Habits of the House

 

Summary (from the publisher): As the Season of 1899 comes to an end, the world is poised on the brink of profound, irrevocable change. The Earl of Dilberne is facing serious financial concerns. The ripple effects spread to everyone in the household: Lord Robert, who has gambled unwisely on the stock market and seeks a place in the Cabinet; his unmarried children, Arthur, who keeps a courtesan, and Rosina, who keeps a parrot in her bedroom; Lord Robert's wife Isobel, who orders the affairs of the household in Belgrave Square; and Grace, the lady's maid who orders the life of her mistress.

Lord Robert can see no financial relief to an already mortgaged estate, and, though the Season is over, his thoughts turn to securing a suitable wife (and dowry) for his son. The arrival on the London scene of Minnie, a beautiful Chicago heiress with a reputation to mend, seems the answer to all their prayers.

As the writer of the pilot episode of the original Upstairs, Downstairs—Fay Weldon brings a deserved reputation for magnificent storytelling. With wit and sympathy—and no small measure of mischief—Habits of the House plots the interplay of restraint and desire, manners and morals, reason and instinct.

Review: Set in London in 1899, the Earl of Dilburne and his family are facing financial ruin but are still unable to change their lavish ways. Lord Robert has lost a tidy sum on the stock market. His wife is largely consumed with appearances around their home as they prepare to entertain the Prince of Wales for dinner.  His grown unmarried children include Arthur, who spends far more than he should on a mistress while avoiding taking a wife and his daughter Rosina, who also spends her time avoiding marriage and attending meetings for progressive new ideas. As their lives seem to be about to fall apart while they look they other way, Minnie, a beautiful but ruined heiress from Chicago arrives on the scene and seems to be the answer to their money problems. 

Marketed as a Downton Abbey-esque tale, this story does include scenes from the perspectives of the below stairs members of household. But it lacks the heart of the popular show. Little of the personal lives and backgrounds of the below stairs crew is explored. Their perspectives largely serve to further the story of the Earl and his family. In many ways only the earl, his wife, their son Arthur, and Minnie are explored in any depth. Few of the characters are particularly likeable either.

This novel was promising in its set-up but failed to deliver for me. The budding relationship between Arthur and Minnie had such promise and was teased at from early on in the novel, but failed to play out over the course of the novel. Perhaps book two will finally skip to the point. Similarly, much is made of Rosina's progressive ideas but nothing is done with her as a character. She's just an eccentric side observer of the show. I am curious to see what Weldon does with her character in the rest of the trilogy but not sure if I enjoyed this first installment enough to seek out the next two books. 

Stars: 3