This Victorian Life: Modern Adventures in Nineteenth-Century Culture, Cooking, Fashion, and Technology

by Sarah A. Chrisman

Part memoir, part micro-history, this is an exploration of the present through the lens of the past.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 nineteenth-century bicycles, custard recipes to taxidermy experiments, oil lamps to an ice box, Sarah and Gabriel Chrisman decided to explore nineteenth-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 twenty-first century.Most of us have dreamed of time travel, but what if that dream could come true? Certain universal constants remain steady for all people regardless of time or place. No matter where, when, or who we are, humans share similar passions and fears, joys and triumphs.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 nineteenth century.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Memoir, Victorian, Biography, Audiobook, 19th Century

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

Sarah A. Chrisman grew up in Renton, Washington, in the late twentieth-century, but always felt she should have been born in the 1800's. (When she was a young child, her mother took her to visit the Flavel House Victorian Museum in Astoria, Oregon, and Sarah begged to be left there.) Like any good Victorian lady, she has an advanced education in the humanities: she holds degrees in both International Studies and in French from the University of Washington (c/o 2002.) She has found a way to combine her interest in cultural studies with her lifelong love of history by helping people understand the culture and everyday details of the Victorian era. She has presented to groups at numerous museums, libraries, and schools. She wears Victorian clothing every day and her book, Victorian Secrets: What A Corset Taught Me About The Past, The Present, and Myself, chronicles her first year of wearing a Victorian-style corset twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She lives with her husband in Port Townsend, Washington, a beautiful Victorian seaport northwest of Seattle.

Reviews

[Yaaresse]

I thought this would be a fun read with lots of details about 19th century tools, clothing, households, etc. Maybe it's in there somewhere, but I barely made it through the sample.

The book starts off with a defensive tone, which is a really strange way to start a book given the reader is probably interested in and sympathetic to the topic since s/he picked up the book. That was off-putting, rather like getting yelled at as soon as you walk in the door for something you didn't do and knew nothing about.

It then veers into a supercilious lecture about how modernity is such a bother and Victorian life was so much more gentile and refined. The later part seems to be based on romanticized notions of corsets and silk skirts, bicycles and steam trains, snug winter nights by the fire in beautiful old houses, etc.-- in other words, all the niceties of the late 1800s for educated affluent white folks. I'm guessing they aren't quite so quick to embrace (or even acknowledge) the more gritty aspects of 19th century life that was reality: racism, sexism, nativism, epidemics, poorhouses, child labor, Native American wars/massacres, criminalization of deviant behavior...that last one is a little ironic given the author has far more leeway to live a non-conformist lifestyle in 2017 than she would have had in the period she prefers.

Maybe she finally made it to the some good stuff about everyday life and recreating the vintage life, but it was taking a long and unpleasant path through a lot of angry justification to get to it. I gave up.

Tangentially, I don't know what the heck it is about Port Townsend, but this is the second book I've picked up in the last month written by a PT resident that has that combination martyr-snob tone. I always assumed it was a pleasant (if touristy) little town, but based on the tone of these two books, it seems to now be the capitol of the Republic of the Special Snowflake Martyrs.

[Sarah Coller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of book I really love and, in fact, this was one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. However, the author's attitude was a big turn off for me. In several cases throughout the book, Chrisman discusses some of the negative attention they receive for living an out-of-the-norm lifestyle. Granted, this is part of her describing their reality so I wasn't irritated that she brought it up, I was more annoyed by her attitude about it when I thought about my own experience. When I opened up Facebook the next day to find another article on them based solely around the fact that people are mean to the Chrismans, it just rubbed me the wrong way.

I, too, live an out-of-the-norm lifestyle. I have nine children whom I homeschool. I choose to wear long skirts and long hair and remain unemployed. I drive an enormous van. People stare and lift a finger to count when we drive by. I get all kinds of snotty comments, rude questions, and invasions on my privacy and lifestyle. What I've found over the years is my defensive actions and snotty comments back only feed the fire. The meaner I am back to people like this, the more attention I give them, the worse it is for me. Once I started holding my head high and refusing to apologize for my choices, I was amazed at how people started complimenting and encouraging us. All that to say, when all I see on this couple is them complaining to the media about not being accepted in a society that promotes diversity, (a phrase she repeats on multiple occasions in her narrative) it lowers my esteem for them quite a bit. In Victorian society, one conformed to the norm or one was ostracized by every so-called decent member of society. I guess what I'm trying to say is if one is going to take the road less traveled, one must be prepared for the opposition. Discussing the disappointment privately is appropriate---complaining to the media and expecting people to conform to what suits you is not. (See Butchart Gardens story).

Now on to the less-bad bits. Besides all the atheistic or pantheistic nods to humanism, macro-evolution, and other ridiculous notions, the author presented herself as an intelligent woman. For the most part, the narrative was well-written. In fact, I had a long discussion with my husband about how publishers and editors really need to hold authors to a higher standard concerning grammar and subject matter. Almost everything I read nowadays is dumbed down to the level of a fourth grader. One would argue that this is the reading level of the average American adult in these times---I would argue back that rising standards usually result in those who will rise up to meet them. Chrisman is obviously well-read---her voice makes that clear. I was encouraged to seek out some of the earlier novels and nonfictions in hopes of finding other intelligently written material. In fact, I'm off to my favorite used book store this morning to do that very thing.

