Reading the 20th Century discussion

It's time to nominate for our September 2025 group read


For September 2025 we invite you to nominate anything written in, or set in, between 1900 and 1920


Please supply the title, author, a brief synopsis, and anything else you'd like to mention about the book, and why you think it might make a good book to discuss.


Happy nominating

I nominate...



Tono-Bungay (1909)

by

H.G. Wells



One of his finest and most underrated novels. Apparently. These days H.G. Wells is best known for his science fiction however Tono-Bungay (1909) is a semi-autobiographical realist novel that sharply critiques Edwardian capitalism, class ambition, and British imperial decline.

Overview...

George Ponderevo, a bright, lower-middle-class young man becomes entangled in his uncle Edward's fraudulent patent-medicine empire Tono-Bungay, a completely useless but wildly successful "health tonic"


Themes include

Capitalism & Quackery
Class & Social Mobility
Disillusionment with Empire
Science vs. Commerce


And just £1.99 for a Kindle edition in the UK

I'm pushing the date the teensiest bit as this was published on 1st January 1921 so let me know if we're being super-strict and I can nominate something else:

Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim:

Lucy Entwhistle and Everard Wemyss are both reeling from recent unhappiness when they meet and swiftly fall in love. Lucy is Wemyss’s "sweet girl," and to Lucy, Everard is the whole world. The only blot on Lucy’s happiness is the shadowy figure of Wemyss’s first wife, Vera, who died in mysterious circumstances. But it is not until the happy couple return home and begin their life of wedded bliss that Lucy really begins to wonder: what did happen to Vera?

Dum dum DUM!

I would like to nominate Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome, published in 1900. Published in the US as Three Men on Wheels.

An almost sequel to Three Men in a Boat just not as funny - but very nearly.

The characters from Three Men in Boat decide to undertake a cycling tour of Germany.

Thanks Len, thanks RC


A couple of good looking nominations


Nominations so far...

Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome

BTW I asked AI for a a deeper dive into lesser-known women writers and Irish authors from 1900–1920 who wrote enduring, thought-provoking, or stylistically important novels.

This is what it came up with

Do you know any of them? Would you recommend?

It might also serve as inspiration

Appaently some of these were overlooked in their time but have gained renewed attention in recent decades:


🇮🇪 Irish Writers (1900–1920)

1. George Moore – The Lake (1905)
• Themes: Religious doubt, exile, inner conflict.
• Why it endures: Moore, a precursor to Joyce, explores the psychological effects of faith and identity in a rural Irish priest. Subtle and melancholic, with poetic prose.

⸻

2. James Stephens – The Crock of Gold (1912)
• Themes: Mythology, satire, politics, mysticism.
• Why it endures: A whimsical blend of Celtic folklore and modern satire. Quirky, lyrical, and visionary — a sort of Irish magical realism before the term existed.

⸻

3. Emily Lawless – With Essex in Ireland (1903)
• Themes: Colonialism, history, conflict.
• Why it endures: Though more historical fiction than modernist, Lawless’s fiction often tackles Anglo-Irish tensions with intelligence and nuance. A key (if overlooked) voice in the Irish Literary Revival.

⸻

4. Somerville & Ross – The Real Charlotte (1894, but continuously influential into 1900s)
• Themes: Class, power, deception, gender roles.
• Why it endures: A dark, psychologically complex Irish novel that has been critically re-evaluated in feminist and post-colonial studies. The titular character is as compelling as any in modern fiction.

⸻

👩‍🦰 Women Writers (British and Irish) – Lesser Known or Rediscovered

5. May Sinclair – The Three Sisters (1914)
• Themes: Emotional repression, religious zeal, sisterhood.
• Why it endures: Sinclair was ahead of her time in her use of psychology and feminist ideas. This novel is often compared to Wuthering Heights for its bleak Yorkshire setting and emotional depth.

