If Walls Could Talk by Lucy Worsley

 

Summary (from the publisher): Why did the flushing toilet take two centuries to catch on? Why did Samuel Pepys never give his mistresses an orgasm? Why did medieval people sleep sitting up? When were the two "dirty centuries"? Why did gas lighting cause Victorian ladies to faint? Why, for centuries, did people fear fruit? All these questions will be answered in this juicy, smelly, and truly intimate history of home life. Lucy Worsley takes us through the bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen, covering the architectural history of each room, but concentrating on what people actually did in bed, in the bath, at the table, and at the stove. From sauce-stirring to breast-feeding, teeth-cleaning to masturbation, getting dressed to getting married, this book will make you see your home with new eyes.

Review: In this entertaining and conversational style history, author Lucy Worsley takes us on an interesting journey through history's most interesting domestic details. Worsley covers the history of the domestic life through entertaining tidbits and stories. Moving room by room through the house, the reader learns about the habits of people through the century when it comes to bathing, dining, and everything in between. 

This book has been criticized for lacking scholarly footnotes and sufficient source documentation. As I listened to an audiobook version of it, I wasn't privy to what it was missing in terms of sources, but I will say it was definitely a light-handed take on the topic. This reads like a gossip-y style text rather than a complete history. It is meant to entertain, not to provide a complete overview. I did enjoy it but writing this a week after finishing it, I already can't recall much of what I heard. 

I do wish the author had provided a more definite parameter in terms of years covered. This book roams about in history and country with no real beginning or ending point. It reminded me of a PBS show you might watch on the subject of domestic history just to be introduced to a topic but typically a book allows a deeper insight and understanding. A fun, light read but not incredibly lasting or educational for me. 

Stars: 3