Comments on: Victorian literature challenge 2011

By: oldenglishrose

oldenglishrose — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:19:02 +0000

Thanks for the suggestions, and it’s never too late to provide literary advice! I’ve already read ‘The Mill on the Floss’ now (I have a stubborn inability to allow books to defeat me) and rather surprisingly I loved it apart from the horrendously Victorian ending. More George Eliot is on the cards now though, as I really enjoyed her writing apart from that. Dickens has been less successful so far with Nicholas Nickleby: even only having read two Dickens novels before this I knew exactly what would happen, and his tendancy towards the verbose became frustrating sometimes. I’ve yet to attempt Hardy or Gaskell, but I’ll bear your suggestions in mind. Thanks very much!

By: Virginia

Virginia — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:01:15 +0000

I just came across this post, and you’ve probably already decided on your Victorian book list. I thought I would give some recommendations, never-the-less.

I can understand how you couldn’t get into Mill on the Floss. It wasn’t my favourite novel by Elliot out of the ones I’ve read, either. I loved Middlemarch, though, so I heartily recommend that you go with that one.

I wouldn’t recommend reading Mary Barton at this point if you’ve only read Cranford. I don’t think it was her best work. I would recommend North and South or Wives and Daughters, instead. Both are excellent and enjoyable.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve read any Hardy, but I remember loving Far from the Madding Crowd.

There are so many great Dickens novels. I would recommend Bleak House, Little Dorrit, or Our Mutual Friend.

Happy reading!

By: oldenglishrose

oldenglishrose — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:34:49 +0000

I will add that one to my list. You’re being very ambitious going for Les Mis! I have a copy of that which needs reading, but I think I’ll wait to tackle it in a year which isn’t quite as busy as this one.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:24:40 +0000

I’m excited about taking part too- I’m aiming for the ‘Desperate Remedies’ level, and I just checked my first book- Les Miserables- out of the library. Feeling a little imtimidated right now!

Can I recommend ‘Armadale’ by Wilkie Collins, it’s fantastic, and features my favourite anti-heroine of all time.

By: hip chick

hip chick — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:00:33 +0000

I can tell you only my humble opinion. I loved Middlemarch but you have to get pretty far into it before you realize how fantastic a book it is.
I read Tess by Hardy and loved it as well…but again it takes a bit of determination at first. It is not a “quick read.’
I found Agnes Grey to be so boring that I could not even finish it…and it is not a long book. Perhaps at some point I will pick it up again.
You have inspired me to read Cranford. I saw the movie on PBS and loved it so the book should be a great read. Perhaps I will read the other book you mentioned by the same author. I have Wives and Daughters but have never read it.
I find many books at second hand shops.

By: oldenglishrose

oldenglishrose — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:37:28 +0000

I’d forgotten that I’ve already read ‘A Christmas Carol’ when I wrote my list, but I do have Dickens’ other Christmas stories in another volume, so I might save those for next December. Good luck with your reading!

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:33:04 +0000

I’ve just joined this challenge too. I’ll be reading some of the books on your list – Mary Barton and The Mill on the Floss (if you decide on that one). I’ve read Middlemarch a few years ago after it had been serialised on TV. It took a bit of getting into but I did enjoy it.
I loved The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – a great book!
As for Hardy, well I do like his books, particularly Jude the Obscure and Tess. I agree that The Woodlanders is a lighter way into his books.
I’ll be reading David Copperfield – because I already have the book. I haven’t read much Dickens – we read A Tale of Two Cities at school. How about reading A Christmas Carol, that’s shorter than most of his books and just right for Christmas.

By: oldenglishrose

oldenglishrose — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:38:39 +0000

The more I read other people’s opinions the more I’m looking forward to ‘The Warden’, ‘Middlemarch’ and ‘The Tenant of Wildfell Hall’. You’ve got me all excited about Mary Barton too now, so thank you! Good luck with your Hardy endeavours; I’ve decided to go with ‘Wessex Tales’ so I can sample him in small doses, then maybe move onto one of the novels if I manage to survive that unscathed.

By: Eva

Eva — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 01:54:43 +0000

Cranford is my favourite Gaskell so far…I think Mary Barton is more like Ruth (which I’ve read) in that it’s issues-based, so I’m curious to see what you’ll think of it. I was surprised by how different Ruth felt from Cranford!

I’ve loved Middlemarch (have yet to read Mill on the Floss) and The Warden, so I think you’re in for a treat!

As far as recommendations go…I’d read Wildfell Hall first for Anne (I’ve read both and I loved Wildfell Hall and didn’t love Agnes Grey, although it was still good) and No Name by Wilkie Collins.

I want to give Thomas Hardy another go next year, after hating Tess when I read it in middle school, so I hope your commenters left some recommendations there!

By: oldenglishrose

oldenglishrose — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:56:50 +0000

I guess it’s time for me to face my Hardy fears then. See, this is what challenges like this are for in my opinion: getting me to read the books that I’d usually ignore. ‘Tenant of Wildfell Hall’ seems to be the more popular of the two, so I think I’ll go with that one, thank you for the suggestion. I might even make it my first book as the Brontes are definitely winter authors to me.