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Ashenden
Spring 2010, and when Charlie and Ros inherit Ashenden from their aunt Reggie a decision must be made. The beautiful eighteenth-century house, set in acres of English countryside, is in need of serious repair. Do they try to keep it in the family, or will they have to sell?
Moving back in time, in an interwoven narrative spanning two and a half centuries, we witness the house from its beginnings through to the present day. Along the way we meet those who have built the house, lived in it and loved it; those who have worked in it, and those who would subvert it to their own ends, including Mrs Trimble, housekeeper to the rackety, spendthrift Mores; the wealthy Henderson family, in their Victorian heyday; six-year-old Pudge; Walter Beckmann, prisoner in its grounds; and Reggie and Hugo, agents of its postwar revival.
Through good times and bad, the better we get to know the house, the more we care about its survival. A novel about people, architecture and living history, Ashenden is an evocative and allusive reflection on England and its past.
Moving back in time, in an interwoven narrative spanning two and a half centuries, we witness the house from its beginnings through to the present day. Along the way we meet those who have built the house, lived in it and loved it; those who have worked in it, and those who would subvert it to their own ends, including Mrs Trimble, housekeeper to the rackety, spendthrift Mores; the wealthy Henderson family, in their Victorian heyday; six-year-old Pudge; Walter Beckmann, prisoner in its grounds; and Reggie and Hugo, agents of its postwar revival.
Through good times and bad, the better we get to know the house, the more we care about its survival. A novel about people, architecture and living history, Ashenden is an evocative and allusive reflection on England and its past.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
34 people are currently reading
2914 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Wilhide
92 books41 followersElizabeth Wilhide is the author of many books on design and interiors and two novels. Born in the United States, she now resides in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
June 27, 2013
This book was like a series of short stories starring Ashendon. It was intriguing to follow the house through the years and see characters from previous chapters pop up in unexpected ways. Enjoyed it!
March 10, 2013
Basildon Park is an actual Georgian mansion with acres of lawn and gardens, which was rescued from ruin in the mid 1950s. If you read this book about a house called Ashenden, you are essentially reading about Basildon Park. If you saw the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice, this house hosted the Netherfield Ball. The author formerly has written decorating books; this is her first novel.
The whole story about the building of the house, finding and transporting the immense Bath stones needed to create it, and then narratives of all the families who have owned and worked at the manor since its completion I found simply fascinating. Some stories were better than others, but all held my attention and contained unique and well-developed characters, Ashenden being the main one. We’ve all heard how England’s castles fell into ruin due to the expensive upkeep; well, so did the large manor homes. We have the builder lovingly taking on the huge, difficult project that was Ashenden, and then the home through the years 1775 - 2010 going from owner to owner, falling into disrepair, serving as a hospital during WWI, then a POW camp during WWII, finally being restored again years later, and now in present day with Charles and his sister having inherited the money pit, grappling with what to do with it.
The author's writing flowed well and I appreciated her sly wit. Thank you goodreads First Reads for this very excellent book!
The whole story about the building of the house, finding and transporting the immense Bath stones needed to create it, and then narratives of all the families who have owned and worked at the manor since its completion I found simply fascinating. Some stories were better than others, but all held my attention and contained unique and well-developed characters, Ashenden being the main one. We’ve all heard how England’s castles fell into ruin due to the expensive upkeep; well, so did the large manor homes. We have the builder lovingly taking on the huge, difficult project that was Ashenden, and then the home through the years 1775 - 2010 going from owner to owner, falling into disrepair, serving as a hospital during WWI, then a POW camp during WWII, finally being restored again years later, and now in present day with Charles and his sister having inherited the money pit, grappling with what to do with it.
The author's writing flowed well and I appreciated her sly wit. Thank you goodreads First Reads for this very excellent book!
January 22, 2013
As a lover of period dramas (need I mention Downton Abbey?) I was anxious to sink my teeth into a book tracing the history of a country estate.
I had time this weekend and purposely had kept this book to have a good relaxing read with a glass of sherry and classical music in the background. Then I started the book. What a disappointment.
It was a collection of vignettes highlighting the history of the house from 1775 to the present. Wilhide failed to tie the components together with any depth. The bits were too short and not detailed enough to evoke any true interest in the characters.
I got it that the main character was the house. However, instead of developing the house as a character, it seemed to me the Wilhide's main purpose was to impress us with her knowledge of architectural details. Perhaps it was written as a homage to her architect husband (the jacket makes a point of referring to her marriage to an "architect husband".
Too bad.
I had time this weekend and purposely had kept this book to have a good relaxing read with a glass of sherry and classical music in the background. Then I started the book. What a disappointment.
It was a collection of vignettes highlighting the history of the house from 1775 to the present. Wilhide failed to tie the components together with any depth. The bits were too short and not detailed enough to evoke any true interest in the characters.
I got it that the main character was the house. However, instead of developing the house as a character, it seemed to me the Wilhide's main purpose was to impress us with her knowledge of architectural details. Perhaps it was written as a homage to her architect husband (the jacket makes a point of referring to her marriage to an "architect husband".
Too bad.
March 23, 2013
I really thought this sounded like the kind of book that would be right up my street, but unfortunately I found it didn't meet my expectation and was, in all in all, a bit of a disappointment.
It's the story of a country house, built in the Palladian style, and the people who live in it. To be honest, I found it rather dreary and depressing and the house never really seems properly loved and seen in all its glory. Each chapter is a separate short story or vignette, often trying to link characters from one to the other to try and keep a sense of continuity, but not always working. So many of the character were just plain unpleasant and if there was someone you did want to know something more about, well you are bound to be disappointed. Life isn't all roses, but this just seemed to have too much unhappiness and misfortune in it. also, some of the architecture of the house is described in great detail, but I never felt it strong enough to be a 'character' in the book as I expected.
