I had really no knowledge of the time period in which it took place. Consequently I had great problems picturing the dances, clothing styles, homes (other than large and old-looking--very vague indeed), or even what the streets of London would have looked like at the time. I was immensely grateful to films such as P&P2 for helping me place the book in its historical context, as well as this site for explaining some of the cultural oddities.