Regarding the editing and photography---part of me wants to say the book could do with some serious editing and professional photography; part of me finds it endearing that she would have a friend do her photos. She obviously looks very joyful and at peace in her photos---something she may not have done with a more professional set up invading her space. As for editing, I always blame that on the publishing company. They're being hired and trusted to present her in the best light---authors must hold paid editors to a higher standard.

I admire the Chrismans' research on so many things: the Hershey's company, cycling, and some very interesting bits regarding the regulation of time and why timepieces are made with jewels. I'd always wondered about some of these things and Chrisman does an excellent job explaining the whys.

I loved all her talk of settings as we are from the Pacific Northwest and enjoyed a brief spell of living in Skagit County near Deception Pass and the Chuckanut Drive that she describes. I know this area well and was able to imagine all the places she described. We spent a lovely morning in her town of Port Townsend, one day about seven years ago, admiring the Victorian homes on our way to pick up our Yorkie.

I think the thing that just left a sour taste in my mouth was how the author presented herself. Besides the previously mentioned issues, there were a few times when I thought she was either seriously exaggerating a situation or she was just an awfully snobbish and self-righteous boor. She has a way of making others "less learned" than she seem like pitiful simpletons. When describing a memory of ladies chatting about cell phones in a restaurant, she actually describes herself running from the table and spewing her tea into a bathroom sink because she was laughing so hard at their ignorance. Either she is an absolutely obnoxious and immature human being or she has a vivid imagination. Either way, nothing disfavors someone in my eyes more than snobbish, know-it-all behaviour.

On a positive note, my good opinion once lost is not lost forever so within ten minutes of finishing the book, I had purchased her previous book, Victorian Secrets and it should be arriving before the week is out. The good and useful definitely outweighed the annoying with this one and I'm looking forward to reading more about this unique and beautiful life the Chrismans are building together.

Taking off one star for an author who's a bit too big for her britches and another star for poor editing.

[Michelle Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the history, but couldn't get past the precious writing style.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had my doubts at first, but the further along I got in the story, the more I liked it. Chrisman writes very well, rarely venturing into deep-in-the-weeds territory of her fixation. She has a good sense of humor regarding some of her attempts, such as making her own mattress to fit their new non-standard sized Victorian bed, baking bread (The Brick), etc. Being a western Washington resident, and a fan of travel narrative, I was fascinated by her tale of riding her Victorian bicycle 65 miles each way to visit a friend in Bellingham; later, her husband accompanies her on a repeat cover of the route to a book signing engagement.

It's obvious that they have a landline at home, and (likely) internet for all her browsing/purchasing she mentions, which makes sense as she runs a massage business as well as being a writer, so needs to be able to deal with clients, and they did have phones in the 1890s. Towards the end, she mentions that they're acquiring a Victorian stove, but are using the electric one that came with the house until then (which she resents). Much of the book is taken up with how they handle lighting (mostly using oil lamps), and clothing, and some other matters. She says she's very happy doing almost everything in a Victorian method, though having read about doing laundry back then, I'm not completely convinced - she doesn't mention that, nor working without a vacuum cleaner.

At first, I wasn't sure if her husband, Gabriel, was humoring her to an extent. However, as he appears more fully towards the end of the book, he's even more dedicated to this than she is (this comes up on their bike trip). He has a full time job requiring a car (she doesn't drive), and is implied to wear modern-ish clothing for it.

Her first book, which received ... not-so-generous reviews, centered on her wearing corsets; I didn't read it, nor am I tempted to do so now. That leads to a rather unfortunate situation which is brought up late in the story: as her waist is so narrow, men feel free to touch her to see if it's "real"! She says she's required to actually fend them off at times. The couple also receive hate mail, and are called freaks at times. I prefer to leave it that most locals find them eccentric (as do I ), but basically a nice couple.

As far as a rating goes, I waivered between three and four stars, opting for the higher number as Laural Merlington does such a great job with the narration. One reviewer felt the book ended abruptly, but I figure that it may be just a place to stop while she arranges more material for another one. I'd be very interested in hearing more.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s all too easy to romanticize the past, and that is exactly what Sarah and Gabriel Chrisman make their life doing. To say the least, they have an unconventional lifestyle. They live like Victorians, abandoning modern comforts and conveniences for antiquated technology. Sarah documents this living experiment in this memoir.

It all started with a corset. For Sarah’s 29th birthday, Gabriel gave her the controversial undergarment and it didn’t take long before Sarah wore it regularly and fully adopted Victorian dress. Sarah chronicled this experience in her last memoir, Victorian Secrets. Years later, Sarah and Gabriel have completely fallen down the Victorian rabbithole. Their newly-purchased Victorian home in Port Townsend, WA becomes a time portal where they warm themselves by kerosene heaters, read Victorian periodicals under oil lamps, and store their perishables in an icebox.

But it doesn’t stop there. Sarah makes all her clothes (by hand!) and even constructs a custom mattress to accommodate their Victorian bed. The memoir makes for an interesting read as Sarah strives to provide context to the many artifacts they’ve incorporated into their lives. However, her patronizing tone detracts from the book’s limited positive aspects. She is continuously defensive. We get it, Sarah – you are tired of people reacting so critically to your unusual lifestyle...

