Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A Victorian Reading Challenge


I've decided to do another reading challenge in 2013; a Victorian one. I was inspired by this blog:href="http://worthwhilebooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/personal-victorian-challenge.html">

I'm glad to be doing this challenge as it will delve into my TBR stack. Out of the twelve books, I own ten of them. I've always loved this period in literature. And many beautiful movies have been made from the books; many of Thomas Hardy's, one of my favorites.

So here's the list:

1. Middlemarch-George Eliot
2. The Small House at Allington-Anthony Trollope
3. Tess of the D'urbervilles-Thomas Hardy
4. The Woman in White-Wilkie Collins
5. The Way of All Flesh-Samuel Butler
6. The Cloister and the Hearth-Charles Reade
7. The Soul of Man-Oscar Wilde
8. The Story of the Amulet-E. Nesbit
9. At the Back of the North Wind-George MacDonald
10. Lady Audley's Secret-M.E. Braddon
11. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-Robert Louis Stevenson
12. Cranford-Elizabeth Gaskell

There are many more I could have added, but I really wanted to read what I already have.

Do you have a favorite Victorian author? Mine are Trollope, Hardy, and the Brontes. I didn't include the Brontes in my list, even though I own all their works, because I've read lots of their books and wanted to try new authors. I could have listed Charles Dickens also. I may have to read more than twelve this year or have another Victorian challenge next year!

14 comments:

M.K. said...

What a wonderful time period for novels, Debbie! This is a noble, enjoyable goal for 2013. Trollope is my favorite, but I really like Hardy as well. Of this list, I've already read Middlemarch, Small House (you do have a Trollope on your list!), Tess, and Cranford. I love Cranford; Gaskell is wonderful. Enjoy!

Pom Pom said...

I love Cranford and Middlemarch.

GretchenJoanna said...

You are going to have fun!

Leslie said...

Middlemarch is a favorite for me, as is Silas Marner so I guess G. Eliot would be a favorite. Great list.

Jeannette said...

I look forward to your eventual reviews or comments about these books...and aren't the books themselves physically pretty!

Katy Sammons said...

You amaze me! I wish I could read as much as you do! The only book on your list that I have read is Woman in White, and it is one of my favorites. I have started Middleamarch about umpteen times, but Eliot's commentary makes me nuts, and I give up. One of my reading goals for the year is to read some Dickens, which I haven't read since high school.

Left-Handed Housewife said...

I have a copy of Middlemarch but haven't read it. Maybe I'll take up your challenge. My favorite Victorian author is definitely Dickens. My mother loves Trollope, so maybe I'll give him a go, too!

xofrances

Travel With Lulu said...

I'll be reading Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Austen, and Shakespeare in my book club over the next few months.

Your FB badge encouraged me to google the Hobby Lobby story - I hadn't heard of it. Wow, that takes a lot of courage and faith.

hopeinbrazil said...

Nice list! Small House at Allington was how I got hooked on Trollope.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

That's an impressive list, Debbie. Are you going to do reviews of each?

Fiordelisa said...

Hi, I'm new here (visiting by way of Come Away With Me). I also just commented on your Thomas Merton and Solitude post.

Just this past week, I joined the first Reading Challenge of my life: Reading Scotland. There was just too large a stack of Waverly novels building up here. I needed motivation. (Please come by and see my Reading Scotland post, if you are at all interested.)

I like your Victorian reading challenge, too. Hardy and the Brontes! Wow. They are not even authors, but *moods* that sweep over me when I'm not even reading them. I have an enticing "Return of the Native" mood that comes time and again, and have finally learned not to go start reading the book every time it comes. :-)

Have you read The Bronte Story? It's by Margaret Lane, an updated version of Gaskell, and is steeped in Bronte mood, besides being extremely moving and enlightening.

Blessings,
Fiordelisa

Faith Hope and Cherrytea said...

thanks for the visit at FHC!
in reading thru this list I'm already seeing Geo MacD qualifies you for the Bairn level in the Scotland Reading Challenge! 2 challenges in one sounds pretty good to me =) Would luv to have you along. Blessings in your reading and relating..

Vintage Reading said...

George Eliot, Anne Bronte and Elizabeth Gaskell. I'm fond of Cranford, nice to know the Victorians had a sense of humour!

Bellezza said...

I love The Woman in White, have read it several times, and I enjoyed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as an autumnal read. But, I could not finish Middlemarch, stopping just short of the last 100 pages, and I've never read Trollope to my great chagrin.