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Snobs by Julian Fellowes

In Snobs, Julian Fellowes (Oscar-winning screenwriter for Gosford Park) skewers upper-class English aristocracy and the rarefied world in which they live. Edith Lavery is only upper middle class, but when she sets her sights on the wealthy bachelor, Earl Broughton, she ends up marrying above her station. He's rich, mannered, principled, and incredibly dull. His mother, Lady Uckfield (also known as Googie), dislikes Edith, believing she doesn't belong. When the handsome actor Simon Russell enters their world, the bored Edith takes notice of him, and Googie senses her chance to undo the interloper into her world. The battle is joined. Snobs has received mostly positive, but mixed, reviews. The New York Times says, "When you read a book, you're lost in time. All the more reason to read Snobs. It will distract you pleasantly. It's like a visit to an English country estate: breezy, beautiful and charming."