As a fan of all things Victorian, I definitely understand why Sarah and Gabriel are drawn to this period and its artifacts. It’s easy to admire the architecture, fashion, and technology and so much of modern life we owe to the Victorians. But never for a moment would I wish to live a Victorian life. You keep “standing up for the past,” Sarah. I’m perfectly content to be amused at a distance.

[Steven Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became interested in reading this book while I was researching books about living in Victorian New England. I found a clip online of a modern man looking like a Victorian man jumping on the back of a two-wheeled Victorian bicycle and then sort of leap-frogging to the top of the gigantic front wheel. Beneath this clip was an article that was itself mostly well-written, but angry towards this modern / Victorian man. The gist of the articles anger can be summed up by saying the writer was pissed off at the attitude of the bicycle man and his wife. The wife, as it turned out, wrote this book.

So I read the book hoping for New England Victorian-era stuff and got current-day Washington state married couple living like they're in the Victorian Era, but with the internet and other conveniences. I have to admit that I also read it to see what the article writer was so pissed off about. So this couple wants to mostly pretend they live in the Victorian Era, minus all the horrible class and racial struggles that went on, and forgetting that they wouldn't be able to live where they do (on the Puget Sound) because that wasn't part of America yet, and they'd have to displace indigenous Indians to live there. But I have some Victorian things around here (an 1895 drum table; two 1870s chairs; an 1890s rocker with the original leather headrest and seat, and pins in the leather, and some 1888 Old Judge tobacco baseball cards) and I love certain homey-like, fantasy aspects, like woodstoves, and candlelight, etc.

I read this thinking it would be another example of some eccentric but determined people trying to live their lives as they wish, and modern America not leaving them alone. I was ready to appreciate what they do, and to defend them.

While I do (mostly) appreciate what they're trying to do, and while I do steadfastly defend their right to do it, I have to say with regret that the article writer had a point: Chrisman's (and, to a lesser extent, her husband's) tone and attitude are irksome, and the way she states things, and the way she is able to devote an incredible amount of time to things like bread-baking, sewing, and looking for those little ornamental things that hung off women's clothing--well, he was right: her tone is terrible, and it will at least make you annoyed, if not outright angry.

Chrisman isn't so much fascinated by the Victorian Era as much as she is horrified by the present era. She runs to the later Victorian Era, I suspect, because it's the newest oldest era we could still mostly retreat to. There is a lot of attitude towards modern technology (of which I am also not a complete fan, as I believe it we have let it further ostracize and de-humanize us) and towards modern people. This is fair enough, as far as it goes, except that she also needs the modern reader to read her books and blog, as that's how she makes the majority of her income. (She also seems to have an at-home massage business. She mentions this once or twice, but never once refers to a client. Left unanswered is whether she would massage the client in her Victorian wear.)

A further point raised by the many upset people on the internet (and this does, in fact, seem like overkill, despite the Chrisman's tone and attitude) is that she never refers to the horrors of Colonialism of the Victorian Era, whether it be the American's treatment of African slaves or American Indians, or the British conquest of lands and the virtual annihilation of those lands' people. Though I suspect that the average Victorian never gave a thought to the slaughter of whales, for example, that provided much of the oil that lit their sconces, as a self-proclaimed expert and living historian of the time, she should have at least touched upon it.

She never does.

And so it all comes across as play-acting as life, or of a lifestyle in a vacuum. Yes, she uses Victorian iceboxes, and heaters, and bicycles, and clothing, and furniture, and so on--but it seems like she's maybe a Victorian Era Barbie, and these are all of her props and toys. It seems a willfully narrow life. And more than a little bit, it's a big, giant ef-you to this modern era and to everyone (besides her friends) in it. She never once touches upon that, either. So this is a tunnel-visioned memoir.

Having said all that, there's a lot of really interesting things in here, if you're interested in history, or in the Victorian Era, or in trying to at least a little bit live like that era, or to understand the similarities and differences between that era and ours. You may find, like I did, that you don't need to read long chapters about finding Victorian buttons, let's say, but it's okay to skip some pages every now and then. I don't normally advise this, but I had to skip over the occasional off-puttingly toned sentences, and so I was already skipping. By the way, I'm guessing that Chrisman does not realize she produces this tone in writing. And if she does it in writing, she'll do it when talking, as well. Because she does not seem aware of her tone, or of people's response to it, or of social cues and such, I do suspect an at least slight disorder, such as Asperger's. She reminds me of a time in which a high school kid told me she didn't like her English teacher because this teacher didn't realize how offensive she was when she talked to her students. This teacher, apparently, thought she was simply communicating, but actually she was consistently offensive. (I happened to know the woman this kid spoke of, and I'm tellin' you, the kid was spot on.) Anyway, Chrisman strikes me as someone very much like that. She'd be offensive and off-putting and not know it. She's the one at a party (though she would not go to parties) who you want to get away from, but you can't because she does say some interesting things every now and then that makes you stay to listen to her talk (at) you some more, which then makes you regret immediately that you've done that.

She's an obviously talented internet researcher (which is a very heavy irony she never addresses). If you're reading this book, you'll be interested in much of the information she provides. A lot of it I already knew from my own research, but there was a lot I didn't know. For instance, her inclination to only buy from companies around since Victorian times will give you a surprisingly long list of such companies. She also goes into some interesting local and natural history. And this is really the closest I've seen of a living person trying to live as a Victorian, including all of the daily nuances and problems that only living like that, and not just researching living like that, can give you.

Chrisman does mention the hatemail they get, and the vicious ill-behavior they have to suffer through, which she says happens on a literally daily basis. I'm not surprised by this, and you probably won't be, either. It only re-fuels their fire to get away. Though I was annoyed and sometimes borderline angry at the tone and attitude shown by the author and her husband, this also made me angry. Why can't we just leave each other alone? They're eccentric, and perhaps a little off-putting, but, hell, can't we all just get along?

So, yeah, a mixed bag here. Sometimes I had to put the book down in annoyance because I just couldn't take the tone anymore, but I always picked it back up again, curious about what new interesting thing I might learn next. If you read this in that vein, it'll be productive and worthwhile.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways this was a fairly enjoyable read, with some interesting insights, but overall the author's attitude ruined it for me.

I liked the discussions on using various household items and the insight into aspects of daily life in the 19th C. I thought that it was well-researched and the idea of living a (white, straight, upper-middle class) 'Victorian' life seems really interesting and fun, although not for me.

However, I disliked the uncritical romanticisation of the era and the lack of acknowledgement of the horrific elements of the period they so love. There was no mention of the dark side of the era: racism, sexism, child labour and terrible working conditions with no safety regulations, high child mortality rates, endless pregnancies for women, homophobia, etc etc, not to mention the lack of modern medicine and scientific knowledge.

Although I didn't need an extended discussion on these issues (the parts I liked best were about running the home, using oil lamps etc and I recognise the focus of the book was about the domestic side of life) I would have had more respect for the author if she had shown at least a glimmer of awareness. I would also have liked some discussion of some of the questions this lifestyle raises- do the couple still use modern medicine or are they relying on Victorian-era science? Do they put all property and money in the husband's name? Does Sarah vote? Etc. Etc.

Overall, the book has some charm and points of interest, and I would be willing to read more from the author if she actually addressed these issues in a frank, honest way.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The topic and their commitment-priceless. The writing style is quite verbose and has a LOT of needless details so the book is really bogged down. Their experiments and choices are fascinating and I did learn a few things but I wanted so much more and instead got a lot of useless details (pages and pages about plumbing in their house,etc.) that has nothing to do with a victorian life but just owning a home. She says she runs a business out of their house but then writes nothing else about it. How does that work? How do you market a business without current technology? These are things I'd be curious about. I was surprised to hear that they receive some ribbing and threats where they live because of their lifestyle choice. Seems like it's quite harmless to me.

[Lana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
This is such an interesting subject matter - a couple living as Victorians in our day and age. I genuinely though I was going to enjoy this more than I did.

What rubbed me the wrong way in this book right from the start was the author's defensive and condescending tone. From the first few sentences in the introduction, it seemed as if she was apologizing for her way of life, as well as patronizing others for not getting it right. Among other patronizing things, she said that people who studied past couldn't really understand it unless they had lived it. I'm not saying that this isn't true. However, I would go so far to say that this extends to the author herself. Yes, she lives as a Victorian in the 21st century, but the fact still remains that it is the 21st century. It's not the same as living in the actual 19th century.

I imagine that living as a Victorian brings its own ups and downs, and if by some chance we all woke up one day and ended up in the Victorian period, I have no doubt that she and her husband would have been more resourceful and would've found their way much easier than us ordinary mortals from this unfortunate period we're living in today. However, being so smug about it is not something I particulary enjoy.

I don't mind someone romanticizing certain periods. I myself sometimes fantasize about much simpler times and remeber fondly the skills I had as a teenager that are redundant nowadays (like fixing a cassette tape with a pencil or repairing my only pair of walkman headphones myself). However, I do think every period has its positives and negatives, and the author never mentions how hard it actually was for many people who lived in the Victorian times.

Not to sound like a Debbie Downer here, I must say I did enjoy some parts of the book. I appreciate the effort that the author and her husband do to live their lives the way they want to live them. It was interesting to learn how she made a mattress herself, discovered what works best for her hair, and many other things. I loved the way she spoke fondly and affectionately about her Victorian home, even when she was freezing in it and had to pee in the back yard until they fixed it.

Overall, I don't think it's a bad book, I just wish I'd enjoyed it more. I'm sure a lot of people will.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting idea and worthwhile experiment in living historically, but aggravating book. Ms. Chrisman comes off as annoyingly provincial and naive. I expect people trying to recreate bygone technologies to expound upon finding how to rebuilt and use such things, such as her adventures in sewing her own mattress to fit and antique bed. However, the Victorians weren't really that long ago and many technologies aren't lost at all...canning and fountain pens, for example. Her descriptions of the bumbling effort taken in learning these skills were infuriating. In her effort to be as authentic as possible she appears to forgo the advice of modern people using these items everyday...fountain pen 101, from any modern pen enthusiast welfare, includes the advice not to leave your implements in the sun and to cap it if you put it down for even a second.

Don't get me started on her pages about how Victorian block ice is apparently chemically different from block ice from the grocery store.

And that's another thing. We know from her descriptions of the town (Port Townsend, one of my favorite day trips) that there are 2-3 grocery stores in town. She goes out of her way to avoid stating the names of these stores (Safeway, QFC, the usual sorts of supermarket chains), instead using convoluted sentences referencing that her husband got the nuts from the same store where they bought the ice. I would suspect this comes out of some urge on her part to write more "Victorian-y" or avoid appearing like she endorses one brand of grocery over another, however, (1.) I don't see what relevance it has that the nuts came from the same store as the ice, who cares, and (2.) in the very next paragraph she will discuss by name some brand of bicycle that is still around from Victorian times. Lots of grocery stores had early beginnings too, so this seems like a strange and stilted blind spot.

These blind spots are everywhere in this book. She has obviously done a ton of research into the time period, as she should, but she seems to have blinders on for almost everything else. Don't get me started about the ice, I swear.

Still, glad I read it. It is providing excellent dinner table conversation. And, like I said, I hope she does keep up the experiment. I'm just hoping she has a collaborator or more writing guidance for the next book. Which I will probably read, because I am ever hooeful. And because I might be a sucker.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book because I found the idea quite interesting but Mrs. Chrisman comes across as VERY pretentious. Up to chapter 16 it was tolerable because the chapters flowed well enough together to tell a story but chapter 16 was just too self-important and unnecessary. (It is a very short chapter in which nothing happens and we learn nothing more than that she was asked to sit for multiple portraits because she was so pretty and intriguing. Ugh. It was just so pompous.) After that, each chapter felt more forced and singular and it just didn't flow as smoothly; perhaps I was just tired of Mrs. Chrisman's sense of superiority. The last few chapters of the book are all about their bikes which really don't warrant that many pages and again comes across as very arrogant.

I also have to wonder about a few 21st-century things they can't really do without but which she never mentions. They do have a car but she never talks about what it is or the upkeep, she has a home-based massage business but never mentions how she takes appointments (phone? website, which means she must have a computer?), she never discusses money (do they use a bank or keep it in a tin can on the shelf? do they have investments, save for retirement?), and she never talks about medical care (advances in medicine have come along way since 1899). In the opening of the book she talks about how this is a lifestyle for them, not just a hobby, but it sort of feels like maybe they pick and choose what aspects of the Victorian life they're going to embrace.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title caught my eye as I passed the new book shelf at the library. Since I teach English literature I couldn't resist reading a modern perspective of the Victorian era, a time period that greatly influenced our present era. I found the book enchanting, and I'm usually not fond of non-fiction, especially memoirs. Yet, Chrisman is a gifted wordsmith, especially in her descriptions:
preface--"Too many academic historians view the past as a dead thing to be dissected and then encased in glass." This answers the "why" she and her husband have dedicated themselves to not only study the Victorian era, but to live it.
Another noted phrase: "Power outages silenced the television and put the vulturine eyes of all the myriad blinking devices to sleep (2).
On letter writing: "There is an intimacy to physical letters that cold pixels cannot match"(p.122).
Further info: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/art...

[Namenamenamename · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very interested in the premise of this book, and I hoped to learn about Victorian life or at least about how they make their pseudo-Victorian life fit into the modern day.

What I got was a soap-boxing about how their way of life is better than anyone else's, and frequent insults directed towards other groups of people. Even in the prologue, historical reenactors who dare to wear costumes that aren't manufactured by historical/period methods are compared to abusive parents beating a helpless child (the child being history that 'can't defend itself' from the evils of people wearing inaccurate costumes). I mean, what? Whaaaat?

I tried to keep going after that, but all I got was weird autobiographical anecdotes about her life, rants similar to the one about the reenactors, and a lot about why they decided to live in a Victorian style. But there's nothing really about HOW they do so, or how they make it work, or what exactly living like a Victorian entails.

[Ms (Leigh) Bella St John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical!

I not only love and admire the author and her husband for their devotion to my favorite time period, but also adore her writing style. Thank you for another glorious glimpse into your living convergence of two worlds.

[Abby Borsato · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I did not hate the writing and found parts of her story interesting, I couldn't get past her pretentious and at times smug attitude throughout her narrative. I also disliked her comparisons of the criticism she has faced to racism and found her defensive manner in this way to be tasteless.

[Beth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of interesting information, though the author's writing becomes a little precious at times.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author really needs to stop comparing herself, and the way she is treated because of her lifestyle choices, to minorities experiencing racism.

[Bridget Huffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my god. Do it with Tom already.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a lot questionable books this year, but I don't remember the last time I rolled my eyes so much while reading a nonfiction book. The prose is clean and accessible, the topic entertaining and informative, but the pretentious tone really soured what would have otherwise been a very interesting book, and I don't think I'll be picking up any of her other works.

Other reviewers have touched on more problematic aspects (modern medicine? do they order from the internet? did she actually just compare her hardships to racism?). The subtitle could have been shortened mostly just down to 'Modern Adventures in Nineteeth-Century Technology', as there isn't really a lot of information specifically on cooking (other than bread and a small passing reference to a 'more Victorian diet') or fashion (she mentions corsets many times, and making a dress based on a fashionplate once, and that's it), or even really... culture?

Except, of course, for discussing how boorish and uncultured all the rest of us modern-folks are, and that's why I'm even bothering to write a review at all. If you pick this up, you're going to have to put aside the urge to run and laugh-spit your tea in your own sink because it's really all you can do to get past the holier-than-thou tones. For all the insistence that they aren't lucky to live like they do, and how they attain their lifestyle through hard work and sacrifice, there's a shocking lack of self-awareness that really rubs me the wrong way. I'll be looking for my historical living fix elsewhere, thanks.

