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Lady Worsley's Whim: An Eighteenth-Century Tale Of Sex, Scandal And Divorce (2009)

by Hallie Rubenhold(Favorite Author)

3.61 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0099494264 (ISBN13: 9780099494263)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Vintage

review 1: Interesting look at divorce laws, property ownership, and a crim. con. trial (criminal conversation -- basically one man suing another for compensation for property damage.....said property being his wife) which was the on dit of the town in 1782 -- and some time after.I am always intrigued to learn the stories behind properties and paintings. Many will recognise Reynold's striking portrait of Lady Worsley in her militia-style scarlet gown, also the beautiful portrait he painted in 1775 of her sister Jane, Lady Harrington, who was known as a paragon of virtue and elegance. Appuldurcombe House on the Isle of Wight, the home of Sir Richard and Lady Worsley and the backdrop for much of their tragic relationship, is now a shell which can be visited through the English Heritag... moree.Rubenhold does a fine job of explaining the legal situation, the moral climate of the times as related to the class structure, the political situation, and careful explanations of the many satirical prints poking fun at the couple's problems.
review 2: I'm a sucker for some good gossip, never mind if it's a few centuries old.This is a great train/vacation read, packed with interesting historical details but mostly centered around the lurid history of the Worsleys in the eighteenth century. It's not all superficial; the author gives great context so that a modern-day reader better understands the societal constraints in which men/women and nobility operated during the time, and the cultural setting that impacted these two people's lives so drastically. Always fun to read a well-written book about interesting people..no matter how poor their life choices. less

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