Which is Inspired by Which??

May be I have watched the TV series Downton Abbey and love it too much, I just don't feel much about this book that I am currently reading after I had finished Part 1, which mainly describes scenes that are familiar to what I had seen in the TV series.  The ironing of the Times was amazing to me because it was the first time when I knew of such a practice when I watched the 1st episode of the TV series.  Of course this book was published back in 2006 which also talked about the same practice.

Before Downton Abbey, there was the TV show from long time before I was born called "Upstairs Downstairs", which has the same periodic setting, and I believe it's the original that tells the story on the relationships among servants, among masters, between servants and masters, within an aristocratic household in England?

So far after Part 1 of this book, I pretty much had been reading about an old lady remembering her young life, much the same way like old Rose did in Titanic, which had sunk already at the time when the heroine of this book was young.  I realize it's very common for a story to begin with someone old having memory flash backs like my beloved Phantom of the Opera.

A lot of people called this book that I am reading a page turner, but so far, I feel the pace is somewhat slow and I am not motivated to turn the pages fast enough.  I'm not sure why everything in Part 1 of this book has appeared to be nothing special to me so far. The characters so far aren't too interesting or special.  May be I would have felt more intrigued if I had not watched Downton Abby on TV?

I am hoping Part 2 of this book will get better, and may be in Part 2, the characters will begin to reveal something intriguing about themselves...  The writing and the use of the English words are great and impressive though.  Lots of the contemporary American writers can't write like this.  I just hope the story will become more interesting to keep me turning the pages....  Right now I have to put it aside for a while because I am feeling a little bored...and my ADD is beginning to act up....