VICTOBER 2025 discussion

Here's a thread to discuss what you're reading for Katie's (my) challenge: read a Victorian book under 250 pages and/or over 500 pages.

This is the hardest challenge! There are so many books to choose from!! I think I'll pick three Penguin Little Black Classics:
"The Withered Arm" by Thomas Hardy
"It was Snowing Butterflies" by Charles Darwin
"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell, maybe to read by candlelight :)

Later, if I have the time, I'll go with "The Egoist" by George Meredith and also try some poetry, possibly the Edward Lear book of Nonsense and the Christina Rossetti's poems.

I might give Deerbrook by Harriet Martineau a go

I’ve always wanted to read the Picture of Dorian Gray, but it’s 254 pages. I don’t suppose that could slide?

Mike wrote: "I’ve always wanted to read the Picture of Dorian Gray, but it’s 254 pages. I don’t suppose that could slide?"

The Penguin clothbound edition is under 250 pages, so go for it!

War of the Worlds is only 224, so I might go with that. I feel like I’d be going against the challenge otherwise.

I'm going to read Cranford but as a warm up, as I'm so excited I thought I'd read The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley as I've never read it and I love a childrens classic.

I was already planning on reading A Study in Scarlet this month since I’ve never read any Sherlock Holmes. So that will fit into this challenge perfectly.

I may try a long and a short for this challenge.

I'm working my way through Trollope's Palliser novels and The Eustace Diamonds is next, so that seems an obvious choice. But I've been meaning to read Lorna Doone since forever. So I'm dithering a bit. I'm thinking it probably will be Trollope though, just because I would like to get on with the series.

If I do manage a short novel as well I think it will be Dr. Wortle's School

Katie made me do it!
Her description of Grossman's "The Diary of a Nobody" made me want to pick it up.
Thanks Katie.

For me it'll be either Dickens' Hard Times (short) or Gaskell's North and South (long). I don't think I'll manage both. Leaning more towards North and South.

Thanks for the terrific suggestions in your announcement video! I feel like gothic this time of the year. I am going to read Carmilla and, if I can, The Withered Arm and The Strange Story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

So I’m thinking of “The Coming Race” Edward Bulwer-Lytton. I think it’s some kind of lost world type story and it’s under two hundred pages so it definitely works for this. If I have time I might try “New Grub Street” by George Gissing or an Anthony Trollope novel for the over five hundred part but I’ll see how it goes.

At the moment I'm very much interested in the role of women in the Victorian era, so for the under 250 pages challenge I have chosen the following two as a study in contrast: The Angel in the House by Coventry Patmore and Cassandra by Florence Nightingale.

As the longer book I will read Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell (512 pages in the Penguin English Library edition). This will be my 3rd Gaskell novel after North and South and Cranford.

Nicola Lodge-Bruce wrote: "For me I’m going to tackle a short and a long novel. Vendetta for the short; Dombey and Sons for the larger."

"Dombey and Son" is brilliant--you wont' regret it.

For this challenge I have selected Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. Both my Gaskell books I found in my local library’s large print section, so also good for some passages of candle light reading.
If there is time I have, for the over 500 page challenge, an unread Folio edition of Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. A good opportunity to be nudged to read it.

I was inspired by your love of Our Mutual friend and thought it would definitely cover your long novel challenge and for the short one I'll read Cranford. All this talk got me too excited and I'm currently reading Dr Thorne by Trollop which will be done before October gets here. Ooops 😃

I'm going to reread Persuasion by Jane Austen (so a double challenge) - it's under 250 pages :-) and I'll be reading Middlemarch (new female author for me) which is also over 500 pages

for the over 500 pages I'm thinking East Lynne, as it also counts as the female author I've never read. The thing is I don't own the book, what I do own is Shirley which I've been meaning to read. So, going to think about that

I'm going to read Villette by Charlotte Brontë (573 pages) which I've already started, but I'm not goig to finish in September because of its length lol

Susan wrote: "Thanks for the terrific suggestions in your announcement video! I feel like gothic this time of the year. I am going to read Carmilla and, if I can, The Withered Arm and The Strange Story of Dr Jek..."

