En El Piso De Abajo: Memorias De Una Cocinera Inglesa De Los Años 20 (1968) - Plot & Excerpts
Below the Stairs is a case of another good book with a very good narrator. Mary Wells provided a great first person narration of this Audible version of the book. Below the Stairs is the memoir of Margaret Powell, a kitchen maid and cook in the 1920’s. Originally published in 1968, Amazon.com claims that this book was the inspiration for ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ and ‘Downton Abbey’. It definitely conveys what life was like for those living downstairs. Powell describes her various jobs with wit and good humor. Having enjoyed both television series, I found Below the Stairs an enjoyable listen… and would likely have felt the same reading the book, too. I went into this book with high expectations, I guess because the cover touts it as the inspiration behind "Downton Abbey". It was interesting to read about how a servant lived, and how things started for her. I'm happy that in the end she was able to go back to school, fulfilling a love that in her younger years she was never able to pursue. But it read weird. There wasn't really a good story behind it, every change was very abrupt-making it more like a journal than a book or story. I guess that is where I was dissatisfied with the book, so I kind of rushed through it just so that I could move onto a new book.
What do You think about En El Piso De Abajo: Memorias De Una Cocinera Inglesa De Los Años 20 (1968)?
A great book for every Downton Abbey fan. Powell is the real life Daisy and later Mrs. Patmore.
—Dee
I'm glad to have read this but found the narrative disjointed.
—Parth