It's the story of a country house, built in the Palladian style, and the people who live in it. To be honest, I found it rather dreary and depressing and the house never really seems properly loved and seen in all its glory. Each chapter is a separate short story or vignette, often trying to link characters from one to the other to try and keep a sense of continuity, but not always working. So many of the character were just plain unpleasant and if there was someone you did want to know something more about, well you are bound to be disappointed. Life isn't all roses, but this just seemed to have too much unhappiness and misfortune in it. also, some of the architecture of the house is described in great detail, but I never felt it strong enough to be a 'character' in the book as I expected.
May 25, 2014
I found this book so easy to read. Normally mansion's are inherited from generation to generation. I loved how Elizabeth Wilhide has thought about changing the sequence here & added all different people owning Ashenden. One family who own Ashenden have a land line, mobile phone & the classic email. The roof starts to leak. Bills stsrt to mount up, Heating bills & repair bills. The family then have to make an emotional decision do they keep Ashenden or do they sell.? Highly recommend buying this book. You can buy this on penguin book site.
January 19, 2013
It's funny how a book can sometimes find you during just the right set of days. I usually read one book a week and end up starting a new one over the weekend. Last Sunday, having finished all of the available books in Phillip Rock's "Passing Bells" trilogy and craving more books along the lines of "big English country house" stories, I remembered that I had an advance e-galley of yet another book marketed to Downton Abbey lovers.
As much as I love Downton Abbey, the comparison to Ashenden isn't fair and I suspect will lead many readers to underestimate and even pass over this gorgeously written novel-in-stories. The novel begins quite slowly with the rather-underwritten brother and sister Charlie and Ros who have just inherited the over two hundred year-old house from their childless aunt. I actually started this book a few months ago when I first received it and didn't continue due to my disinterest in the first chapter. Fortunately, I pressed on this time around and got to the second chapter that goes back to the construction of the house in 1775. I expected a kind of Edward Rutherfurd gallop across history but instead felt as though I was reading a very good collection of short stories, all loosely linked by place and poetic connections across time.
Wilhide wisely doesn't overdo the genealogical connections between stories, breaking up the ownership of the house while subtly alluding to the passage of time and generations. The main treat here is the beautiful writing, each story somehow capturing the language of each time from 1775 to 1844 to 1909 to 1976. The stories are a good combination of bitter and sweet and have a breathtaking sense of the passage of time and both the permanence and impermance of life. The writing was quietly poetic without being over-bearing, such as in this passage set in 1966 "Lavender clings to laundered sheets folded on the cedar shelves of linen closets. Vases of velvety roses sit on tables polished with beeswax. On summer evenings, the sweet perfume of nightscented stocks drifts through open windows...."
I happened to be reading this book during a time of incredible stress and upset at work - it was a very real comfort to come home to these stories and contemplate a deeper sense of life. As with any collection of short stories, there are weak moments. Oddly enough, I felt the book sagged a bit in the 1909 and 1916 sections - precisely the time periods that Downton Abbey fans would be interested in.
That's a small quibble about what is already one of my favorite books of the year - almost certainly a book that I'll want to buy a physical copy of and set on my bookshelf alongside other beloved novels.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes.
As much as I love Downton Abbey, the comparison to Ashenden isn't fair and I suspect will lead many readers to underestimate and even pass over this gorgeously written novel-in-stories. The novel begins quite slowly with the rather-underwritten brother and sister Charlie and Ros who have just inherited the over two hundred year-old house from their childless aunt. I actually started this book a few months ago when I first received it and didn't continue due to my disinterest in the first chapter. Fortunately, I pressed on this time around and got to the second chapter that goes back to the construction of the house in 1775. I expected a kind of Edward Rutherfurd gallop across history but instead felt as though I was reading a very good collection of short stories, all loosely linked by place and poetic connections across time.
Wilhide wisely doesn't overdo the genealogical connections between stories, breaking up the ownership of the house while subtly alluding to the passage of time and generations. The main treat here is the beautiful writing, each story somehow capturing the language of each time from 1775 to 1844 to 1909 to 1976. The stories are a good combination of bitter and sweet and have a breathtaking sense of the passage of time and both the permanence and impermance of life. The writing was quietly poetic without being over-bearing, such as in this passage set in 1966 "Lavender clings to laundered sheets folded on the cedar shelves of linen closets. Vases of velvety roses sit on tables polished with beeswax. On summer evenings, the sweet perfume of nightscented stocks drifts through open windows...."
I happened to be reading this book during a time of incredible stress and upset at work - it was a very real comfort to come home to these stories and contemplate a deeper sense of life. As with any collection of short stories, there are weak moments. Oddly enough, I felt the book sagged a bit in the 1909 and 1916 sections - precisely the time periods that Downton Abbey fans would be interested in.
That's a small quibble about what is already one of my favorite books of the year - almost certainly a book that I'll want to buy a physical copy of and set on my bookshelf alongside other beloved novels.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes.
April 23, 2013
A friend of mine recently dealt with the sale of her childhood home, dating to the late 1700’s, disposing/relocating her 100 year old mother’s 70+ years of collections, memories, sagging floors, failing heating system, faulty wiring - all within the constraints of the local historical preservation society. Against all odds, a young man and his partner bought the house and is restoring it, honoring its past, affirming its place in the future, and I can’t imagine the cost.
All this is to establish a context for this novel I stumbled across and could not stop reading. The details of building, deterioration, and rebuilding are revealed in words and images that only this author, so knowledgeable about design and architecture, could write about so skillfully.
From 1775-2010, from the initial architect, family, extended staff, those whose eyes were focused on family and those, on avarice, self serving, residents by design or accident, this is a novel rich in history, intrigue and humanity. The earliest stages, transporting the stone from Bath and drying it appropriately for cutting and building, captured my attention. The use of the magnificent house by family and military, with the author’s knowledge of history, enriched the plot…”The house contains time. Its walls hold stories.”…”but what is missing are the people to inhabit it.”…”The house slips through the fingers of the family who commissioned it, slips right away from them forever…and in the nick of time, saved.”…”an ominous blood pulses but the house, which is serving honor and is saving it.” Beginning in 1775, each chapter captured the social mores, politics and the universal human issues of the period. Some chapters were brief enough to surface narrow thinking and prejudice and others, broad enough to explain so much more.