⸻

6. Mary Webb – The Golden Arrow (1916)
• Themes: Rural mysticism, romantic idealism, fate.
• Why it endures: Webb was a precursor to Hardy’s spiritual naturalism and influenced later writers like Stella Gibbons (who parodied her in Cold Comfort Farm). Lyrical and richly descriptive.

⸻

7. Violet Hunt – White Rose of Weary Leaf (1908)
• Themes: Bohemian London, relationships, female agency.
• Why it endures: A proto-modernist novel by a key salon hostess and writer. Her circle included Ford Madox Ford and Henry James. This novel critiques romantic idealism from a feminist perspective.

⸻

8. Gertrude Dix – The Image Breakers (1900)
• Themes: Feminism, suffrage, social reform.
• Why it endures: A radical, explicitly feminist novel that critiques marriage and women’s roles in society. Dix was part of the New Woman movement in literature.

⸻

9. Constance Holme – The Lonely Plough (1913)
• Themes: Rural hardship, stoicism, class tensions.
• Why it endures: Stark and realistic, her works highlight lives often ignored — the tenant farmers, village women, and rural poor.

⸻

10. Katharine Tynan – The French Wife (1907)
• Themes: Marriage, loyalty, Irish identity.
• Why it endures: Tynan was a prolific Irish Catholic writer who bridged Victorian romanticism and early 20th-century realism. This novel explores womanhood and nationalism with emotional intelligence

May Sinclair and Mary Webb are both quite well known and were republished by Virago - Webb probably best known for her Precious Bane and Gone to Earth (sources for the humour of Effie in Cold Comfort Farm?)

I want to read Sinclair. I've vaguely heard of a few of the other female authors but haven't read them. Interesting list, thanks.

I have read Life and Death of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair, but not the book you mention. Would be interested in reading more by her as I enjoyed her writing. Read Precious Bane and The House in Dormer Forest by Mary Webb, am not sure I want to read another book in dialect. Not read any of the other authors.

Thanks

Dorothy Richardson seems to be getting some attention at present but I am going to nominate The Ambassadors by Henry James

Ha, I'm about a quarter of the way through Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage. And a huge fan of James but haven't got to his Ambassadors yet - yay!

Nominations so far...


Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
The Ambassadors by Henry James

Roman Clodia wrote: "Ha, I'm about a quarter of the way through Dorothy Richardson's Pilgrimage. And a huge fan of James but haven't got to his Ambassadors yet - yay!"

How is that read of Richardson going? I am considering but am also considering everything else I haven't read.

James is a love/hate author for me. I enjoy his prose, I like many of the plot threads that prompt his novels, but i find myself awfully frustrated during times when I am reading him, and I think he writes with the intent to frustrate his reader.

Great nominations so far.

Last call for nominations

Sam wrote: "How is that read of Richardson going?"

I love it! It's fascinating to see how the individual books get progressively more experimental, as if matching the development of the protagonist. She's a student-tutor in the first one so there are interesting parallels with a book like Villette. I'm about to start the second volume, books 4-6... when I have time!

I’ve been away. Can I let you know by tonight?

I don’t have any specifics in mind but I want to explore a couple of possibilities

I'm sure that'll be fine with Nigeyb, Ben.

I nominate A Volunteeer Nurse on the Western Front by Olive Dent (1917).

Having twice watched the BBC series Crimson Field, I want to know more. . . . Participation in war often helps social groups gain citizenship and suffrage.

Yes, take your time Ben


Thanks Cynda - looks good



Nominations so far...

Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
The Ambassadors by Henry James
A Volunteeer Nurse on the Western Front by Olive Dent

Cynda is preoccupied with RL wrote: "I nominate A Volunteeer Nurse on the Western Front by Olive Dent (1917)."

That's interesting as I'd thought of Vera Brittain 's Testament of Youth but then thought many people here have probably read it - yours is a different take, thanks.

@ Roman Clodia shall we change the nomination to Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain? I haven't read it. Perhaps others have not either.

@ Nigeyb maybe this longer, likely more complex book by Vera Brittain might be a better option to nominate?

