This book is an endlessly interesting and incredibly thorough history of the home and everything in it. Bryson goes through each of the rooms in his mid 19th century English country parsonage, discussing the history of each room, its functions, and the objects that inhabit it, primarily focusing on English and American history. In the drawing room, Bryson discusses the history of furniture; in the dressing room, the history of fashion; and in the nursery, he discourses on the often horrifying plight of children in the 18th and 19th centuries. These histories reach far beyond the home, however--discussion of the dining room leads to the history of salt & pepper, which leads to a history of the spice trade and the Age of Exploration. Anyone interested in learning the history of ice, how people fall down stairs, and how the lawn mower was invented, take heed!
So, now do you look at things differently when you go home at night? I remember going to tour the Daniel Boone Home and finally figuring out what a "clothes press" is...and actually, it's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteYes! I have to say that I will never take pepper for granted again...I would never have guessed that it was once a luxury, and although I remember learning about the spice trade, never really thought of PEPPER (of all things) being the most valued of those spices. It was actually referred to as "black gold."
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