How naïve we are in the US about what is involved for a nation to heal from war fought on its soil, physically and emotionally, the impact of a bomb detonated years after the war’s end, the lives changed, the stately homes damaged far beyond what England’s National Trust can assume for responsibility and debt. In the end, war was the challenge, not simply the passage of time. The human cost of war seems overwhelming; to consider one’s “responsibility” to save artifacts is overwhelming to me. Yet, here, saving a history, in the end, prevailed.
All this is to establish a context for this novel I stumbled across and could not stop reading. The details of building, deterioration, and rebuilding are revealed in words and images that only this author, so knowledgeable about design and architecture, could write about so skillfully.
From 1775-2010, from the initial architect, family, extended staff, those whose eyes were focused on family and those, on avarice, self serving, residents by design or accident, this is a novel rich in history, intrigue and humanity. The earliest stages, transporting the stone from Bath and drying it appropriately for cutting and building, captured my attention. The use of the magnificent house by family and military, with the author’s knowledge of history, enriched the plot…”The house contains time. Its walls hold stories.”…”but what is missing are the people to inhabit it.”…”The house slips through the fingers of the family who commissioned it, slips right away from them forever…and in the nick of time, saved.”…”an ominous blood pulses but the house, which is serving honor and is saving it.” Beginning in 1775, each chapter captured the social mores, politics and the universal human issues of the period. Some chapters were brief enough to surface narrow thinking and prejudice and others, broad enough to explain so much more.
How naïve we are in the US about what is involved for a nation to heal from war fought on its soil, physically and emotionally, the impact of a bomb detonated years after the war’s end, the lives changed, the stately homes damaged far beyond what England’s National Trust can assume for responsibility and debt. In the end, war was the challenge, not simply the passage of time. The human cost of war seems overwhelming; to consider one’s “responsibility” to save artifacts is overwhelming to me. Yet, here, saving a history, in the end, prevailed.
January 6, 2013
Ashenden is being marketed as a novel for fans of Downton Abbey. This is accurate in regards to the novel’s focus on a grand old house and its inhabitants. However, it is also more than simply a grand house and a grand family. The novel is composed of a series of short stories involving the inhabitants (of all social standing) of the house. Each story is linked by characters and, of course, the house itself.
Elizabeth Wilhide is an acclaimed author on design and interiors. This is evident in the wonderful way she handled the detail and presence of Ashenden estate. The house in the novel is based on the resurrection of Basildon Park, which is Netherfield Hall in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice. Given her background in non-fiction, it is pleasantly surprising how well she handles the human aspect of the novel. The characters are not just the previous owners of Ashenden, they can be anyone who’s connected with the house – sons, daughters, housekeepers, soldiers, etc.
"When someone died, you missed their physical presence first, the warmth in the bed, all the tones and shadings of their speech, the footsteps or sighs or rustlings in the next room, even the irritations and annoyances. You missed these things as if your skin had been peeled off in long, bleeding strips. When all that became less painful, you still missed their mind, the consciousness that partnered with yours, that gave you bifocal vision."
While the novel is not necessarily memorable, it is very enjoyable. Within the story, the house bears witness to two and a half centuries. The reader gets vignettes of history and society through the eyes of the residents. These glimpses provide evocative and intriguing insights into modern British history. The writing is intelligent, witty, and subtle. If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you’ll most certainly enjoy Ashenden. However, it is also likely to appeal to fans of historical fiction, social observation, and intelligent writing.
Elizabeth Wilhide is an acclaimed author on design and interiors. This is evident in the wonderful way she handled the detail and presence of Ashenden estate. The house in the novel is based on the resurrection of Basildon Park, which is Netherfield Hall in 2005’s Pride and Prejudice. Given her background in non-fiction, it is pleasantly surprising how well she handles the human aspect of the novel. The characters are not just the previous owners of Ashenden, they can be anyone who’s connected with the house – sons, daughters, housekeepers, soldiers, etc.
"When someone died, you missed their physical presence first, the warmth in the bed, all the tones and shadings of their speech, the footsteps or sighs or rustlings in the next room, even the irritations and annoyances. You missed these things as if your skin had been peeled off in long, bleeding strips. When all that became less painful, you still missed their mind, the consciousness that partnered with yours, that gave you bifocal vision."
While the novel is not necessarily memorable, it is very enjoyable. Within the story, the house bears witness to two and a half centuries. The reader gets vignettes of history and society through the eyes of the residents. These glimpses provide evocative and intriguing insights into modern British history. The writing is intelligent, witty, and subtle. If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, you’ll most certainly enjoy Ashenden. However, it is also likely to appeal to fans of historical fiction, social observation, and intelligent writing.
October 3, 2016
3.5* A decidedly different kind of book and I liked it a lot. Copied down several quotes that I wanted to remember. I do wish I had made notes about the various people who were part of the house's history as there were so many connections from period to period. One of the things I liked most was the way each chapter began with a paragraph that almost felt like it was from the house's point of view, or maybe from the pov of "history". Those sections have such an otherworldly feel, almost a peaceful feeling that despite human frailties the world and art live on. The human stories were all interesting but never allowed you to become too involved before history moved on to the next era. Excellent.
August 16, 2022
Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide is essentially a collection of short stories, spanning 1775 to modern day, loosely gathered into a single story line thread by a stately country manor house in England--Ashenden. We are introduced to the house when Charlie, a middle aged transplant to America, is told that his Aunt Reggie has died...and willed the ancient, dilapidated country estate to his sister Ros and him. Flying over, he finds the house is in worse shape then he had feared, and that attempting to keep and restore the buildings would surely spell financial ruin. His sister isn't so quickly convinced though. After all, the house is steeped in history, and Wilhide then skillfully shows us the extent of the history through the following chapters.