I am so in the mood for something Gothic, but I'm in a dither. I've read Dracula, and Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, and I know that I could reread these for one of the challenges, but I want to read things I've never read before. So many choices! I'm also not a fast reader, so I won't be able to do all of the challenges. I need to be very strategic in my choices. I think Carmilla will be one I read for Katie's challenge, though.

I'm currently reading Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden to my 8 yr old granddaughter, I only see her once a week but I'm hoping we'll be finished by October because after that I think Burnett's A Little Princess, will be perfect for the shorter fiction challenge - didn't know of this book before (and had no idea she wrote so many books).
For the 500 plus it's currently a toss up between Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters or Anthony Trollope's Can You Forgive Her? Never having read any Trollope this might be the winner but it's awfully long, don't know if I could get through it with all the other reading to do.

For Katie’s Challenge of a book that’s 250 pages or less, I’m reading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte, and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

I think for the 250 or less I'm going to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and for over 500 pages, I'm going to pick The Woman in White. I debated between Jekyll and Hyde and Silas Marner because my full TBR has a lot of dark/mystery/gothic stuff. Maybe I'll give myself the option to choose between them based on how I'm feeling at the time.

Jenny, I'm reading Silas Marner right now. (I finished the book I was reading and decided to start Victober early.) I read The Woman in White last year and loved it. Hmm, I'm starting to feel the pull toward a Wilkie Collins--maybe a reread of The Moonstone. I believe my copy is over 500 pages. So many choices!

As of now the only book I know I'll read is "A House to Let", it's 111 pages. It's been in my want-to-read-soon piles for the last couple of years, constantly shuffled around, so this is the perfect opportunity!

It's written by Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Adelaide Ann Procter, and it looks like it was first published in 1858. This is a novella with each author taking turns writing a chapter, and with Dickens and Collins writing the first and last chapters together. I wish I knew how I found out about this, but it's gone in the mists of time since it's been on my shelves since 2010. About time to read this slim little peachy-pink volume, I think.

I'm hoping to also read a chunkster (and there are so many on my shelves to choose from that I'll grab whatever sounds most interesting), plus some Victorian non-fiction books if I can manage it as well. So excited to start!

Laura wrote: "As of now the only book I know I'll read is "A House to Let", it's 111 pages. It's been in my want-to-read-soon piles for the last couple of years, constantly shuffled around, so this is the perfec..."

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on 'A House to Let' - I've been meaning to read it for ages.

For my book of less than 250 pages I have started reading A Study in Scarlet, by Arthur Conan Doyle. I have read The Hound of the Baskervilles but it was a long time ago, and now I feel ready to tackle another Sherlock Holmes.

I’ll be reading Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Under 250 pages, I am reading The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. Over 500 pages, probably The Mill on the Floss (which would also be a reread).

Both of Anne Brontë's novels. I've been putting them off for far too long, so this challenge should give me the boost I need to see what she's like.

Gareth wrote: "Both of Anne Brontë's novels. I've been putting them off for far too long, so this challenge should give me the boost I need to see what she's like."

I'd recommend to start with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

I have a hankering to re-read 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, and the Penguin Clothbound Classics edition is 504 pages, so just might use that for this challenge (and maybe the re-read challenge too, depending on work commitments). So looking forward to getting in the gothic mood this Victober!

Ophelia Lyra wrote: "Gareth wrote: "Both of Anne Brontë's novels. I've been putting them off for far too long, so this challenge should give me the boost I need to see what she's like."

I'd recommend to start with The..."

Thanks. I've heard that Wildfell is the better novel.

I'll be reading the critical edition of 'Carmilla' by J Sheridan Le Fanu for this challenge.

Mary wrote: "I'll be reading the critical edition of 'Carmilla' by J Sheridan Le Fanu for this challenge."

Mary, who published the critical edition?

April wrote: "Mary wrote: "I'll be reading the critical edition of 'Carmilla' by J Sheridan Le Fanu for this challenge."

Mary, who published the critical edition?"

Hello April, The Publisher is Syracuse University Press: Critical Edition, 2013, edited by Kathleen Costello-Sullivan. It is part of the Irish Studies Series. I've just ordered a copy and although it was a bit more expensive than other editions, I thought that it would be worth it for the commentary - and I liked the cover.

Mary wrote: "April wrote: "Mary wrote: "I'll be reading the critical edition of 'Carmilla' by J Sheridan Le Fanu for this challenge."

Mary, who published the critical edition?"

Hello April, The Publisher is S..."

Thanks, Mary!

I might be crazy and attempt both long and short for this challenge. For short, I definitely want to read Agnes Grey, by Anne Brontë. As for long, I was planning on reading Bleak House, by Charles Dickens with a group of friends spread out over October/November. Maybe I'll just squish it all into October 😆

For this challenge I will got for Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. My copy is just over 500 pages. If I want to reuse a different challenge's book I can also say The Battle of Life also by Dickens is under 100 pages. So I guess I will have this covered no matter what but I would like to read both.

For a book under 250 pages, I am reading Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott. It's very short, only around 90 pages. This is also a reread.

I said earlier I was going to read Cranford as a short read but now I've decided on a long one too and I'm going to read Vanity Fair which is a beast that I've had on my physical shelf a while but I've also got the 36 hour audio book from Borrowbox so I'll do a bit of both.

I’ve decided to do a long read too. I’m going to pick up The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. My edition clocks in at 702 pages.

I began reading Bleak House before I knew of Victober, I was hoping to be finished by October so that I could embark on Trollope's 'Can You Forgive Her?' (a first Trollope for me). But at the rate I'm going it looks like I'll still be reading Bleak House in October.
One of the reasons I'm slow is that I need to keep going back in the book to remind myself what has happened and about the characters that I tend to forget when chapters go by without mention of them. Also I re read passages because I enjoy the writing so much.
But when I finally finish I WILL get to Trollope whether it's in October or not. I really want to get to know his writing.

MaryAnn wrote: "I’ve decided to do a long read too. I’m going to pick up The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. My edition clocks in at 702 pages."

I'm hoping to read The Woman in White too. I hope I manage it, I often start with good intentions and then stuff gets in the way! I do have the audiobook too, so maybe that will help.

Emma wrote: "MaryAnn wrote: "I’ve decided to do a long read too. I’m going to pick up The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. My edition clocks in at 702 pages."

I'm hoping to read The Woman in White too. I hope..."

I really enjoyed The Woman in White when I read it last year.

For this challenge, I am hoping to read Thomas Hardy's The Distracted Preacher form the Art of the Novella line. Then for the largest book, I'm torn between a few books: The Way We Live Nowby Anthony Trollope; Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope; or Villette by Charlotte Bronte; Shirley. I will probably only be able to get through one 600 page book this Victober.

I'm already engrossed in The Eustace Diamonds...

Will read the last chronicle of Barsetshire for the longer book and maybe one of the Penguin black books or Wilkie Collins, The Haunted Hotel for the shorter one.

Clare wrote: "Will read the last chronicle of Barsetshire for the longer book and maybe one of the Penguin black books or Wilkie Collins, The Haunted Hotel for the shorter one."

Clare, I'm so in the mood for some Wilkie Collins! I'm going to try to squeeze some in during Victober. I've just started Doctor Thorne of the Barsetshire Chronicles which is a reread for me, but I can't remember anything about it, so that's probably a good thing. I know I've read either the first three or the first four chronicles. My plan is to finish the whole series over the next few months.