Domestic Manners of the Americans
Fanny Trollope
Your comments
It would be great to hear what Americans thought about this
book - as there's every chance that we
Brits may be a bit prejudiced...
I have read two of Mrs. Trollopes' novels, as well as many,
many of Anthony's. I find her Domestic Manners extremely
interesting, but can only get through one chapter at a time.
At present, I am up to Ch. 12.
I was surprised to find that her remarks about Thomas Jefferson
and his slaves were common knowledge at the time, but why
wouldn't they be? The story of how often Irishmen were hung
in this country, the evils of preachers and their revivals,
her attempts to buy a 'dressed' chicken, and the habit of
public spitting, that thankfully we don't see too much of
anymore, were all of interest. I am planning to finish reading
the whole thing.
Personally, having read her biography a few years ago, I
am more impressed than ever with what a remarkable woman she
was.
Mrs. Trollope was a highly prejudiced writer who nevertheless
wrote very well. Her books is entertainingly bitchy. When
writing about a lovely landscape she still manages to work
in a complaint-- 'for want of better rocks' she nevertheless
managed to enjoy a small brook. She was a quarrelsome, imprudent
woman who was horrified when a farm woman linked arms with
her and called her 'dearie'. I get the impression that this
is a nineteenth century WITHNAIL AND I. Her criticism is justified
in some places...there is nothing new about the ignoramuses
in the 'bible belt', and she has some amazing comments on
the Americans' pursuit of the Dollar, and ignorance of the
fine arts. My edition has hilarious cartoons drawn in the
1830s by an American artist.
N Beiman
|