We are transported effortlessly through time, and each chapter has a unique flavor to it. 1700's England was perfecting the art of property rights, an Englishman who had made his fortune in India had hired a builder to create a unique estate on the banks of a river, and the steward of Ashenden was busy enforcing his property rights (to the benefit of some and detriment of others). "The locals were easy to intimidate. Arrest a trapper, a herder, a woodcutter. Change the language. Call the trapper a poacher, the herder a trespasser, the woodcutter a thief and hang them or send them to prison. That taught the villagers they were no longer free to snare hares for their pots, graze their sheep on the uplands, or fuel their fires. The Romany were different. What did they care for surveyors with telescopes and chains? Title deeds, fences, and walls meant nothing to them. Land was land. They roamed and lived lightly on it. They took what they needed and moved on, covering their traces, melting away."
In the late 1800's society was beginning to wake up from Victorian sensibilities, a wealthy couple had purchased Ashenden from the ruined original owner, but for women, choices were still very limited, as a young maid servant at Ashenden finds out. "She beat a fist against his chest. 'What am I supposed to do? Go home and tell my mother she's got another two mouths to feed and less to do it on? Walk the streets? Drown myself? Believe me, I've considered all of them. you didn't come out here to sing a song, you came to tell me you can't be a husband, you can't be a father, because there is a road you haven't gone down yet and you meant to see where that will take you. And I'm saying that I won't stop you from going down any road you please.' She was crying now. 'I'll have to make the best of it, won't I, because I don't have a choice in the matter. I don't have a choice in the matter! Not like you."
Fast forward to 1916, and Ashenden has become a convalescent center for soldiers wounded in both body and spirit. One officer chillingly recounts the horrors of the battle field. "He stared at the flaking distemper. 'To be honest, I don't remember much about it. My memory's not so good these days.' He was lying. Shattered stumps, waterlogged craters, corpses piled four deep: he remembered all of it, and whenever he forgot it for a time, his dreams were happy to remind him." Ten years later those horrors are replaced by the lavish debauchery of the roaring twenties. "Frances had nice brown eyes but wasn't wearing any makeup and didn't have the right figure for her dress, which was to say she had a figure whose curves disturbed its straight lines. No girls had bosoms now; what precisely they did with them Hugo was not entirely sure, but he understood it involved elasticated undergarments of the kind Frances evidently did not possess."
Those carefree years were short lived though. 1939 found England once more plunged under the terror of war. Tranquil estates were bombed, and those not ravaged by the enemy were ravaged by troops needing command centers or practice fields. Ashenden was no exception. Her main building was commandeered for officers, her grounds were used for tank exercises, and her outbuildings were turned into holding facilities for German prisoners of war. 1946 found the prisoners still being held there, and part of their routine involved watching grainy videos of concentration camps. One soldier reflected "The biggest truth, and perhaps the worst, was how easy truth was to ignore, how fragile it was when delusion combined with self-interest. An entire country, a people, could will their eyes and minds away from it while their acts demonstrated a terrible knowingness and purpose to the contrary."
Charlie's uncle (the aforementioned Hugo with his observations of 20's dress) ended up falling head over heels for a woman named Reggie. They bought and restored Ashenden, and lived out their golden years in happily married bliss on the estate. After Hugo died, Reggie found herself rattling around, watched over by caretakers, but stubbornly independent till the end. Charlie wonders in the first chapter why she decided to risk the ice to go to the main house, ultimately hastening her death. One of my favorite aspects of the novel was getting to know Reggie's spirit over the last 4-5 chapters which left no doubt in my mind as to the answer to Charlie's question. Charlie makes it no secret that he has no sentimental love for the mansion, but I challenge anyone to read the book and not look at old houses in a different light. There's something to be said for history, and this book has it in spades.
Bottom line: Those who like a cohesive story line with one cast of characters will probably be frustrated by Wilhide's offering...as evidenced by many of the reviews on Goodreads. However, for those looking for excellent prose, well-crafted dialogue, a dash of humor, and a generous dosing of accurate history: may I suggest Ashenden . Definitely recommended!
We are transported effortlessly through time, and each chapter has a unique flavor to it. 1700's England was perfecting the art of property rights, an Englishman who had made his fortune in India had hired a builder to create a unique estate on the banks of a river, and the steward of Ashenden was busy enforcing his property rights (to the benefit of some and detriment of others). "The locals were easy to intimidate. Arrest a trapper, a herder, a woodcutter. Change the language. Call the trapper a poacher, the herder a trespasser, the woodcutter a thief and hang them or send them to prison. That taught the villagers they were no longer free to snare hares for their pots, graze their sheep on the uplands, or fuel their fires. The Romany were different. What did they care for surveyors with telescopes and chains? Title deeds, fences, and walls meant nothing to them. Land was land. They roamed and lived lightly on it. They took what they needed and moved on, covering their traces, melting away."
In the late 1800's society was beginning to wake up from Victorian sensibilities, a wealthy couple had purchased Ashenden from the ruined original owner, but for women, choices were still very limited, as a young maid servant at Ashenden finds out. "She beat a fist against his chest. 'What am I supposed to do? Go home and tell my mother she's got another two mouths to feed and less to do it on? Walk the streets? Drown myself? Believe me, I've considered all of them. you didn't come out here to sing a song, you came to tell me you can't be a husband, you can't be a father, because there is a road you haven't gone down yet and you meant to see where that will take you. And I'm saying that I won't stop you from going down any road you please.' She was crying now. 'I'll have to make the best of it, won't I, because I don't have a choice in the matter. I don't have a choice in the matter! Not like you."
Fast forward to 1916, and Ashenden has become a convalescent center for soldiers wounded in both body and spirit. One officer chillingly recounts the horrors of the battle field. "He stared at the flaking distemper. 'To be honest, I don't remember much about it. My memory's not so good these days.' He was lying. Shattered stumps, waterlogged craters, corpses piled four deep: he remembered all of it, and whenever he forgot it for a time, his dreams were happy to remind him." Ten years later those horrors are replaced by the lavish debauchery of the roaring twenties. "Frances had nice brown eyes but wasn't wearing any makeup and didn't have the right figure for her dress, which was to say she had a figure whose curves disturbed its straight lines. No girls had bosoms now; what precisely they did with them Hugo was not entirely sure, but he understood it involved elasticated undergarments of the kind Frances evidently did not possess."