ETA: I have googled further and she has a Youtube channel. How un-Victorian of her. (Sorry. Now I'm just salty.) Also, some things she's mentioned in interviews are a little sus.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique and very interesting read. What makes it even more interesting is it was written by hand by the author rather through the use of modern technology.

Sarah Chrisman brings the past to life by incorporating it into her everyday life so it is no longer an anachronism but a part of her daily existence. In fact, for Sarah, modern technology is an anachronism as she lives her life with her husband, Gabriel, as far as possible using the objects and habits of those living in the period 1880 to 1899.

Several things stood out to me whilst reading this book. One is how the ordinary, everyday common objects are generally the first to disappear as no-one sees the value in preserving the common place. Secondly, the infrastructure which was associated with many of the objects has now disappeared. For example, the ice man who would bring hard ice from the frozen lakes of New England to go into the ice compartment of food storage before the days of refrigerators.

Sadly, Sarah very astutely noted that in a society which prides itself on tolerance, diversity and inclusion, this is only to the extent that society dictates it acceptable. For example, she mentions many occasions on which she is prodded, groped and laughed at in a way that would be completely unacceptable with other people and ways of life.

This was a really wonderful read. It demystified for me many parts of Victorian life in that it is no longer dark and mysterious, but it also made me realise we are not so distant and seperated from the Victorians as we think. However, reading the account of Sarah’s typical day, made me realise how technology has disconnected us in so many ways.

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this author's book Victorian Secrets so thought I would like this one as well. I admit that I skimmed a bit during her descriptions of bicycle touring, but other than that I found this book quite interesting. I love visiting living history sites and learning from re-enactors how things from the past worked, especially domestic things, so I find the author's lifestyle fascinating. Her discussion on how well authentic antiques work (versus modern replicas) was particularly interesting--as she points out, that's the sort of thing you might not notice unless you use an object how it was meant to be used.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A considerable improvement over her first book. She still pokes fun at people for not understanding her chosen lifestyle, but much more gently, and the proportion of pertinent information is much higher. I agreed with her from the first that using objects from earlier times as a daily thing will teach far more about them – and about daily life in those times – than reading or otherwise speculating about “what it was like” will, and this book provides numerous examples of that sort of thing, which is lovely.

I would say the book as a whole is well written. She had me totally confused at the beginning of the chapter on Port Townsend, though, when she treats the hopes of the locals as if they were realistic. She says, “By the late 1880s, everyone foresaw Port Townsend taking its rightful place as the thriving metropolis of the Northwest. (This role would eventually be filled by Seattle, but at this time the future Emerald City was still a muck-mired mill town populated by drunken loggers….)” According to her write up, “what more natural terminus could there possibly be for a rail line than the location of the customs port?”

But on the map at the head of the chapter, originally printed in 1870, Seattle is clearly considered the dominant city of the time, with Steilacoom (a bit south of Tacoma) as the only challenger. Port Townsend is not only tiny, it’s isolated out on a peninsula on the wrong side of Puget Sound for a good railway connection. Whatever the claims of the local chamber of commerce, anyone who sat down and looked at the situation would have known these hopes were unrealistic. Which may have been her point, since she concludes, “Then the bubble burst,” but for a couple of pages there I thought she was expecting me to buy into that line of reasoning, and I’m still not dead sure she wasn’t.

The other time she had me scratching my head is when she’s grumbling about having to use “soft ice” rather than the more authentic hard ice. Their house is wired for electricity – why don’t they freeze their own ice? You can get a functional freezer for under a hundred bucks, an upright doesn’t take much space, they could put it a shed or a garage, and just use it to make hard blocks of ice. We freeze our own ice all the time, because purchased ice is expensive and melts faster. Since ice delivery is out of the question, seems to me the Chrismans doing the same would be as authentic than what they’re doing now. And it would sure save them some money in the long run.

I was also surprised, and a bit disappointed, that she hadn’t switched over to a wood stove yet. I would have thought that one of the “easier” changes, since I’ve run across so many people who are making no serious attempt to “live like a Victorian” who still have, and use, a wood burning kitchen stove. I suppose they’re more into the cooking aspect of that lifestyle than this author.

None of these gripes are big issues, obviously. Overall I was quite pleased with this book, especially in light of how disappointed I was in her corsets one. While this is also more of a memoir than a historical resource, it was interesting, there were a couple of tips I hadn’t run across before, and I found it much more enjoyable. This one, I thought, lived up to what it promised.

[Andrianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This certainly had interesting parts, but overall I am so unimpressed with the author's attitude. I remember this from another book of hers that I read - she seems to feel both superior to and somewhat persecuted by people living modernly. Maybe I'm just reading too much into her tone and she's doesn't actually feel that way, but that's how her writing comes across to me. I find it very offputting. I did like all the details about Victorian life, and I do think the author and her husband are living in an interesting way.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful but left me with questiond

I have so much respect and adoration for this couple who have found such perfect partners to live out life as their best selves. I wish that the author would have discussed how to deal with menstruation and birth control. That is something I would like to know about going from the 21st century to Victorian times. Overall, I've learned a lot and loved this read!

