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"Absorbing...Heartbreaking...Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society....Grips the reader...
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Aug 07, 2011
Amanda
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Aug 03, 2011
Bowerbird
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Very many years ago I saw the musical "Robert and Elizabeth" in London and fell in love with their characters. Wilson and Flush just appeared on the periphery. However, the musical only went as far as their leaving for Italy. If I had read this book at the time I would have been devastated to find that two poets could be so selfish. Maybe I thought poets had more insight into life and its traumas than ordinary people. But of course they treated servants just as others of that period wo
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Apr 06, 2011
Emma
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Lady's Maid is the fictional life story of Lily Wilson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's maid. Since all I knew about either of the Browning poets before starting this book was the little bit I remember from high school English, I wasn't sure if this was the book for me; fortunately, it really is the story of Wilson (as she is called throughout the book), and background knowledge about her employers is not essential. In fact, being famous poets, I expected to see them romanticized, but they're not;
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Mar 30, 2011
Mary Ronan
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Lily Wilson is not in her first youth when she is hired in 1844 to be lady’s maid to Elizabeth Barrett. She finds a seriously dysfunctional family, under the complete control of the Barrett father, who forbids any of his children to marry. When Lily arrives Elizabeth Barrett is seriously neurotic, but also suffering from an unidentified lung condition and an addiction to opiates. With the help of Elizabeth’s sisters Lily slowly encourages EB to leave the house and eventually to take walks in the
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Jan 23, 2011
Felice
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Lady's Maid also takes historical fact and expands it into a novel. It is the story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning as told through the eyes of Barrett's maid, Lily Wilson. Wilson as Barrett called her, was instrumental in getting Barrett's correspondence to Browning during their romance. When the famous couple eloped to Italy Wilson accompanied them. Wilson lived her life through Barrett's. She was Barrett's maid, companion, confidante, nurse and support through every crisis and succes
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Mar 16, 2009
Antof9
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This is the fictional story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's real-life lady's maid, and it was fascinating to read. The author really drew me into the era and Wilson's feelings. I really felt like I was living with Wilson while I was reading this book! "Wilson", of course, is Lily Wilson, who comes from a small town to London to work for Elizabeth Barrett, works for her through her marriage to Robert Browning, miscarriages, the birth of her son, and on and off through the rest of Eli
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Dec 27, 2010
Leslie
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At a time when everyone had servants (or was a servant), servants knew more about the intimate details of their employers' lives than anyone else could. They moved in and out of their private rooms at all hours, saw them when they woke up and went to bed, dressed them, undressed them, washed them, cleaned up after them, repaired their clothes, washed their faces, brushed their hair, straightened their pillows, knew how often they had sex and when a woman's period was late, overheard conversatio
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Dec 28, 2009
Gretchen
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Feb 11, 2011
Katie
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Lady's Maid tells the story of Wilson, a girl from the northeast who becomes lady's maid to Elizabeth Barrett. At first she feels alone and awkward in her situation, but slowly she comes to love her mistress and grows in confidence. Wilson becomes increasingly important in Miss Barrett's life, facilitating her secret marriage to Robert Browning and flight to a new life in Italy. Throughout this, Wilson has her own life to contend with: her family, her suitors and her hopes for the future.
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Apr 18, 2008
Mara
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Told from the intriguing perspective of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's maid, Wilson, this book asks us to look at the relationship between the English upper-class and their personal servants in the nineteenth century. Where close bonds can develop, as they do here, what are the obligations of a maid to her mistress, and what are the obligations of a mistress to her maid?
Here, the Brownings (especially Elizabeth) do not necessarily come off well, at some points seeming to deliberately t More...
Here, the Brownings (especially Elizabeth) do not necessarily come off well, at some points seeming to deliberately t More...
Feb 29, 2008
Melissa
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I love novels set in the Victorian era. That's all I need to be happy. Nothing hugely remarkable about this book (yet), but atill a pleasant way to while away the evening.
The premise: Wilson is a servant, tried and true. Through luck, she is appointed to the enviable position of lady's maid to a gentlewoman, a sickly poet by the name of Elizabeth. Slowly, Wilson grows attached to her mistress, even being willing to help her elope and accompany her abroad, to the Continent.
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The premise: Wilson is a servant, tried and true. Through luck, she is appointed to the enviable position of lady's maid to a gentlewoman, a sickly poet by the name of Elizabeth. Slowly, Wilson grows attached to her mistress, even being willing to help her elope and accompany her abroad, to the Continent.
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Jul 06, 2007
Maryll
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An "Upstairs/Downstairs" type rendering of the Barrett and then Browning households and, as the title would suggest, it makes Elizabeth's personal maid seem much more engrossing than the poet herself. If you pick it up, like me, because you're interested in the Brownings art and their marriage, you will leave disappointed. The Brownings themselves come off as rather self-absorbed and oblivious to life in the lower classes. They evidently had a happy marriage but you don't learn much ab
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Mar 17, 2010
Joyce M.
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I enjoy the story and the interrelationship of Wilson and Elizabeth, BUT I do like historical fiction take me to the time and place of the story. This does not. I have to constantly remind myself that is takes place in the 1840s. Except for one mention so far of Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens, I do not feel the period. I can't tell most of it from the 1880s or 1890s. The time and culture markers are not there to put it into its place. The imagery is lacking. Half way done. Onward. Easy, f
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Jul 23, 2010
Amy
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I have always enjoyed Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry, her sonnets especially -- one was even read at my wedding. This novel was written by one of her biographers, and while that encouraged me, promising historical accuracy, I have to admit that I'm not all that fond of Elizabeth's character or personality. In fact, I find her to be a bit of a self-centered crybaby. And Robert Browning isn't much better.
