A review by eddie
As We Were:A Victorian Peep-Show by E.F. Benson
4.0
A charming memoir of the high Victorian-into-Edwardian epoch. Benson writes from the perspective of the son of an Archbishop of Canterbury, moving in elite circles since his adolescence, and also his successful career as a novelist.
There is the barest minimum of intimate personal revelation. Instead, he aims to give a flavour of what the era felt like to him experiencing it. Chapters cover different facets, from aristocratic pursuits, literary life, politics, and art. There are lots of amusing personal anecdotes and gossip. The first chapter setting the Victorian scene is magnificent (a stand alone essay in its own right), as are the final few pages describing the descent into WWI.
There is the barest minimum of intimate personal revelation. Instead, he aims to give a flavour of what the era felt like to him experiencing it. Chapters cover different facets, from aristocratic pursuits, literary life, politics, and art. There are lots of amusing personal anecdotes and gossip. The first chapter setting the Victorian scene is magnificent (a stand alone essay in its own right), as are the final few pages describing the descent into WWI.