Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England

摘要

In the introduction to Behind Closed Doors, Amanda Vickery begins with the idea that the home is central to people's lives and yet our understanding of the nature of home life in the past remains elusive. Her pursuit of the nature of home takes her on a journey through the minutiae of homemaking practices. In order to get behind the closed doors of homes in the past, Vickery has no qualms about using underhand methods and delights in catching people unawares with their guard down so that intimate details of their homemaking practices can be scrutinized. She employs humorous language and even at times a flippant tone to capture the flavour of domestic life, the trivial details of choosing wallpaper, cups and calico, the complaining letters sent to tradesmen, and the battles between husbands and wives over household accounts and the use of closets [1]. Behind Closed Doors delivers a thoroughly intelligent and entertaining view of people 'at home', whether they want to be seen or not.