Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Party Continues...

Well, I’m delighted to see we have more commenters…but ladies—please! We must behave with decorum, or the dreaded chaperone might raise her ever-vigilant head!


However, between languishing looks and meaning-laden glances with those delightful gentlemen Regina has introduced into our bluestockingly midst, please continue to comment! We want to be able to bring you posts on topics of interest to you—otherwise, there isn’t much point, is there? So please…what would you like to see discussed on Nineteenteen in the coming year? Let us know…and commenters on today’s post will have a chance to win Lit Wit: 100 Trivia Cards to Boost Your Book Smarts by Richard Lederer.

And in the meanwhile, I’m sure our chaperone will smile upon this: our randomly-drawn winner commenter of yesterday is Clarissa! Clarissa, please email Regina at reginascott@owt.com to claim your prize: a pre-release copy of Regina’s November book, An Honorable Gentleman. Very cool to get a sneak peek!!

And now, I’ve a fancy to take a turn in the garden and admire the flowers. Anyone care to join me? English gardens are renowned the world over. The damp, generally mild climate makes it a haven for temperate plants, shrubs, and trees…and the second half of the 18th and all of the 19th centuries are surely the heyday of gardening on a grand scale at country houses, where a new philosophy of viewing the land around a house as almost another set of rooms was adopted.


Topiary! What's an English garden without it?

And a maze...the perfect place to evade chaperones when out strolling with a handsome young man!

Don't forget to let us know what you think!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loving the party so far.

And I can't wait to read Honorable Gentleman. I have a Regency craving now. :p

Anonymous said...

And my name is Rose, but for some reason it isn't showing.

I'm the one with the Regency craving, above.

Rachel said...

I would love to see more posts on the fashion plates and 'slang'. Those are always fun!

I always wondered if the upper classes of Britain took an interest in the upper classes of the US. Were there fashions, etc. that were emulated in Britain that started in the US? Paris is frequently mentioned as the city to emulate in terms of fashion, etc., but what about other countries?

Also more about what literature was popular during the period. Gothic, of course, but what about other types?

I'll take a stroll through the gardens with you. British gardens are beautiful, even the small personal gardens of an average homeowner in Britain. When I was in grad school over there, I loved walking through the subdivision behind the school to look at the gardens. Alot of the homeowners took pride in their small, but beautiful gardens.

El said...

I would love to stroll through the garden and find a bench near some water to sit for a bit.

Marissa Doyle said...

Alas, Rachel, the US was quite looked down upon through most of the 19th century...many seemed to think the entire continent was overrun with savage beasts and hostile natives, including the eastern seaboard which by this time had been settled for two hundred years. Wild West shows were quite popular entertainment in England right through the 1890s.

Marissa Doyle said...

And welcome, Rose! So glad you're enjoying the party!

Gio said...

What a nice party! The garden looks beautiful.

And I agree with Rachel about more slang posts. Those are very fun and interesting.