[Beverly Hollandbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good thing these two people found each other and married. The author and her husband are such Victorian era aficionados that they buy a big Victorian house and decide to live as if it were 1890, eschewing electricity, automobiles, and modern clothing. She even dons a corset. OK for them, I guess, but I do find it ironic that they order authentic Victorian items on the internet.

[Mia Parviainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not often that tone becomes a distraction when I'm reading narrative nonfiction. Over the course of Sarah A. Chrisman's research, explanations, and episodes, her tone wavers from amusing descriptions of Victorian living to defending her life decisions to romanticized defiance of the surrounding world.

Chrisman writes in themed chapters about her and her husband's attempts to bring as many elements of life in the Victorian 1880s-1890s as possible into their daily living. They wear handmade reproductions of period clothes on a daily basis. They heat their home with kerosene and use an ice box to store food. They look for period furniture and products (or products from companies with a Victorian era pedigree) to set up their home life. At a glance, it's amusing, as Chrisman writes about attempting to calculate the quantity of feathers required for making her own mattress. It's enlightening, as she notes how Victorians had access to scented ink for writing. She describes the advantages and challenges of riding an Ordinary (big wheel) bicycle. There are some fun tidbits to learn, and she's at her best when she seeks to enlighten and open up a world to readers, emphasizing that we understand the past more when we engaged with it tangibly.

However, Chrisman's adoption of living for Victorian ideals is akin to friends who take on restrictive type of living as THE way to go--think of your friends who take on that restrictive diet, or only buy products with certain virtues, or must recycle/compost all the things. Or that friend who adopts a romanticized view of how the world would be better by adopting the use of a particular product or program. These products and programs aren't necessarily bad things, but sometimes the restrictive decision is accompanied by a definitive tone that sets the speaker against the world. Chrisman seems somewhat aware of this tendency in the first chapter when she explains why she doesn't drive a car: "I saw no reason to devote a large portion of my income to a machine whose role seemed to consist of fouling the air, eliminating exercise, and occasionally murdering squirrels and pussycats. I also admit that there was a certain degree of mulish stubbornness at work." None of these reasons are necessarily wrong, but Chrisman sets herself up for the moral high ground, where the highest good is all things Victorian. Victorian for the sake of Victorian.

Towards the end of the book, Chrisman notes that she and her husband have received hate mail and she often deals with people invading her personal space to touch her, ask questions, and take photographs. While I want to be sympathetic, I feel a bit of cognitive dissonance; I don't believe people should have their personal space violated in any situation, and I find it sad that she is receiving hate mail. However, she also seems to frequently complain that people seeing her in Victorian garb will stop her to ask questions or take pictures or look at her oddly. If we see someone in period attire, it's often for a museum, event, or display--museum patrons are often encouraged to ask questions--so the reactions of pedestrians doesn't seem entirely out of order, until it passes into the invasion of personal space and hostility. Chrisman alludes to "vitriol" that she's been subjected to, and at times I wonder if that has set her tone more towards romanticized defiance than delighted discovery and sharing--because there are many voices in narrative nonfiction that do this well. I wish Chrisman kept her writing voice more in that range.

Who should read this book: those curious about the Victorian era, those who dream of being re-enactors, those who want to live in the Victorian era, fans of the Pacific Northwest.

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

87%

"We are ephemeral creatures with but a short time upon this Earth; the decision to fill pour days with ugliness or beauty rests in our own hands whenever we takes something into our lives. We must have objects of use to meet our daily needs; why not choose examples that delight out sense at the same time? The Victorians believes very strongly that beauty inspires goodness."

I really enjoy how deeply Sarah dives into the details of living a Victorian lifestyle; this is very much the kind of thing I love reading when it comes people writing non-fiction about niche passions - it's wonderful seeing how much these people love whatever it is they love. I mean, there was an entire chapter about Victorian pens. Do I usually care about Victorian pens? Not particularly, but Sarah's interest and passion for them was contagious. Same goes for every other subject she covered in the book; I couldn't help but be intrigued and care about them.

That being said, I agree with other reviewers that the writing comes across as a bit defensive and pretentious; it's one thing to write about your negative experiences, it's another to imply you're better than everyone else for your lifestyle choices. This rubbed me the wrong way; I'm already here, I'm reading your book and supporting your life choices, so why do you have to trash mine? No lifestyle is perfect, but diversity makes things fun. I get that she and her husband have had lots of negativity aimed at them, and it enrages me that anyone would think such behavior is acceptable, but attacking modern lifestyles in turn seems a bit hypocritical.

"Many artifacts were designed to function within a specific context and interact with other objects and infrastructure contemporary to themselves. The more one can reinstate an artifact's context, the better it functions and the more sense it makes. (Imagine trying to analyze a remote control without access to its corresponding device or the power sources of either.)"

"Ironically, the most common items often become the rarest over time because no one thinks them worthy of preservation."

"Objects are often better time-travelers than people, since the well-made varieties often survive their human owners. The indelible marks left on them over the years are their souvenirs of temporal travel."

"At any given time, there are far more work clothes than wedding dresses in the world, but the latter get saved while the former are generally used until nothing is left of them. This is why extremely small shoes survive into antiquity in greater numbers than normal sizes do. People who don't understand survival bias assume that the prevalence of size 3 or smaller shoes in antiques collections mean that everyone in the past had tiny feet. In fact the opposite is the case: these very small shoes survived because they weren't wearable by most people."

"There is an intimacy to physical letters that cold pixels cannot match. They turn the mailbox from a hated messenger of junk and bills to a carrier dove that can deliver a friend's smile."

[Marcy Rae Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

since encountering them while researching for a lit class (i was teaching Somewhere in Time) i've been fascinated with their lifestyle. i enjoyed watching their youtube vids about restoring their house in iowa. and i continue to appreciate the vids where they talk about victorian era books, research and active reading. but yes,,,as many have stated on GR, her voice does come across as condescending at times. and there were a number of cringy moments bordering on racism. in short, she does NOT understand the history of the indigenous in this country and referred to them at one point as heathens. i'm middle aged and language has changed so much since i was a kid--from what we were called as brown peeps to all sorts of other new terms and rules about who can say what when why how and to whom--and i don't pretend to understand all the new terms (often have to ask students to explain.) but since i was young--the 70s--! the word 'heathen' has been derrogatory and not just 'not Christian' but people 'uncivilized' or 'barbaric.' so yeah, when she used it to refer to ingidenous peeps with that whole: who should i give the feather to... and then surmising church people would simply not be supportive of her giving a feather to tribal folks and would see it 'better' to give it to the church! with all the world's history of church abuses! ay... she reminds me of teachers i had who want to say 'people from back east SETTLED the Southwest...' as if we weren't living there before they arrived.
along those lines, in addition to having No Idea what it is to be a POC or LGBTQ minority and is very short-sighted. (to say: she is SOOO incredibly heteronormative.) but she harshly looks down upon people who don't fully support her lifestyle. why do they need to? no one is stopping her from using her proper pronouns, accessing resources, wearing a bloody corset!
clearly not a feminist (she's a trumper who likely voted for whoever hubby said to vote for or left it 'to to the men' entirely---see other reviews about her work, esp the memoir written during the pandemic where she says: voted for the despot bc 'no other choice.')

what i did like were the simple quotidian descriptions of sewing, making replicas of clothes, the work required to put in a wood burning stove.
to be cont...

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I doubt that anything I have to say hasn't been said before. But I'd like to say it anyway.

This book, and the author herself, are extremely charming. The realizations that Chrisman and her husband have as they ease themselves into their Victorian entrapments are very fascinating. The merits of paraffin oil vs kerosene when filling oil lamps, her discoveries about hair products and how to achieve Victorian hairstyles, and her newfound appreciation of daylight.

But a lot of this charm, and the well-researched insights into the human aspects of the Victorian era, are overshadowed by the defensive and sometimes condescending tone Chrisman employs. Some of this can be chalked up to the dry, patronizing tone common in the 1890s ladies' journals that Chrisman often reads. Some of this can be chalked up to the callousness towards others that forms after being gawked at on the street and receiving vitriol online.

While the verbal abuse the Chrismans receive is unacceptable, Chrisman claims it is comparable to the hate endured by minority groups, which is ignorant at best and reductive at worst. Chrisman is so preoccupied assuring the reader that she and her husband are not wealthy, that they have non-white friends, that they are just ordinary people living their version of ordinary life - that she never considers the privileges that allow them to lead that life. Chrisman and her husband are white, heterosexual Americans who live in a liberal area. Even if they aren't exorbitantly wealthy, being able to buy antique ice boxes, stoves, and natural fiber fabrics with which to make their clothing comes at a premium that speaks to a financial comfort level that most people in America will never achieve.

To compare harassments due to nonconventional clothing style to the hate experienced by minorities essentially puts rude passerby on par with hate crimes (which, as of 2023, are at a historical high).

All of that said, I'm still planning to read Chrisman's first book about wearing corsets. The delusional martyrdom makes for an unpleasant palette cleanser right at the start and end of the book, but not enough to eclipse the delight found between them.

[Sobriquet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this at times very funny and some details very interesting, such as the curls on a pitcher being to rest your thumb on rather than just merely decorative or that mobile phones can magnetise a watch or the story of baking a loaf of rye bread so dense that it remained intact after throwing it out of eight story window

There were other things that I wish had been included such as did Chrisman try to copy Victorian copperplate with her fountain pen? How did she fine trying to use a dip pen? What Victorian novels does she read? What about a trial of Victorian beauty products? What about sun cream was there a Victorian equivalent? Has she ever tried to make jewellery from human hair like the Victorians or does she think it’s really gross?

Chrisman relates a story of an overheard conversation between two mothers complaining that their teenage children were continuously using their mobile phones. The mothers say that this is a new problem created by modern technology and Chrisman disagrees that the Victorian inventions of the telephone and the telegraph caused parallel intrusions into family life and that therefore this experience is not new. While I agree with Chrisman I wanted more detail, what about the abbreviations used in telegraph messages? Were there discussions that correct use of English would be lost? Did people speak in acronyms to the same extent as they do now? Mobiles allow access to encyclopaedias of information and the ability for someone to create a profile page with timelines like diary pages that document their lives complete with accompanying photos. Furthermore this is at an affordable cost to most people. This is surely new. It was not that I disagreed with her point and I think that is a good one, it was just that I wanted more detail.

The anecdotes of her interesting life were made longwinded by that lack of a good edit. At times the extra detail added realness to the stories but often they felt over complicated by it

I recommend this book and should one be written I would read the sequel; I would like to know how she is getting on with her Victorian stove.