Snobs: A Novel - Julian Fellows

Edith Lavery is middle class, the only child of an accountant and a mother with social ambitions. She works in an estate agency and is bored by it. Almost by accident she bags one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, Charles, Earl Broughton, heir to the Marquess of Uckfield. He’s not especially bright, but is a decent, loyal man. Edith doesn’t love him but the opportunity is really too good to pass and they marry. How will Edith cope with her elevation to the aristocracy? More importantly, how will she cope when she realises that she’s exchanged one form of boredom for another? Julian Fellowes will probably be a name that’s familiar to you from ...  Read the complete review

Snobs by Julian Fellowes is a delight. I bought it because it came with good recommendation and it was justified, because the story takes you into the world of the aristocracy, and you seem to get a “fly on the wall” image of who they are very accurately indeed. In fact the character portrayals within the 352 pages of this book delight the reader as the pictures painted with words really are fascinating. The story revolves around the life of Edith Lavery, an attractive lady whose mother has ambitions for her daughter. Those ambitions rub off on Edith, who, finding herself working in a mundane job in an estate agents office, finds the idea of hobnobbing rather ...  Read the complete review

This is yet another book that I chose to read following a review on this site and it was certainly worth the recommendation that it received from the writer SueMagee and it proved excellent reading material for my recent flight and diving holiday as the subject matter is light hearted, amusing and extremely well written. The book tells the story of a young middle class woman Edith Lavery who marries into a wealthy aristocratic family in the form of the eldest son Charles Earl Broughton who is the heir to the Marquess of Uckfield. It is fair to say that from Edith point of view the match is not one born of any great love or passion for Charles rather a desire ...  Read the complete review

The author tells us the story of the fictional Edith Lavery through her friend, an actor, who comfortably mixes with the upper classes, and those from the middle classes who would like to be acquainted with them. Every significant character's name is mentioned in the book, except one, but this actor's name, is never revealed. I think that the author has based this character on himself. His background is the reason for this guess. Julian Fellowes, now known as an actor, writer, director and producer, followed his public school education and degree at Cambridge, by going to drama school. My research reveals that one of the things he remembers from his drama ...  Read the complete review

Snobs is a light hearted comdy all about class and social niceties and tells the story of Edith Lavery a young middle class woman who marries into a wealthy famil with a long history. Her husband is heir to the title of the Marquess of Uckfield and as far as Edith is concerned the marriage is one driven by a desire for a position bin society rather than being born out of a love for the heir Charles. This opinion is driven by her mother who has a desire to better herself. This is a delightful litle story which focuses on the class system and reminds me somewhat of the Oscar Wilde play The Immportance of Being Ernest mainly becuse both share a central character ...  Read the complete review