Fun factoids about the 1800s. Learned about terms and rituals that were referenced in novels but that I might not have fully understood. Now I have a nice reference book for future readings!

What Noah Claypole Had to Do as an Informer, and a Lot of Other Things

Reading Oliver Twist, I was always at a loss as when I came to the following passage:

”Mr. Noah Claypole, receiving a free pardon from the Crown in consequence of being admitted approver against Fagin, and considering his profession not altogether as safe a one as he could wish: was, for some little time, at a loss for the means of a livelihood, not burdened with too much work. After some consideration, he went into business as an informer, in which calling he realises a genteel subsistence. His plan is, to walk out once a week during church time attended by Charlotte in respectable attire. The lady faints away at the doors of charitable publicans, and the gentleman being accommodated with three-penny worth of brandy to restore her, lays an information next day, and pockets half the penalty.”

Why were the publicans fined for giving brandy to restore Charlotte, and why did the sneaking Noah Claypole receive half the penalty? This passage was direst Greek to me. After reading Daniel Pool’s insightful book with the rather lengthy title What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist – the Facts of Daily Life in 19th-Century England, however, I now have a very clear understanding of what an informer actually was, and how one could make it a living, provided one were dastardly enough. This was, of course, not the only thing I learned from this book, which helped me to a more detailed understanding of many tricky distinctions made by Victorians. Just take a look at the legal system: There were barristers, solicitors, serjeants, attorneys, advocates and proctors (as everyone knows who read David Copperfield or Bleak House), but what were the differences between these? What was the exact relationship between the various scavengers feasting on litigation, such as Mr. Tulkinghorn, Conversation-Kenge, and the infamous Mr. Vholes? This book tells you. Or take the Church of England, with all its titles and offices, its bishops, deans, archdeacons, vicars, rectors, sextons, and what-nots, titles that were used offhandedly by Anthony Trollope. This book will help you get some insight into anything that is important to know for reading Barchester Towers. What is the difference between getting a marriage license, or a broomstick-marriage, such as Abel Magwitch had? Why did Helen Graham, the tenant of Wildfell Hall, not simply get a divorce from her dissolute husband but hide in the obscurity of the countryside? What is an entailment? And why did Mr. Bounderby’s mother take a parliamentary train when she was neither in the House of Commons nor in the House of Lords? Why did people generally seek to avoid a sojourn in a sponge-house, and what made being in a workhouse such a horrible thing? What did those prude and proper Victorians understand by “coming out”? All these things will be explained by Daniel Pool.

The book falls into two major parts: The first part tells you about the intricacies of Victorian life, its customs and social rules, e.g. about how fox hunts were organized. Even if you consider fox hunts silly and barbarous, some knowledge on them will prove helpful for the reader of Victorian novels, as there is probably hardly one Trollope novel where people do not go hunting sooner or later. The second part is a glossary, in which various terms of Victorian everyday life are explained. What Daniel Pool does not do, however, is give you some insight into Victorian history because he only concentrates on things that were mentioned in Victorian novels. As I said, I learned a lot from this book, and together with Ruth Goodman’s  How to Be a Victorian, which concentrates more on everyday life in the Victorian era, and less on its social structure and customs, than Daniel Pool’s book, this little volume is indispensable to anyone who loves reading Victorian literature.

This was very interesting. I’ve picked up some tid-bits that have already assisted me in my reading, and I know others will spring to mind when I read the Victorian classics I love so much. It wasn't quite as comprehensive as I wanted it to be, but that can only be said for the topics I was keenly interested in.

The book is broken into two sections:

*The first roughly ‘two-thirds’ is comprised of easy-to-digest chapters, each covering a particular area of life in 19th Century England. Each chapter has a heading, making it easy to look back on any given topic to re-read.

*The last ‘third’ is simply an extensive glossary, which will be convenient when I stumble across a term I just need a quick clarification for.

Daniel Pool pulls quotes and cites storylines from certain Victorian novels in his explanations. Some of these novels I’ve already read, but some I’ve not. My one complaint is that he reveals plot points (some of them significant ones) in doing this. So I’d say this book is best for those who are fairly well-read in this genre of Literature already.

What Jane Austen Ate... is a fun, handy little reference volume for lovers of Victorian literature, and it’s one I’m glad to have on my shelf (or my nightstand!).







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Super interesting. For people who are as obsessed with the Georgian period as I am, this is the book for you. He writes of little intricate details of the social norms of the period that make Jane Austen's books that much more interesting.

I know quite a bit about 19th century life, through many years of reading books written then. But this book was full of stuff I didn't know, especially all the intricacies of death rituals, wills, politics, medical care, social classes, and sexual mores. I will definitely read Austen, Dickens, Trollope, Harding, and the like with a different eye now. It makes a lot more sense why certain things are important or worrisome. Absolutely fascinating. Actually kept me up late! You can't say that about many reference books. Author has a sense of humor too.

This book is an excellent overview of life lived in the 19th Century and it covers *most* of what anyone would ever want to know. That said, the book is tailored to readers of 19th Century literature, from Jane Austen to Thomas Hardy. All of the stories of life during the 1800's use examples from the fiction to illustrate by example. The author clearly states up front that if it wasn't covered in the novels, it won't be covered in the book.

However, another way to look at this book is as an excellent source book for any authors also wishing to write a novel set during the 19th Century. For many items, especially fashion, the author explains how it changed for both men and women throughout the century. Highly recommended for 19th Century English novel geeks.

This was a very thoughtful gift from someone I had thought incapable of thinking about anyone but herself. It is immediately engrossing on a number of topics, although is the sort of book one enjoys for an hour rather than reading all the way through at one sitting. Four and a half stars.

Not a novel, just a very fun, interesting resource for anyone who likes 19th-century British literature. Full of information that has been useful to me in my own reading, it contains bits of everything from health habits to games to class systems to marriage customs.

I have a hard time rating this one. On the one hand, I thought it was really interesting. It's a nice, general peek behind the 19th century curtain to get a better understanding of the life during that time. It's surprising how much I enjoyed it, and it gave a new depth of understanding to some of my favorite classic novels.

However, too often, he didn't delineate between whether it applied to life in the early century or closer to the 1900's. Sometimes he did, but most times he didn't, and a lot of the social norms changed significantly between the Regency and Victorian era. He often lumped an entire century together.

This is a great book for someone wanting a general overview of things, but isn't for people wanting a detailed reference guide. I picked it up because so many people quote it when discussing 1800's culture, but I don't know that I would consider it the sacrosanct. It's a perfect book for hobbyists and enthusiasts, or for newbies delving into that culture.

This book was a great disappointment to me. It was one that I've been wanting to read ever since I first heard of it, but it did not live up to expectations at all. The chatty and interesting title of the book led me to believe that the work itself would charm, which it did not. It was tedious and dry, and certainly more of a reference book than a study of social history. I will keep it on a shelf with my other reference books, but I don't see getting a lot of use out of it.

This book is a good resource to have on hand. The author delves briefly into many subjects brought up in 19th century English lit. Includes quotations from books written at the time as examples. The last part of the book is a glossary of terms, which I found very helpful. Not the sort of book I would sit down and read quickly through, but interesting to pick up and read by subject.

i really enjoyed this book . I really enjoy reading about old english customs and what the daily life of the english man and women of the 19th centry. if you love random factorial books about really interesting things you will love this book.