Mrs: Patmore: "Daisy, what's happened to you? I said you could go for a drink of water, not a trip up the Nile." (Season 1)
There are so, so many great quotes in the PBS series,
Downton Abbey. Fortunately, the series started back last Sunday night and I plan to watch every episode as it is aired. Last year we finally caved to "peer pressure" and watched one episode from Season 1, and of course, we got hooked. So, we watched all five seasons in a short time, only to find out that we would have to wait several months to see the sixth and final season. Why can't it just go on and on?? A good thing like this shouldn't come to an end so soon. We are two episodes in now, and I'm already dreading the concluding episode. To say that this series is popular is to understate how much people from all over the world love it. When the series began, no one knew if people would like it. But of course, we all LOVED it! I'm very happy for the writer, producers, and cast because they now have something wildly unique to put on their resumes. I have a feeling that they will not lack for work in the near future.
But why is DA so popular? I can only speak for myself, but I think there are clear reasons for this. First, the series has several story lines going on at the same time and we want to stick around to see how each situation is resolved. I cannot imagine watching just one episode because I want to know how things end. Most of the characters are lovable, even if they are flawed, because we see the struggles that they are going through. This tells us that they are human and, much like us, basically flawed but good on the inside. The stories of the characters are interesting and complex, and we come to love them (except maybe for Thomas!). How can you NOT love Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Lord Grantham, and the Dowager??
Another reason that I think the show is popular is that the music and scenery are very beautiful. They help to transport us to a beautiful place that is much different from where we live. I do, however, take exception to the many sunny days that are depicted in the show, because I've read that the weather in England isn't so pristine all of the time. But it's ok...this is a fictional story and we really don't want to follow a story that is set in damp, dreary, cold weather. We enjoy the beautiful abbey, the quaint village, and the emotional music for the art that they are. Who among us doesn't long to visit the village, the hog farm, and the abbey? We long to feel and see beauty in all of its aspects and to enjoy the antiques, old architecture, and luscious landscape. This Sunday night at 9 PM you will find me in front of our TV yet again to watch a little more of the story unfold. And fortunately, there are no commercials!
Last week I stated that I was reading McCullough's book, The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I decided not to continue reading the book because it's SO long and detailed. I think what I need is the Cliff Notes for this book so that I can just read the most important parts. I think I just need something lighter to read right now.
I'm almost finished listening to a book on CD, Caleb's Crossing: A Novel, by Geraldine Brooks. This is the third book by Brooks that I've read, and I'm enjoying it. The book is about a teenage girl, Bethia Mayfield, who is growing up on an island in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor. Although she is only a teenager, she has the full responsibilities of an adult because her mother died and left Bethia with the care of her infant sister and the men in her family. She lives in a world with strict laws about almost everything, and she longs to be free of it all. She yearns to be educated as the men in her family are, but as a Puritan girl, she is denied this privilege. She befriends a young Wampanoag teen, Caleb, and they build a secret friendship even though one if an "English" person and the other is a "savage." Bethia is an admirable character because she stands up for herself at times and can judge the true character of her suitors and others she meets along the way. My hope for Bethia is that by the end of the story she will find true happiness and peace instead of being bound by the harsh Puritan laws. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction set in the early years of the making ofour country.
So, to close today's thoughts, here is another great quote by Mrs. Patmore, the head cook at Downton Abbey. She said, "If you must pay money, better to a doctor than an undertaker."
-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
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