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A Victorian Lady's Guide to Life
In this delightful and engagingly eccentric treasury of life lessons, redoubtable Victorian Elspeth Marr (1871-1947) reflects on the fundamental topics of life as well as the nuts and bolts of everyday living.
Part journal, part commonplace book, among many gems you will find enlightenment and advice on everything from Dreams to Garlic; Patriotism to Wrinkles.
Written throughout her life but only discovered after her death, by her great-great nephew, Christopher Rush, Elspeth's (known as Aunt Epp) journal was never intended for publication but her style of writing and the subject matter she covers nonetheless reaches a universal audience. Not afraid to put forth views on the big topics - religion, evolution, and ethical issues - she also tackles the nuts and bolts of living - food, sex and health.
Vital, refreshingly frank and always amusing, A Victorian Lady's Guide to Life provides a wealth of sound advice.
Part journal, part commonplace book, among many gems you will find enlightenment and advice on everything from Dreams to Garlic; Patriotism to Wrinkles.
Written throughout her life but only discovered after her death, by her great-great nephew, Christopher Rush, Elspeth's (known as Aunt Epp) journal was never intended for publication but her style of writing and the subject matter she covers nonetheless reaches a universal audience. Not afraid to put forth views on the big topics - religion, evolution, and ethical issues - she also tackles the nuts and bolts of living - food, sex and health.
Vital, refreshingly frank and always amusing, A Victorian Lady's Guide to Life provides a wealth of sound advice.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 18, 2019
As NO ONE has an actual review on this GEM of a book, I'm gonna take one for the team.
Kids: Elspeth Marr is an icon.
Ever read anything written by a Victorian lady involving, but not limited to, periods, adultery and GASP sex? Elspeth Marr has, and she writes it with the funniest pen ever. Some of my favourite not family friendly quotes:
"Golfers. Never marry one. [...] A most uninteresting specimen, with a colossal lack of soul."
"No woma who has never opened her legs to a man, or for that matter to a woman, can presume to open her mind to life."
"Bad breath may however prove a most powerful contraceptive against the ardour of the most rampant of men."
"A wife can never be a whore with her husband, except in play, and sometimes it is good to play the whore."
This lady is just iconic and I wish she was my aunt.
Also, bonus for our Christian friends: she uses Bible quotes to tell you that you should have sex with who ever you want. Again, she's amazing.
If you want a good laugh and be shocked in a Victorian way, this is the best book. I loved it. I want more!
Kids: Elspeth Marr is an icon.
Ever read anything written by a Victorian lady involving, but not limited to, periods, adultery and GASP sex? Elspeth Marr has, and she writes it with the funniest pen ever. Some of my favourite not family friendly quotes:
"Golfers. Never marry one. [...] A most uninteresting specimen, with a colossal lack of soul."
"No woma who has never opened her legs to a man, or for that matter to a woman, can presume to open her mind to life."
"Bad breath may however prove a most powerful contraceptive against the ardour of the most rampant of men."
"A wife can never be a whore with her husband, except in play, and sometimes it is good to play the whore."
This lady is just iconic and I wish she was my aunt.
Also, bonus for our Christian friends: she uses Bible quotes to tell you that you should have sex with who ever you want. Again, she's amazing.
If you want a good laugh and be shocked in a Victorian way, this is the best book. I loved it. I want more!
February 6, 2023
A rather interesting book which I found to be quite amusing. If these accounts are real, then they are of a woman way ahead of her time. Her insights on life, religion and sexuality are so witty and funny that you can hardly believe they belong to a woman who lived between 1871 and 1947. The book includes recipes for food and for curing all sorts of ailments, reflections on various topics of life, household maintenance tips and tricks and also book and music recommendations.
”Age: There is nothing new under the sun we are told. So your recorded age is irrelevant. You may be seventy and stupid, sixteen and sage. Your true age is unfathomable, as you have been here before and will return again. This is what Solomon meant of there being no new thing under the sun. You may be a thousand year old, or ten thousand, it doesn't matter. What really matters is not how old but how wise you've grown, how far you have evolved, and what you have learned. The great affair is to avoid stagnation, and keep on the move.
Do not waste a second of your present span, which is short, worrying about your age. If you think you are old, you are wrong. You have been evolving for thousands of years, and when did you ever grow less by dying? Death is another step forward for you; and, as you have progressed from insect to animal to human being, so you will go on to become a better and better human being. There is no end to your age, or to your life, and there is no such thing as death, there are only deaths."
”Age: There is nothing new under the sun we are told. So your recorded age is irrelevant. You may be seventy and stupid, sixteen and sage. Your true age is unfathomable, as you have been here before and will return again. This is what Solomon meant of there being no new thing under the sun. You may be a thousand year old, or ten thousand, it doesn't matter. What really matters is not how old but how wise you've grown, how far you have evolved, and what you have learned. The great affair is to avoid stagnation, and keep on the move.
Do not waste a second of your present span, which is short, worrying about your age. If you think you are old, you are wrong. You have been evolving for thousands of years, and when did you ever grow less by dying? Death is another step forward for you; and, as you have progressed from insect to animal to human being, so you will go on to become a better and better human being. There is no end to your age, or to your life, and there is no such thing as death, there are only deaths."
December 15, 2019
A fun and enjoyable lil guide to life by Elspeth Marr. Considering most of this was probably written in early 1900s, I really doubt these are Victorian traditions, maybe an odd few inherited.
Loved how fun and lighthearted Marr was, so much of her personality and character was in here, which made it so easy and enjoyable to read.
Loved how fun and lighthearted Marr was, so much of her personality and character was in here, which made it so easy and enjoyable to read.