It's completely your choice, Cynda.

For myself, I read Testament when I was 18 in that summer before university, the same age as Brittain at the start, so it had a huge impact on me. I'd happily re-read it.

Let's do it!

Nigeyb, may I change my nomination to Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain?

I want to nominate Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. Always topical and controversial, Shaw was a favourite of mine in my teens, but I haven't read him in 50 years and I've never seen his plays performed.

Major Barbara is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in the Salvation Army in London. For many years, Barbara and her siblings have been estranged from their father, Andrew Undershaft, who now reappears as a rich and successful munitions maker. The father gives money to the Salvation Army, which offends Barbara because she considers it "tainted" wealth. The father argues that poverty is a worse problem than munitions and claims that he is doing more to help society by giving his workers jobs and a steady income than she is doing by giving people jobs in a soup kitchen.

Testament of Youth is on my list to read and while it makes voting more difficult, I am happy that whichever book wins the poll, it is one I look forward to reading.

Thanks Cynda, thanks Ben

A couple of fab looking nominations

I'll get the poll up tomorrow so still time for any last nominations



Nominations

Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
The Ambassadors by Henry James
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw

Am I too late? I'll nominate Twenty Years at Hull House, by Jane Addams, originally published in 1910.

Autobiographical. Known for its description the poverty and degredation of the era. How she set up the famous Hull House, which became the model for settlement houses. And, by 1922, there were over 500 of them throughout the country.

Are the moderators aware that Testament of Youth was published in 1933?
At least Vera was published in 1921 and, in checking on it, found that it was published on January 1, 1921. My understanding is that anything published within the hangover period of December 31st is also deemed to have been published on December 31st. Look it up.
So Vera can also be considered to have been published in 1920.

Brian E wrote: "Are the moderators aware that Testament of Youth was published in 1933?
At least Vera was published in 1921 and, in checking on it, found that it was published on Janua..."

Don't the restrictions relate to time of writing and/or setting? The overwhelming bulk of Brittain's book's set in the years before 1920, Brittain's roughly 17 at the beginning so around 1910.

Ben wrote: "I want to nominate Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw. Always topical and controversial, Shaw was a favourite of mine in my teens, but I haven't read him in 50 years and I've never ..."

I've seen the film based on this but still can't work out the underlying message which does make this one intriguing.

Alwynne wrote: "Brian E wrote: "Are the moderators aware that Testament of Youth was published in 1933?
At least Vera was published in 1921 and, in checking on it, found that it was pu..."

Nigeyb did say "written in or set in". I didn't notice the "set in". I wouldn't have had to search quite so many books.

Jan C wrote: "Am I too late? I'll nominate Twenty Years at Hull House, by Jane Addams, originally published in 1910.

Autobiographical. Known for its description the poverty and deg..."

That looks really interesting Jan.

Roman Clodia wrote: "It's completely your choice, Cynda.

For myself, I read Testament when I was 18 in that summer before university, the same age as Brittain at the start, so it had a huge impact on me. I'd happily ..."

I love that book, read it at least twice now. Even tracked down the creaky BBC adaptation online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGax0...

Actually liked it a lot more than the recent film version. The production values are low but it's more faithful to Brittain's story.

All the choices look tempting: Vera sounds intriguing; really enjoyed Ann Veronica not that long ago and made me want to read more of Wells's work; love James and also love Three Men in a Boat can't think why I've never read the sequel.

Jan C wrote: ".Nigeyb did say "written in or set in". I didn't notice the "set in"

That's right. I forgot that he usually words it that way. I just didn't notice it this time. My bad. I tend to focus on the books written in that time period.
That really does open it up a lot - to any WWI set book written at any time.

Cynda is preoccupied with RL wrote: "I nominate A Volunteeer Nurse on the Western Front by Olive Dent (1917).

Having twice watched the BBC series Crimson Field, I want to know more. . . . Participati..."

