This Victorian Life

Modern Adventures in Nineteenth-Century Culture, Cooking, Fashion, and Technology

By: Sarah A. Chrisman

Narrated by: Laural Merlington

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

We all know that the best way to study a foreign language is to go to a country where it's spoken, but can the same immersion method be applied to history? How do interactions with antique objects influence perceptions of the modern world?

From Victorian beauty regimes to 19th-century bicycles, custard recipes to taxidermy experiments, oil lamps to an ice box, Sarah and Gabriel Chrisman decided to explore 19th-century culture and technologies from the inside out. Even the deepest aspects of their lives became affected, and the more immersed they became in the late Victorian era, the more aware they grew of its legacies permeating the 21st century.

In her first book, Victorian Secrets, Chrisman recalled the first year she spent wearing a Victorian corset 24/7. In This Victorian Life, Chrisman picks up where Secrets left off and documents her complete shift into living as though she were in the 19th century.

©2015 Sarah A. Chrisman (P)2015 Tantor

Amazing

Wow. Just wow. I cannot give high enough praises for this book. Well-written, educational, fun and fascinating. It was amazing hearing of the Chrisman's personal journey into the past, I hung on every word and dreaded the end of each chapter! I loved hearing about their trials and errors re-creating the every-day lives of the Victorians, their research, passion and work they put into every part of their lives. Truly inspiring for someone sharing the same interests in that era, and fascinating even for those who don't! I absolutely loved this book, I was sad when it ended, and I intend to listen to it a few more times, as well as purchase the physical book and others Sarah Chrisman has written. I sincerely hope she continues to write more books like this as she and her husband continue their research. A great experience!

I've re-listened to this book 4-5 times

The book is fascinating and the narrator is excellent. I've listened to this every time I want to enjoy a book but don't know what to read.

Couldn't put it down!

I absolutely loved this book! It was fascinating from beginning to end. Now I am ordering Victorian Secrets by Sarah so my nineteenth-century adventure can continue. I can't get enough!

History Buffs...

The content was interesting, the narration dragged a little. I love the early 1900's romanticism of the lifestyle.

Interesting but long winded

This is a tale of a modern couple who endeavor to live a Victorian lifestyle. Where it can be heartwarming, comical, and insightful it is equally mundane and uninteresting. The author has a talent for eloquently describing the obvious. It is interesting but more than a bit drawn out for a 12 hour listen.

A Wonderful Book

I found this book extremely interesting and entertaining. Sarah Chrisman has done a wonderful job of bringing the reader into her Victorian home. I learned a lot from it, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Her other book Victorian Secrets is amazing too. They are two books that I am so glad I got to read. Thank you Sarah

It had potential

I was excited to start this book, and disappointed that I could only stomach it until the half way mark. The author is too free in labeling others, and not sticking to her subject matter: the challenges of living a Victorian Life in the 21st century.

To compound this, the narrator sounds like she is giving her first book report. There is little variation or warmth to her voice.

A few hiccups but enjoyable and informative.

Let me start this review by describing the issues I had with the book. In the first chapter the author compares interacting with others who are fond of the victorian era but not historically accurate to a Black person being invited to a NAACP event but showing up to a minstrel show. I found that to be insensitive, inaccurate and racist of the author. There were also a couple of detailed descriptions of spiders in the book that I found disturbing. So if you're afraid of spiders skip over that part. Overall I liked the book. As someone who is intrested in the victorian era I found it very informative. I also loved the ending.

I thought I had heard the WORST narrator on audible but then there was this one...

The book is interesting and intriguing even if it is full of every simile you could possibly come up with. By the time there was 2 or 3 hours left I was bored with it - even still I don't feel like it was a waste of time. I appreciate this woman's ability to not care what others may think and pursue a passion. My biggest gripe is with the narrator. I wanted to rip my ears off just so I wouldn't have to listen to her voice and plethora of mispronounced words.

Victorian Life

This was interesting and funny. I enjoyed it for the most part. Lauras Merlingtons narration was well done.