May 10, 2022
A fun light read but did get a bit repetitive sometimes. Really enjoyed the wackiness of this Victorian lady though.
July 2, 2022
Not what I was expecting, would have loved dates and more context. Repetitive and dry, plus I highly doubt its authenticity.
February 6, 2024
It's probably taken me a good six months or more to finish this book. It’s a strange book & one I can only cope with in small doses, but luckily it's ideal for dipping in & out of.
The book's entries are taken from the journals & diaries of Elspeth Marr (1871-1947) & "most spring straight from her original and enquiring mind" showing her quirky & quixotic take on life – quirky? Hmmm… downright bizarre at times!
As promised by the blurb, tt's certainly an "eccentric treasury" & admittedly Elspeth has shattered my perceptions of Victorian matrons being staid & humourless. She is certainly very opinionated - & boy oh boy, she is not afraid to voice those opinions!
Elspeth certainly covers a wide range of topics. Want to know how to conceive a girl? Or maybe you want a boy, either way Elspeth has advice. If you want to avoid conception completely an old remedy is at hand to help (it does involve putting a stale fish under the floorboard as the smell will put a man off sex. What you do if he has a cold & can’t smell she doesn't say…) From Ghosts, God & Gossip to Sighing, Singing & Sleep pretty much anything you can think of is dealt with …although more often than not it's in a rather unexpected way!
There were parts that amused me, quite a bit surprised- shocked me even -however, I found reading two or three pages at a time was as much as I could manage. While some of the recipes for remedies lost my interest, every so often an amusing little ditty would pop up, for eg:
"The fart is a fine old friend to man,
It gives the body ease,
It warms up the blankets
And chloroforms the fleas."
It's a book that I would have said I found a bit hit & miss but writing this review has made me realise there was more I liked about it than I had thought.
Finally, never forget…your household should never be without lemons….words to live by indeed ;o)
Memorable quotes - actually quite a few struck a chord be it in amusement, surprise or disgust but these are my "highlights":
Advice for Life: "Always keep an open mind and open bowels. Close one and you become a bore: close both and you become a dead bore."
The Body: "If your body be a temple, as the Bible says, then be sure to admit only those who will worship there, and especially those who first remove their shoes..."
Rest: "You will rest well enough when you are dead. For now keep active, and keep death waiting".
The book's entries are taken from the journals & diaries of Elspeth Marr (1871-1947) & "most spring straight from her original and enquiring mind" showing her quirky & quixotic take on life – quirky? Hmmm… downright bizarre at times!
As promised by the blurb, tt's certainly an "eccentric treasury" & admittedly Elspeth has shattered my perceptions of Victorian matrons being staid & humourless. She is certainly very opinionated - & boy oh boy, she is not afraid to voice those opinions!
Elspeth certainly covers a wide range of topics. Want to know how to conceive a girl? Or maybe you want a boy, either way Elspeth has advice. If you want to avoid conception completely an old remedy is at hand to help (it does involve putting a stale fish under the floorboard as the smell will put a man off sex. What you do if he has a cold & can’t smell she doesn't say…) From Ghosts, God & Gossip to Sighing, Singing & Sleep pretty much anything you can think of is dealt with …although more often than not it's in a rather unexpected way!
There were parts that amused me, quite a bit surprised- shocked me even -however, I found reading two or three pages at a time was as much as I could manage. While some of the recipes for remedies lost my interest, every so often an amusing little ditty would pop up, for eg:
"The fart is a fine old friend to man,
It gives the body ease,
It warms up the blankets
And chloroforms the fleas."
It's a book that I would have said I found a bit hit & miss but writing this review has made me realise there was more I liked about it than I had thought.
Finally, never forget…your household should never be without lemons….words to live by indeed ;o)
Memorable quotes - actually quite a few struck a chord be it in amusement, surprise or disgust but these are my "highlights":
Advice for Life: "Always keep an open mind and open bowels. Close one and you become a bore: close both and you become a dead bore."
The Body: "If your body be a temple, as the Bible says, then be sure to admit only those who will worship there, and especially those who first remove their shoes..."
Rest: "You will rest well enough when you are dead. For now keep active, and keep death waiting".
July 17, 2022
Similar to my experience of reading the art of war, it was the historical context rather than the actual content that interested me most in this book.
Although it is somewhat interesting to read about how to clean copper pans, treat sores and old-timy aphrodisiacs, it is far more interesting to observe how a woman how died eighty years ago felt about common day things.
The strong Protestantism, scientific understanding, the view no alchohol and tebacco, and a strong feminist standpoint. All from a person who in her time did not have a strong voice.
Given that that is the most interesting thing to me however, I found it a shame that the sections where split alphabetically rather than chronological. This does give it some interesting contrast in places, like discussing the epistemology of god on one page and the cleaning of gold on the other, but it removes some context which I thought was annoying.
Although it is somewhat interesting to read about how to clean copper pans, treat sores and old-timy aphrodisiacs, it is far more interesting to observe how a woman how died eighty years ago felt about common day things.
The strong Protestantism, scientific understanding, the view no alchohol and tebacco, and a strong feminist standpoint. All from a person who in her time did not have a strong voice.
Given that that is the most interesting thing to me however, I found it a shame that the sections where split alphabetically rather than chronological. This does give it some interesting contrast in places, like discussing the epistemology of god on one page and the cleaning of gold on the other, but it removes some context which I thought was annoying.
December 4, 2020
Enlightening.
Read
February 28, 2023An interesting and amusing quick read. Easy to skim parts that are repetitive
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews