Oh, how I love the Victorians. Ever since I started getting into Dickens I've been more and more interested in that period of history, its wonderful (and sometimes lengthy) literature. And seeing the fantastic movie, The Young Victoria piqued my interest even further. So whilst perusing the book blogs, I was delighted to discover Our Mutual Read challenge. I've signed up for Level 2, eight novels in a year. Half of them shall be written during the Victorian period, 1837-1901, and the other half can be non-fiction or neo-Victorian -- that is, modern novels set during that period. I'm sure I can complete level 2 and maybe even level 3, which is 12 novels in a year. Last year I read 13 Victorian novels plus a nonfiction book about Dickens, so 12 should be no problem -- I've already completed one non-fiction and I'm almost halfway through Oliver Twist for an online book group. There are also two mini-challenges: Period films (six Victorian-themed movies) and Short Stories (12 short stories written or set during the period).ere's a list of potential books and movies I'm hoping to read and watch:
Actual Victorian Books:
Oliver Twist
The Old Curiosity Shop
Barnaby Rudge
Lady Audley's Secret
The Invisible Man
Agnes Grey
The Importance of Being Earnest (okay, it's a play, but I'm think it will qualify)
The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Fingersmith or Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley
Movies & Miniseries:
Angels and Insects
Oliver Twist
David Copperfield
The Four Feathers
Sherlock Holmes
Wilde
The Governess
So, book bloggers, what do you think? Any must-reads or must-sees on the list? Anything I should skip? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I'm doing this too and I thinking I'll mostly be reading the actual novels! I think you've read all the ones I'm hoping to read so I can't help you on ideas. I read Oliver Twist in October and enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for nonfiction too but not sure where to begin with that.
All of those books on your list sound great! The Importance of Being Earnest is very funny.
ReplyDeleteI always forget that HG Wells is from this time period as well. I really want to try some of his work.
A year of Victorian and not a SINGLE George Eliot novel? Tut, tut, tut :P. Just kidding, your list sounds lovely - and your knowledge of the Victorians is so much better than mine I couldn't offer a lot of praise or criticism. It's interesting to see hwo much variety there really is in the age, though!
ReplyDeleteRebecca -- I may try to find a biography of Queen Victoria. I'd like to learn more about her after seeing the movie, which I really liked.
ReplyDeleteMaire -- I'm glad you liked Earnest, I saw the movie with Colin Firth and it was pretty funny. I've only read Dorian Gray which sounds so different.
Jason -- I've read Middle March, Silas Marner, and The Mill on the Floss. I'd like to read the others someday but I have so many to read and they're all so long! I promise to read more Eliot someday -- I have to reread Mill on the Floss. I read it in high school and I was too young to appreciate it.
Dorian is really different. The plays are rather lighter.
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