Those carefree years were short lived though. 1939 found England once more plunged under the terror of war. Tranquil estates were bombed, and those not ravaged by the enemy were ravaged by troops needing command centers or practice fields. Ashenden was no exception. Her main building was commandeered for officers, her grounds were used for tank exercises, and her outbuildings were turned into holding facilities for German prisoners of war. 1946 found the prisoners still being held there, and part of their routine involved watching grainy videos of concentration camps. One soldier reflected "The biggest truth, and perhaps the worst, was how easy truth was to ignore, how fragile it was when delusion combined with self-interest. An entire country, a people, could will their eyes and minds away from it while their acts demonstrated a terrible knowingness and purpose to the contrary."
Charlie's uncle (the aforementioned Hugo with his observations of 20's dress) ended up falling head over heels for a woman named Reggie. They bought and restored Ashenden, and lived out their golden years in happily married bliss on the estate. After Hugo died, Reggie found herself rattling around, watched over by caretakers, but stubbornly independent till the end. Charlie wonders in the first chapter why she decided to risk the ice to go to the main house, ultimately hastening her death. One of my favorite aspects of the novel was getting to know Reggie's spirit over the last 4-5 chapters which left no doubt in my mind as to the answer to Charlie's question. Charlie makes it no secret that he has no sentimental love for the mansion, but I challenge anyone to read the book and not look at old houses in a different light. There's something to be said for history, and this book has it in spades.
Bottom line: Those who like a cohesive story line with one cast of characters will probably be frustrated by Wilhide's offering...as evidenced by many of the reviews on Goodreads. However, for those looking for excellent prose, well-crafted dialogue, a dash of humor, and a generous dosing of accurate history: may I suggest Ashenden . Definitely recommended!
March 6, 2013
Ashenden: A Novel by Elizabeth Wilhide
When Downton Abbey finished its third season I needed that “English Manor” fix and I found Ashenden, a new book by Elizabeth Wilhide. This is her first novel though she is the author of more than twenty books on interior design and architecture. And her love of those subjects shines in this book where the main character is an old manor. Yes, a manor home is the main character. So while Downton Abbey might focus on the “upstairs / downstairs” human life Ashenden focuses on how life connected to the manor.
Each chapter in the book is a different time period in Ashenden’s life. So we follow from the manor home’s “infancy” as the first building materials arrive and are put into place to the present as it has aged, sometimes gracefully but other times not so gracefully. As I moved through the book I began to really care for Ashenden and would keep on hoping that it would make it through another owner or event in fine shape. And the manor home did bloom and wilt as its presence touched various owners, servants, or nearby townsmen. And what is interesting is that certain characters and their families will skip in and out of the various stories through the years, either as a minor character or the focus character of the specific chapter.
The book starts in 2010 with siblings Charlie and Roz suddenly finding themselves owners by inheritance of the huge, old and now neglected Ashenden Park. They have come to the manor to decide its fate and end up arguing over whether to sell it or keep it. Like any other grand old home the upkeep is astronomical and worse, the National Trust can’t afford to take it over. When Roz discovers a large stash of the manor’s history in their uncle’s old desk the real story begins. We jump to 1775 and James Woods, an accomplished Yorkshire architect has been hired to build a fine Palladian stone manor in the countryside by Sir Frederick More, an impoverished aristocrat. Money is always tight but Woods doesn’t skimp on the details or on the materials, including the beautiful yellow bath stone that will make up the skin of the manor.
From there we follow Ashenden into 1796 with the More family problems coming to a crisis and then 1844 with a new family, the Henderson’s, trying to breath new life into an incomplete Ashenden. The family and the manor blossom until, with another chapter the year 1889 brings servant problems. We then jump to 1909 and while the manor has passed into a new generation of Henderson’s money is again the problem due to aristocratic style gambling.
The years keep coming and the manor takes on new forms: 1916 and a World War I officer hospital, 1929 and the roaring 20’s party with a new owner, 1938 and the bank crashes, 1946 and World War II, 1951 brings the Lyells as new owners, 1966 and former glory, 1976 era of protests, and then back to 2010 with Charlie and Roz continuing to wonder if this is the last chance for a very old and once again neglected manor.
The description of the manor starts each chapter and gives a hint to the subject of that year. As an example the description at the start of the 1951 chapter describes how many of the great homes are too expensive to manage and so are ultimately disappearing. “There are many ways of killing a house. You can set fire to it, you can flood it, you can tear it down to get your hands on the land where it stands. Or you can pulverize it with bombs, which is how two million homes have been lost in the blitz. These are quick methods. Slower methods work just as well in the long term and require absolutely no effort. Nothing: that’s all you have to do. Let nature take its course. It will. Nature is strong enough to topple stone, given time. All around the country, the great houses are dying. Four or five a week and their deaths are slow and lingering.”
The house reaches it’s zenith in 1966 and the manor home is described as follows: “Lavender clings to laundered sheets folded on the cedar shelves of the linen closet. Vases of velvety roses sit on tables polished with beeswax. On summer evenings, the sweet perfume of night-scented stocks drifts through open windows, blended with the astringency of cut grass, the sharp acid twist of lemon in a gin and tonic. From the kitchen com warm savory aromas of bread, coffee, and roast chicken, which mingle with a faint hint of wood smoke and damp dog. Contentment, order, and well-being: the house smells of it. Breathes it in. Inhales and exhales.”
Lastly, it is the winter of 2010 and Reggie, the last and longest owner of the manor, knows it is time for her to leave this world. She recognizes the connection of past lives to Ashenden, including herself: “If these are ghosts, they are friendly ones, who slip past in the thin cold air and leave no disturbance or sadness behind. It’s the gentlest form of haunting, really, a smile fading from a face, or a forgotten tune playing in the next room. Ghosts are only to be expected when the house contains so much time. So much of your own life too, over half a century. The house is your skin, your memory, your thoughts. It’s family; all that you’ve loved.”
The author, in acknowledgments, notes that Ashenden is actually based on a real manor: Basildon Park in Berkshire. Basildon Park is part of the National Trust (unlike poor Ashenden) since 1978 and can be found at this link: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/basil....
