Book Review: How to Be a Victorian

I recently read the book How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman published in 2014 by Liveright Publishing Corporation. I had previously watched several informational videos hosted by Goodman through the YouTube channel for HistoryExtra, the history magazine of the BBC, and wanted to know if her writing style was similar to her presentation style. I found the book fun, factual, and easy to read, a great way for people first learning about the Victorian era to establish a solid base, and for those knowledgeable about the period to fill in gaps about the lives of everyday people.

As promised in the title, the book was divided into fifteen chapters with each section covering a different step of the day from morning until night. A brief prologue and epilogue gave further explanation on Goodman’s research methods and emphasized the most important facts from the chapters. Additionally, the book contained extensive acknowledgements listing the many people who assisted Goodman in her research and referencing images found throughout the text, along with an index to easily find specific facts within the book. The only factor that may have strengthened the book was including a bibliography of written resources and locations.

The fifteen chapters could be roughly divided into three sections: before work (1-6), during work (7-11), and after work (12-15). Most of this review will be a recitation of fun facts and how these relate to my own research. Additionally, since this book overlapped with my own research, especially for my essay series on The Lord of the Rings, I have linked articles with additional information. I also include links to official websites of places mentioned.

For facts about life before work, I learned that Victorian toothpaste might be made from soot and cuttlefish powder or pounce, which still works as toothpaste for those sensitive to the taste and texture of modern toothpaste (pg. 25). While the first diagram of a water-flushing toilet was drawn by Sir John Harrington in the 1590s, working models were popularized by Thomas Crapper & Co. during the 19^th century (pgs. 101-102).

Much of the book dealt with clothing. Woolen flannel was an inexpensive and popular fabric (pg. 30), which may have an argyle pattern but can also be a single color. Rural men wore smocks instead of coats, although these were “fading away from the fields of Britain” by the 1840s (pgs. 39-40). During the discussion about smocks, the Museum of English Rural Life was referenced by its former name, Reading Rural History Centre, as a place to discover preserved clothes. Waistcoat patterns were colorful by today’s standards: “Nothing was too bright or too garish for a waistcoat, nor too feminine” for fashionable young men (pg. 46). A person’s hat told their status, with upper-class wearing top hats (pgs. 54-55), middle-class wearing bowlers (pg. 56), and working-class wearing “shapeless round hats” (pg. 59). Working-class men could be punished by their ‘betters’ for wearing nicer hats.

Servants were gifted used clothing from their employers, generally called masters and mistresses; rich people followed fashion closely so they were not “in danger of looking like a servant”, while poor people were forbidden from wearing the fashions of their ‘betters’ (pg. 80). While women were generally forbidden from wearing trousers, pit girls who worked in coat mines worse a mid-thigh length skirt over trousers. The look was considered “an occupational uniform” rather than masculine attire (pg. 85). Knickerbockers were widely worn by young boys by the 1860s (pg. 231), while ready-to-wear clothing for boys appeared in catalogues by the 1880s (pg. 252). It also bore a coincident resemblance to gákti, clothing worn by Sámi or people indigenous to Finland. Beau Brummel received an obligatory mention, along with his cologne-loving contemporary Beau Nash (pg. 132). As for washing of clothes, this was done by women and girls, especially widows (pg. 260). Repairing was done by anyone who could sew, regardless of sex (pg. 308).

Victorians had different expectations for one’s appearance than we have today. Men did not wash their hair with water, although frequent brushing was encouraged (pgs. 142-143). Men were expected to exercise and become more muscular to be perceived as beautiful, while women were forbidden from most exercise (pg. 150). However, women were permitted to practice archery, as shown in a beautifully illustrated picture from the 1880 edition of Cassell’s Household Guide. In fact, by the mid-19^th century, female archers outnumbered male archers in tournaments (pg. 339). As for appearance, women were expected to have clear, pale skin without freckles (pg. 126). White skin was desirable, while tanning was bad (pg. 365). Young women were expected to have waists of nineteen to twenty-four inches in diameter, while older women had slightly larger waists (pg. 69). For those less familiar with healthy sizes of adult women, I am considered unusually slim in my own time, and my waist was last measured by a medical professional at twenty-eight inches after a twelve hour fast. Children were taught “self-control and self-denial induced by hunger”, and even wealthy children were likely not given enough to eat (pg. 173).