Luckily, the novel does not focus on them, but rather on Elizabeth's maid, More...
Luckily, the novel does not focus on them, but rather on Elizabeth's maid, More...
Oct 28, 2007
Susan
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Lady's Maid does exactly what I want historical fiction to do--it takes us to a time and place not our own, tells us a story we think we already know from a different perspective, and personalizes names and dates that would otherwise be just...well...names and dates. LM is a first-person narrative, told by Wilson, the personal maid of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Following her story from her initial hiring through EBB's death, the reader gets insight into the day-to-day realities of life as a upp
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Nov 03, 2009
Kate
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An incredible reimagining of the life of a marginal figure of history. The book is an account of the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's most faithful maid. Forster really makes the conflicts of servant and mistress, companion and intellectual, and life and art, real. I would unequivocally recommend this to any reader. I will be adding this with Jane Eyre and Memoirs of a Geisha to my annual reading list.
Dec 05, 2009
Rosemary
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Fascinating view into the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning from the perspective of the woman who was her maid/friend for 16 years. I had no idea that her family disowned her when she married Robert Browning and that she was addicted to laudanum (opium) for years. Kind of long (19 CD's), but I looked forward to listening to some each night before I went to sleep.
Oct 02, 2009
Joy
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5.5/6 -- Have you ever liked an actor in a movie and then seen them interviewed and wished that you had never seen the interview because your opinion of them changed (for the worse)? Well, now I am not sure I like Elizabeth Barrett Browning... her selfish, self-centered personality was immense. Altho I did find the book sort of interesting, I would have difficulty in recommending it to many people: the writing is slow, so the reader must have a definite interest in period writing and an interes
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Jan 23, 2009
I did not realize the background to this book when I first started reading it for my book club, and when I heard that one of the main characters was Elizabeth Barrett, I suddenly sat up and read the back cover. Ah...the Lady's Maid is an account of the love story between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, famous poets of the 19th century!
Jan 15, 2010
Lauren
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I liked the perspective of this story - looking at an historical figure through the eyes of someone overlooked but who probably understood their character better than anyone. It's a terribly sad story, but a fascinating look at the time period, at Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and of the life of poor servants and maids.
Mar 07, 2011
Julie
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Slow. Very, very slow.
When I took this book out, the premise sounded so promising--so interesting. The book crawled along, and about half way through, I asked myself why I was going to finish it, when, to be honest, I didn't like the characters, didn't appreciate their struggles.
Well, I did read it all, and it started to pick up the pace a bit after I hit the half way point. Unfortunately, it didn't continue to move along. Maybe I just don't appreciate that there we More...
When I took this book out, the premise sounded so promising--so interesting. The book crawled along, and about half way through, I asked myself why I was going to finish it, when, to be honest, I didn't like the characters, didn't appreciate their struggles.
Well, I did read it all, and it started to pick up the pace a bit after I hit the half way point. Unfortunately, it didn't continue to move along. Maybe I just don't appreciate that there we More...
Mar 17, 2011
Natasha
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I didn't care for Wilson, I didn't care for the Browings, nor did I for most of the other characters. This book dragged on for too long. Wilson irked me with her wishy washyness and her always changing her mind and/or mood. It is sad that she never realized how the Brownings viewed her until it was too late, but I couldn't feel sympathy for her.
Aug 21, 2010
Kristin
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This was very interesting until about two-thirds of the way in, when the tone seemed to change and it became very slow going. It was as if all the characters just got tired of each other, and there wasn't anything compelling for me to stay engaged with them (except that I hate leaving a book unread).
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Aug 27, 2008
Annalee
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Sep 15, 2007
Kelly
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A favorite of mine. The fictional account of the life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "lady's maid" Wilson. Though the book is fiction, the bulk of the book is based in truth. EBB's letters and such mention Wilson quite a bit. EBB was always interested in the "plight of the lower classes" yet saw no irony in denying Wilson a raise after years of devoted service. Despite the fact Wilson's job duties expanded to include that of baby nurse EBB thought Wilson ungrateful to a
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Dec 19, 2008
Shirlyn
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Non-fiction intertwined with fiction tells a very detailed story of the marriage to two famous poets, Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett. Through the eyes of her Lady's Maid, it reallys draws you in, an amazing discrepency between the servant class and those with money. People then really thought they were of a better class simply because ot the "lucky gene pool" they were born into. I hope we have all moved away from this division.
Really liked the book, really got to know More...
Really liked the book, really got to know More...
Apr 05, 2009
Janellyn51
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I did really enjoy this book....I went on an Elizabeth Barrett Browning bender after this, although why I don't know, because she certainly was a creep to poor Wilson here. It was a very well written book and it held my interest throughout.
Sep 21, 2010
Jana
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I really enjoyed this historical fiction. It's about Wilson, the maid to Elizabeth Barrett Browning and their relationship. Very interesting glimpse into life at that time and the life of a servant. Heartbreaking to read at times!!
Jul 13, 2009
Connie
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Forster's fictional biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's personal maid portrays the relationship between master and servant of the time. Although the relationship between Mrs. Browning and her maid often extended beyond that of employer and employee to the level of friendship, at the end, servitude was expected to rule...and did.
Forster's reliance on real letters of the maid root the story in reality. Not only does the Maid's story come to life but the reader also gets an in More...
Forster's reliance on real letters of the maid root the story in reality. Not only does the Maid's story come to life but the reader also gets an in More...
Mar 24, 2011
Jennifer
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Snore. I had to force myself to finish this one. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen...but it didn't really ever happen. It was readable...but I like a bit mire suspense to a story.