When Downton Abbey finished its third season I needed that “English Manor” fix and I found Ashenden, a new book by Elizabeth Wilhide. This is her first novel though she is the author of more than twenty books on interior design and architecture. And her love of those subjects shines in this book where the main character is an old manor. Yes, a manor home is the main character. So while Downton Abbey might focus on the “upstairs / downstairs” human life Ashenden focuses on how life connected to the manor.
Each chapter in the book is a different time period in Ashenden’s life. So we follow from the manor home’s “infancy” as the first building materials arrive and are put into place to the present as it has aged, sometimes gracefully but other times not so gracefully. As I moved through the book I began to really care for Ashenden and would keep on hoping that it would make it through another owner or event in fine shape. And the manor home did bloom and wilt as its presence touched various owners, servants, or nearby townsmen. And what is interesting is that certain characters and their families will skip in and out of the various stories through the years, either as a minor character or the focus character of the specific chapter.
The book starts in 2010 with siblings Charlie and Roz suddenly finding themselves owners by inheritance of the huge, old and now neglected Ashenden Park. They have come to the manor to decide its fate and end up arguing over whether to sell it or keep it. Like any other grand old home the upkeep is astronomical and worse, the National Trust can’t afford to take it over. When Roz discovers a large stash of the manor’s history in their uncle’s old desk the real story begins. We jump to 1775 and James Woods, an accomplished Yorkshire architect has been hired to build a fine Palladian stone manor in the countryside by Sir Frederick More, an impoverished aristocrat. Money is always tight but Woods doesn’t skimp on the details or on the materials, including the beautiful yellow bath stone that will make up the skin of the manor.
From there we follow Ashenden into 1796 with the More family problems coming to a crisis and then 1844 with a new family, the Henderson’s, trying to breath new life into an incomplete Ashenden. The family and the manor blossom until, with another chapter the year 1889 brings servant problems. We then jump to 1909 and while the manor has passed into a new generation of Henderson’s money is again the problem due to aristocratic style gambling.
The years keep coming and the manor takes on new forms: 1916 and a World War I officer hospital, 1929 and the roaring 20’s party with a new owner, 1938 and the bank crashes, 1946 and World War II, 1951 brings the Lyells as new owners, 1966 and former glory, 1976 era of protests, and then back to 2010 with Charlie and Roz continuing to wonder if this is the last chance for a very old and once again neglected manor.
The description of the manor starts each chapter and gives a hint to the subject of that year. As an example the description at the start of the 1951 chapter describes how many of the great homes are too expensive to manage and so are ultimately disappearing. “There are many ways of killing a house. You can set fire to it, you can flood it, you can tear it down to get your hands on the land where it stands. Or you can pulverize it with bombs, which is how two million homes have been lost in the blitz. These are quick methods. Slower methods work just as well in the long term and require absolutely no effort. Nothing: that’s all you have to do. Let nature take its course. It will. Nature is strong enough to topple stone, given time. All around the country, the great houses are dying. Four or five a week and their deaths are slow and lingering.”
The house reaches it’s zenith in 1966 and the manor home is described as follows: “Lavender clings to laundered sheets folded on the cedar shelves of the linen closet. Vases of velvety roses sit on tables polished with beeswax. On summer evenings, the sweet perfume of night-scented stocks drifts through open windows, blended with the astringency of cut grass, the sharp acid twist of lemon in a gin and tonic. From the kitchen com warm savory aromas of bread, coffee, and roast chicken, which mingle with a faint hint of wood smoke and damp dog. Contentment, order, and well-being: the house smells of it. Breathes it in. Inhales and exhales.”
Lastly, it is the winter of 2010 and Reggie, the last and longest owner of the manor, knows it is time for her to leave this world. She recognizes the connection of past lives to Ashenden, including herself: “If these are ghosts, they are friendly ones, who slip past in the thin cold air and leave no disturbance or sadness behind. It’s the gentlest form of haunting, really, a smile fading from a face, or a forgotten tune playing in the next room. Ghosts are only to be expected when the house contains so much time. So much of your own life too, over half a century. The house is your skin, your memory, your thoughts. It’s family; all that you’ve loved.”
The author, in acknowledgments, notes that Ashenden is actually based on a real manor: Basildon Park in Berkshire. Basildon Park is part of the National Trust (unlike poor Ashenden) since 1978 and can be found at this link: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/basil....
November 6, 2024
Lame but I guess not that bad
April 26, 2013
Really 4.5. I reviewed this book for www.luxuryreading.com.
After their elderly aunt dies and leaves them her large country estate of Ashenden, Charlie and his sister, Ros, move into the home to determine whether they should keep it or sell it. The estate is in quite a state of disrepair and neither Charlie, a photographer living in New York, or Ros, a doctor living outside of Reading, can afford to keep it.
Weaved into the center of Charlie and Ros’ story line is the house’s history and that of its occupants. It’s the human experience with all its highs and lows unfolding around the stone and mortar of the home, giving life and breath to what otherwise would remain inanimate. Without the people there would be no Ashenden, and without Ashenden’s influence the people wouldn’t be the same.
Ashenden is unlike any other novel I have read before and I found it thoroughly captivating. The author obviously has a great knowledge and love of architecture and design and it shines through the descriptions of the estate and its surroundings like a proud parent talking about a beloved child. It was a wholly original experience to see how the house left its mark on each person that came into contact with it and on the flip side how each person influenced the estate, whether that be for better or worse. There was continuity from one generation to the next, showing how the various occupants left their mark, either physically or figuratively, and influenced the ones that followed. This perspective really helped me feel immersed in the estate’s history and to feel present in the lives of the people surrounding it.
Another unique and interesting perspective is how Ashenden went beyond the changes with the house and its occupants to show how it fit in with the changes happening in England as a whole over the course of the life of the estate. For examples, when the wealth and influence of the titled began to decline so did Ashenden; the rise of self-made fortunes saw the rise in Asheden’s glory; and with the destruction and decay brought on by the two World Wars came the decay of the estate. It is an incredible way to track the progress of one small part against the backdrop of the whole of a country.
