brief but wonderful.

The rest of the book is evenly divided between knitting and crochet projects. There's a nice variety of projects. I don't crochet, so can't comment on the difficulty; but the knitting projects are mostly on the intermediate level.

in fact, that's my only real frustration with the book. It's clear that the patterns are simplified for modern, less patient (or maybe less skillful?) knitters. For instance, there is a raised-leaf coverlet that is done in worsted weight cotton. Traditional coverlets were done in much finer yarns. The author doesn't tell you that, nor does she offer more challenging designs.

Overall I give this book four stars. I like it for the history, but wish some of the patterns were more advanced.

This is a good reference to the time period. This is not a "how to" book but rather a period catalog expertly reproduced. This book is good for someone who is interested in creating a home with elements from the late Victorian era.

This is apparently a reprint of one of the really great old catalogs of Victorian Millwork! It has fabulous designs for window ornamentation, verandas, brackets, gable ends, fireplace mantels and most especially doors. Black & White sketches show an impressive variety of ideas.

As my title said, this is a step-by-step project book written by the editors of VICTORIA MAGAZINE.

The book has very pretty photos at the very beginning of every project, and then it provides step-by-step instructions which have diagrams following each step to the project making.

There are not that many projects though, so that's why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 stars.

I may not make all of the projects suggested inside but they are lucious to look at. I like adapting ideas to suit my particular design style and needs. I usually purchase books published more than 2 yrs old from the Used sellers.