The book contained much information about food, which I enjoy more than average. Beer was drunk for breakfast along with coffee and cocoa (pg. 158). Victorians generally did not like spices in their food; after experimenting with Victorian labor and cooking, Goodman concluded this was due in part to their high calorie, high fat, high carb diet. The cast-iron closed cooking range or kitchener debuted during the Great Exhibition in London during 1851 and became standard in middle-class homes by the 1860s (pg. 159). A wide range of materials were burned for heat, from paper and twigs in most areas, to wood in Devon and Cornwall, to peat in Scotland (pg. 161). Potatoes were considered a super food (pg. 161) and were the most common meal for working-class people (pg. 251), especially in the northern part of the country (pg. 368, 378). The words for meals changed depending on a person’s class: wealthier people ate lunch around noon and dinner at night, while poorer people had dinner at noon and tea or supper at night (pg. 250, 369). Fish & chips were a favorite but only appeared at the end of the Victorian era (pg. 376). Food was consumed in Victorian pubs not only for company but also for warmth (pg. 348). I had somehow missed The Drewe Arms in Devon during my own research, but the 16^th century building maintains an authentic Victorian vibe (pg. 349). Most male socialization included alcohol, and rich men drank even more than poor men, although usually at home or at a fancy club rather than a pub (pg. 351).

Throughout the book, Goodman candidly presented examples of Victorian ideas concerning gender and sexuality that do not align with modern understanding. These included a massive divide between the capabilities of men and women, strict rules about how one might dress, and bizarre ideas about biology, along with exceptions to rules. Besides pit girls being encouraged to wear trousers, clergymen were encouraged to garden, even though this was typically a women’s activity (pg. 346). Young boys were typically expected to be fully dressed and modest except when swimming, whether in the country (pg. 336) or in an urban plunge pool (pg. 402), where they were expected to be naked. Victorians generally believed homosexuality was a chosen trait of predatory rich men to target clean-shaven young soldier wearing pretty uniforms (pg. 436). In modern terms, most men were too poor to be gay. There was even a rumor that the true homosexual could not whistle. Feminine men were not necessarily considered interested in other men but trying to attract women by emulating them (pg. 437), which admitted might work in some cases. I thought Goodman did a great job presenting facts on this difficult subject with minimal bias.

Finally, I found many facts across the book that were simply interesting. Cologne is also known as toilet water, which has a different connotation today (pg. 132). One illustration featured horse-drawn omnibus from the 1860s, and I was disappointed that more was not said (pg. 176). Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, Cheshire, England run by the National Trust was cited as a great example of an extant Victorian mill (pg. 200). Lanhydrock House in Bodmin, Cornwall, also run by the National Trust, had a late 1880s sluice room for cleaning chamber pots plus indoor water closets (pg. 212). The modern whistle used in sports games, known as the cylindrical Airfast whistle, was invented by Joseph Hudson in 1880, while goal nets were invented by John Alexander Brodie of Liverpool City in 1889 (pg. 329). When school became compulsory between 1870 and 1880, middle-class children matriculated into non-denominational British schools or religious-based National schools, while working-class children continued to attend Dame schools taught by local women (pg. 291). The plant lobelia was grown in Victorian gardens not just for its lovely purple flowers but to use as a drug (pg. 423). With chemical properties similar to nicotine, consumption in small amounts relieved constipation but could also cause spontaneous abortion and death. It is no wonder Tolkien chose Lobelia as a name for one of the cruelest hobbits in the Shire.

At 480 pages, How to Be a Victorian was packed with information, but the straightforward language and simple explanations made it easy to read. Most of the book was appropriate for readers of all ages, although teachers may want to review “15. Behind the Bedroom Door” to make sure the content is suited for their classroom. Goodman shows great skill as a writer by thoroughly research a broad and complex topic, determining what is most important to share, and then interpreting it into an accessible text. For those who prefer to listen, the audiobook is read by Patience Tomlin and lasts fifteen hours. I look forward to reading other books by Goodman, along with continuing to watch her online content.

Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 9/10