Catherine Ostler

Thoroughly researched, this book exhaustively, extensively tells the story of Elizabeth Chudleigh, a scandalous 18th century aristocrat, and it is fascinating. Not only does Ostler lay the story out with as much detail as you could want (which really brings the time period and the players to life) but she does a great job pointing out the extremely bizarre situation that surrounded Chudleigh's bigamy trial. This is what Britain was concerned about when the American Revolution was starting, and is a remarkable commentary on the world of excess where these events took place. Also, Ostler makes a convincing argument that Chudleigh's bigamy was well known and permitted, so long as her Duke was alive. Her life is an astonishing adventure, and it was well worth the read.

The only thing I found peculiar were a couple of places in the text that Ostler comments on alcohol in a way that seems to expose a strong personal disapproval. I was particularly thrown by a statement regarding small beer causing everyone to be drunk most of the time. I might be misinterpreting the sentence, because stronger alcohols are also listed, but I think that a lot of the current experimental archaeology has demonstrated that small beer and ales were of a significantly lower alcohol point than their modern equivalents, and unlikely to result in consistent intoxication -- Ruth Goodman has a lot to say on this subject. I noticed commentary on drunkeness several times throughout the text, and thought it was interesting. Given the sheer amount of excess -- in waste of money, in food and fabrics and the pursuit of luxury at all costs, I was surprised that the alcohol seemed to offend the most.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.… (més)