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How to Be a Victorian
- Narrated by: Patience Tomlinson
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: History
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Summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman, read by Patience Tomlinson.
How to be a Victorian - a time traveller's guide to Victorian Britain by the BBC's Ruth Goodman.
We know what life was like for Victoria and Albert. But what was it like for a commoner like you or me? How did it feel to cook with coal and wash with tea leaves? Drink beer for breakfast and clean your teeth with cuttlefish? Dress in whalebone and feed opium to the baby? Surviving everyday life came down to the gritty details, the small necessities and tricks of living.
Drawing on Ruth's unique first-hand experience, gained from living on a Victorian farm for a year, this book will teach you everything you need to know about 19th-century living.
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What listeners say about How to Be a Victorian
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- mat brown
- 07-09-18
Ruth puts it in the back of the net AGAIN!
Ruth histories are about people without power without influence who are just trying to get by
Like most of us
It’s an eye opener to see how our great grand parents lived (in very old 😂)
She gets you laughing, crying (oh my lord somethings that the women had to do just to survive was so harrowing and the children!!) and she also lightens it all with humour
If you have any interest in REAL history download this now
The narration was also top drawer
Brilliant
8 people found this helpful
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- Mr Christopher
- 25-04-20
If you only like fashion get this book.
Too much about fashion, I wanted to know how they lived their life’s. what it was like being a victorian, the food they ate. Struggles.
Instead I got hours and hours about their clothes and fashion. I listened to it for hours waiting for something before I just had to give up.
Good narrator though.
7 people found this helpful
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- Michele Richards
- 12-10-18
Loved it. Very interesting!
I've recently started a longer commute and this has really made it easier to bear! I found it very engaging and loved the references to real people.
4 people found this helpful
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- Jason Moore
- 08-10-18
Absolutely fascinating
As a huge fan of Ruth Goodman I was thrilled to come across her book on audible, not getting alot of time for actual reading it was so good to be able to enjoy her work while carrying on with mine. She leaves no aspect of everyday life out of this truly brilliant insight into what it was like to be a victorian. Fantastic experience.
4 people found this helpful
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- flowertoes
- 16-06-19
endurance and fortitude.
Lovely Ruth,thank you for your research and,making such an interesting real story,in alot of instances Our people were no more than slaves,thank goodness that there ae people that look into our past hopefully.to keep a better future.
2 people found this helpful
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- Simon Muller
- 04-09-18
Victorian Obsessions
An insight into Victorian bodily functions and how to deal with them. Some good sociology though.
2 people found this helpful
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- blueberry
- 31-01-21
way too much fashion
the narrator is lovely but the book is way too much fashion. in fact chapter after chapter is about it. waste of time and money.
1 person found this helpful
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- Rooty tooty
- 30-06-20
My favourite way of understanding victorian life and mores.
So few books give us the details of every day people’s life including the difference between the north and south. She covers the subjects of eduction and nourishment so well
I’ve listened to it countless times and find new facts that strike a chord.
1 person found this helpful
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- Julia Källén
- 07-05-19
Very real
Very interesting to listen to and it feels real, the author adds her own experiences and thoughts and reflections.
1 person found this helpful
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- Marilyn
- 08-12-18
A lively and riveting read ,that’s not dry
In part two it does contain sexually explicit details,of which should’ve been stated.
There is in part one a repeating of two sentences,which should have been edited out.
1 person found this helpful