There is so much for a reader to love about Ashenden. Anyone interested in English history, architecture or the human experience – both upstairs and downstairs – would enjoy this book. I can’t imagine someone not finding something to enjoy in its layered story lines and I will, for one, miss my time spent at Ashenden.
After their elderly aunt dies and leaves them her large country estate of Ashenden, Charlie and his sister, Ros, move into the home to determine whether they should keep it or sell it. The estate is in quite a state of disrepair and neither Charlie, a photographer living in New York, or Ros, a doctor living outside of Reading, can afford to keep it.
Weaved into the center of Charlie and Ros’ story line is the house’s history and that of its occupants. It’s the human experience with all its highs and lows unfolding around the stone and mortar of the home, giving life and breath to what otherwise would remain inanimate. Without the people there would be no Ashenden, and without Ashenden’s influence the people wouldn’t be the same.
Ashenden is unlike any other novel I have read before and I found it thoroughly captivating. The author obviously has a great knowledge and love of architecture and design and it shines through the descriptions of the estate and its surroundings like a proud parent talking about a beloved child. It was a wholly original experience to see how the house left its mark on each person that came into contact with it and on the flip side how each person influenced the estate, whether that be for better or worse. There was continuity from one generation to the next, showing how the various occupants left their mark, either physically or figuratively, and influenced the ones that followed. This perspective really helped me feel immersed in the estate’s history and to feel present in the lives of the people surrounding it.
Another unique and interesting perspective is how Ashenden went beyond the changes with the house and its occupants to show how it fit in with the changes happening in England as a whole over the course of the life of the estate. For examples, when the wealth and influence of the titled began to decline so did Ashenden; the rise of self-made fortunes saw the rise in Asheden’s glory; and with the destruction and decay brought on by the two World Wars came the decay of the estate. It is an incredible way to track the progress of one small part against the backdrop of the whole of a country.
There is so much for a reader to love about Ashenden. Anyone interested in English history, architecture or the human experience – both upstairs and downstairs – would enjoy this book. I can’t imagine someone not finding something to enjoy in its layered story lines and I will, for one, miss my time spent at Ashenden.
December 8, 2012
Ashenden is a charming historical read that concerns itself with the generations of owners and servants living in a manor house built in the English countryside in 1775. Beginning in the present when siblings Charlie and Ros inherit Ashenden upon the death of their great aunt, it meanders back to when its foundations were first carefully chosen and laid. Charlie and his sister must decide whether to sell it, or keep it for future generations of their family to enjoy. Charlie is happily married and settled in the United States, and sees the expense of the old mansion as prohibitive, but Ros is determined to save it, and has mapped out what she thinks is a plausible plan for its restoration.
Wilhide fills the story with history and atmosphere - the novel and its vignettes show the house in war time, poverty and at the height of its glory. Even as Ashenden, the novel explores how former owners have gained and lost the house and surrounding property, Ashenden itself is the star of the show, so much so that its almost pointless to bother getting attached to the people who live, work and die there. Their stories are picked up on a whim and dropped just as quickly, with some coming to more satisfying resolutions than others. Home restoration and architecture are prominently considered within the narrative, and readers who enjoy those details will find them in this pleasant, though rambling meditation on the history of a historic house.
Wilhide fills the story with history and atmosphere - the novel and its vignettes show the house in war time, poverty and at the height of its glory. Even as Ashenden, the novel explores how former owners have gained and lost the house and surrounding property, Ashenden itself is the star of the show, so much so that its almost pointless to bother getting attached to the people who live, work and die there. Their stories are picked up on a whim and dropped just as quickly, with some coming to more satisfying resolutions than others. Home restoration and architecture are prominently considered within the narrative, and readers who enjoy those details will find them in this pleasant, though rambling meditation on the history of a historic house.
October 3, 2013
Many of us have always dreamed of inheriting a grand old house…but in today’s Britain, that dream might just be more of a nightmare, as Charlie and his sister Ros find out when their aunt dies and bequeaths to them the 250-year-old house called Ashenden. In addition to the house, they have inherited the obligations that come with it—the upkeep and the essential renovations and restorations.
As Charlie and Ros argue and struggle to think of a solution (sell and give up the history; keep and beggar themselves?) the history of the house unfolds, revealing the inevitable secrets, scandals, hopes, heartbreaks, and lives that unfolded within Ashenden’s long-neglected walls. As the various stories unfold, you become not wrapped up so much in the subjects of the story or even the eventual fate of the house, but how the history of a country can unfold in a micro scale.
Ultimately, this was an entertaining, but not engrossing read.
Because it wasn’t too lengthy, and because it covered so many little plots, each story felt more like an appetizer than a substantial feast. It’s a pleasant way to pass the days until the next season of Downton Abbey, but if you want something a little more involved, try Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Morland Dynasty Series.
As Charlie and Ros argue and struggle to think of a solution (sell and give up the history; keep and beggar themselves?) the history of the house unfolds, revealing the inevitable secrets, scandals, hopes, heartbreaks, and lives that unfolded within Ashenden’s long-neglected walls. As the various stories unfold, you become not wrapped up so much in the subjects of the story or even the eventual fate of the house, but how the history of a country can unfold in a micro scale.
Ultimately, this was an entertaining, but not engrossing read.
Because it wasn’t too lengthy, and because it covered so many little plots, each story felt more like an appetizer than a substantial feast. It’s a pleasant way to pass the days until the next season of Downton Abbey, but if you want something a little more involved, try Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Morland Dynasty Series.
January 18, 2015
Ashenden is a fascinating story about a grand old house and its occupants. In the opening chapter Charlie and Ros find out they have inherited an English country house which is in desperate need of repairs. Charlie wants to sell while Ros wants to keep and fix up. This book reads like a series of interconnecting short stories beginning in 1775 with the construction of the house and ending in 2010 with Charlie and Ros making a decision as to the fate of this beautiful mansion. Each chapter is a story of the people who have either resided in this house or are connected in some way to the history of this historic mansion.. All the lives in this story were interesting and compelling but the most important and endearing character was the house itself. I admired how it survived and stood strong through two and a half centuries.
Ashendon is a beautifully written story with vivid details that takes the reader on a sentimental trip through history. I fell in love with this English Mansion.
