Wooow that was a looong haul! I do like a chonky paperback, it makes me feel smart. But this one was THICC.

I'm glad I read this, finally. But it proved to me once again that I don't really have the patience for Victorian melodrama, however accurate the character studies might be. I prefer that stout Georgian sensibility any day. ... dare I read North and South this year?

Food pairing: As this book is centered around rural English life, I suggest shepherd's pie and ale, or in my case, hard cider.