I think I'm going to try this one anyway. Have you come across Enid Bagnold's A Diary Without Dates? If not it's worth tracking down. Also thought Helen Zenna Smith's Not So Quiet... was really powerful covers women ambulance drivers during WW1 rather than nurses.

Not So Quiet was a powerful book.......

There is Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front, 1914-1915 that I read years ago.

Probably not to every readers taste ......

Cphe wrote: "Not So Quiet was a powerful book.......

There is Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front, 1914-1915 that I read years ago.

Probably not to every readers taste ......"

I don't know that one either will have a look, thanks! I've heard good things about Mary Borden's The Forbidden Zone: A Nurse's Impressions of the First World War another one I'd like to get around to reading.

Alwynne, when I was a young woman, I read about the 19th century nurses biographies and writings. So I will look at the Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front 1914-1915. . . .It is on KU. I will read as one of my women's history selections this year. Thanks

Brian E wrote: "Are the moderators aware that Testament of Youth was published in 1933"

Thanks Brian. Just to clarify, books can always be nominated that are either published in the stated years or set during them so Testament of Youth is definitely applicable as others have mentioned.

My nomination is the slightly dodgy one, published on 1st January 1921 as I mentioned in my nomination post #3 - as no-one has objected and it's the merest breath over the deadline, I think it's been accepted.

Thanks for all the other suggestions of books about women in WW1. A fictional account that I half read before it had to go back to the library (I didn't mean to abandon it) is The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally about Australian nurses on a WW1 hospital ship (not a nomination, just a book others might want to check out).

Alwynne wrote: "Actually liked it a lot more than the recent film version. The production values are low but it's more faithful to Brittain's story"

I abandoned the recent film as I found it unaccountably stilted and dull - beyond the stuff upper lip vibe that I guess was intentional. Thanks for the link - I hadn't realized there had been a BBC serial.

I have also read Chronicle of Youth: The War Diary, 1913-1917, the diary from which Brittain wrote Testament. It seems to be out of print now and I've lost my copy which is infuriating - it was a devastating read which I still recall vividly.

Alwynne wrote: "All the choices look tempting: Vera sounds intriguing

Allegedly, it was one of the books that Daphne du Maurier read and which became an influence on her Rebecca.

Alwynne wrote: "I've seen the film based on this but still can't work out the underlying message which does make this one intriguing...."

Yes, that what I remembered at the time -- the way it challenged my adolescent understandings of liberalism and social welfare, from way back in 1905.

I'm not sure I've ever seen or read any GB Shaw - sounds like it could generate an interesting discussion. Would the arguments still stand up, I wonder, in generally post-industrial and mainly secular western societies?

Nigeyb wrote:
"Nominations
Tono-Bungay by H.G. Wells
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
The Ambassadors by Henry James
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw..."

I'll definitely be voting for a Vera.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "Actually liked it a lot more than the recent film version. The production values are low but it's more faithful to Brittain's story"

I abandoned the recent film as I found it unacc..."

I thought it was dull too. And too airbrushed somehow - both visuals and narrative.

I stumbled across Vera years ago and remember enjoying it. It was read last year with the VMC group with a positive response.

Roman Clodia wrote: "I'm not sure I've ever seen or read any GB Shaw - sounds like it could generate an interesting discussion. Would the arguments still stand up, I wonder, in generally post-industrial and mainly secu..."

I wonder that too. I got confused with this one because of the Salvation Army/religious dimension, I think. So had questions about the ethical frameworks of the piece and couldn't work out where Shaw then landed at the end.

Roman Clodia wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "All the choices look tempting: Vera sounds intriguing

Allegedly, it was one of the books that Daphne du Maurier read and which became an influence on her Rebecca."

That's why it sounds so familiar.

Cphe wrote: "I stumbled across Vera years ago and remember enjoying it. It was read last year with the VMC group with a positive response."

Great! I enjoyed The Enchanted April but struggled with others I've tried. She's a hard author to place, for me at least.