I won this book through Goodreads.
Ashendon is a beautifully written story with vivid details that takes the reader on a sentimental trip through history. I fell in love with this English Mansion.
I won this book through Goodreads.
July 26, 2013
I really loved the premise of this book. Going through the history of the house was fascinating and I especially loved the paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter telling the house's "feelings" (as I put it). I wasn't entirely sold on the modern story, though. I couldn't quite come to like either of the modern characters and I was rather sad that neither of them fought harder for the house. It seemed to me that the modern story was a little disconnected from the earlier history of the house. I found I enjoyed the stories from the beginning of the house's history much more than I enjoyed the more recent stories; maybe it was the characters I liked better or maybe it was the era that the stories were taking place. I enjoyed this book enough that I'll check out the next novel by the author.
February 28, 2013
Ashenden is an unusual book since the main character is a house. The author traces the history of this English country house from its construction in 1775 all the way to the present. Along the way we meet the inhabitants, both upstairs and downstairs. As a fan of the tv series, Downton Abbey and in the past, Upstairs Downstairs, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the descriptions of the house itself and the small vignettes of the residents and the workers whose lives were touched by it. Built, restored, loved, and lived in, this house had a character all its own.
*This book was received at no cost through the Goodreads First Read program.
*This book was received at no cost through the Goodreads First Read program.
January 24, 2015
A history of Ashenden, an 18th century English country house, from conception in the late 1700's to present day, 2010. This elaborate home passes from one owner to another, steeped in history. I appreciated the ties to historical events, and it was interesting to read about how the house itself evolved and changed from owner to owner and era to era. But as much as I tried to love it, the stories within the story were at times unfinished, lacking in details, confusing. Since the main character is this beautiful mansion and ends up in the hands of someone who appreciates it as the architect had envisioned, I give it 3 stars.
May 2, 2019
I really enjoyed this book as I am interested in the history of houses like this as well as the people who lived in them
It is beautifully written and not over dramatic
Interesting and kept my attention 😊😊😊
The different vignettes mean that it is a little tricky to keep up with the new characters for anyone struggling with concentration and memory issues but there are clever overlaps between the stories and it isn’t necessary to remember what has gone before on the whole 🥄🥄
😳Some alarming moments of domestic violence but short lived
🎧Bolinda Audiobook From BorrowBox local library
🎤Excellant narration by Carol Boyd
It is beautifully written and not over dramatic
Interesting and kept my attention 😊😊😊
The different vignettes mean that it is a little tricky to keep up with the new characters for anyone struggling with concentration and memory issues but there are clever overlaps between the stories and it isn’t necessary to remember what has gone before on the whole 🥄🥄
😳Some alarming moments of domestic violence but short lived
🎧Bolinda Audiobook From BorrowBox local library
🎤Excellant narration by Carol Boyd
December 12, 2023
I truly loved this book. Ok, I’m an historian, so the fact that it traced the history of a house, or rather a country mansion, through its different owners, admirers and associates, was obviously appealing to me. But this was one beautifully written book. It was well-crafted, and the fact that characters wove like thread from one chapter to another was very skilful. This was a book I plan to recommend to my book club and a book I shall buy and keep. I’ve had three books that really touched me in my 66 years - Year of Wonders, The Book Thief and now the third, Ashenden. Thanks Elizabeth Wilhide, your craftsmanship has created a delightful book.
February 25, 2016
Loved this book. It works best as a collection of short stories linked by a house (and sometimes characters turning up again), rather than a novel, but that made it all the better for me. It was the early ones in the house's history that I enjoyed the most: the tragedy of the architect, Georgiana More's disgrace, and Dulcie, who finally learns to be happy. The history didn't weigh these pieces down - they were about people living out their lives at a certain time. The two book-ends and the story set in 1976 didn't work quite so well for me.
March 14, 2013
I started this, but I could not bring myself to finish it. 1. The language was appalling (swearing and private moments that should never have been made public). 2. The prose dragged on. I started reading it because I was interested in "another good English historical fiction book." Unfortunately, I was disgusted with it before I ran across anything remotely "English historical fiction."
If you can muscle your way past the gag reflex on this one, by all means...
If you can muscle your way past the gag reflex on this one, by all means...
April 17, 2014
Really enjoyed this novel. The author manages to capture the voices of each era beautifully. She weaves the stories of the various families tied to the house with a deft touch. The result is fascinating. Elizabeth Wilhide's extensive knowledge of landscape and architectural details add authenticity to the novel, however she also possesses an intelligent and witty style, which lightens the tone where need be. Delightful!
July 17, 2023
Despite the slow start when the stage for the book is set this turned out to be a pretty Good Read - at least in my opinion.
I am intrigued by books about old houses & an old house is at the center of this story. I also enjoyed the information about the elements used to construct the house in the 18th century. However the various characters involved were well developed & believable especially the story of the last Owner of the house.
I am intrigued by books about old houses & an old house is at the center of this story. I also enjoyed the information about the elements used to construct the house in the 18th century. However the various characters involved were well developed & believable especially the story of the last Owner of the house.
June 30, 2025
I love architecture and history. This is the story of the estate starting back in the 1700s through current time. The story is all the families and the people that were impacted by this beautiful old mansion. The name of the mansion the story was written around is listed in the back of the book and pictures are online. I enjoyed seeing the families and different people who lived and served in it during the time.
March 3, 2013
The only thing that I can say about this book was that it was a series of short stories with a house as the central character. I am still baffled by the Downton Abbey reference unless it was done to "market" the book to garner more sales because, in my humble opinion, there was nothing DA about this book!
no-thank-you
March 24, 2013Have this out from the library, but taking a closer look at the reviews mentioning it's more a collection of stories about a house, tells me it isn't going to be a good fit for me. Moving on, life is too short.
February 19, 2013
An interesting tale of the life of a wonderful house. The book is a collection of interconnected stories with the house itself as the main character. An enjoyable read.
January 29, 2013
I enjoyed it right off then had a couple of chapters with too many architectural details. Once I got past that I loved the book.
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