Habits of the House: A Novel Audiobook

From the award-winning novelist and writer of Upstairs Downstairs, the launch of a brilliant new trilogy about what life was really like for masters and servants before the world of Downton Abbey 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.

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"Fay Weldon wrote the pilot episode of the TV show Upstairs Downstairs. This turned out to be quite funny with that subtle British humor and the upstairs-downstairs viewpoints and tension. It reminded me of Downton Abbey but sleazier! I had difficulty liking any of the characters in the beginning since but they did grow on me as the story went on. The family is in financial jeopardy but most of them are in denial about the seriousness of it and carry on in an entitled manner with their daily life. The staff is much more aware and involved in their affairs than they realize. It's wrapped up in the end by fashion article in a newspaper covering a dinner with the Prince attending and you know all the intrigue that went on behind the scenes to get there. This is the beginning of a trilogy about the family and I'm looking forward to the sequel "Long live the King" due out next month!"

— GEPL (4 out of 5 stars)