Victorians! discussion

Come one, come all! Put your nomination here for the fall Victorian group read! That's right, folks, it's time to step right up and toss out your idea for the next book to read!

We're going to shake things up just a bit to see what ideas are running around out there, and because we have a ton of new people so want to see what is popular among members.

For this go round, the nomination can be either true Victorian (written between 1837-1901 by anyone anywhere), neo-Victorian (written after 1901 but based primarily within the Victorian era) or non-fiction Victorian (written anytime, but based on any topic, or set of topics, during the Victorian era).

Please only nominate one book and be sure to list which category your book falls under; True Victorian, Neo-Victorian, or Non-fiction.

Note: This is one book total, not one book per category. Should you nominate more than one book, only the first book mentioned will move into the polls.

Let's put this up for a full week, so nominations will end this Sunday, Aug. 22d. On that date, I'll post a poll for a week, so that we all have plenty of time to scrounge around those friendly and lovable bookstores in time for the Sept. 15 start date.

As always, should the book you nominate win, we will ask you to consider leading the discussion. :)

Let the games begin!

ooh I am first

Catagory: True Victorian

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Category: True Victorian
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Category: True Victorian
With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz

I guess a Gothic novel would be great for the fall Victorian group read.

Category: True Victorian

Dracula by Bram Stoker

David wrote: "Category: True Victorian
With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz"

That is an excellent choice David, and I second it. It would be good to read a Victorian novel about a country other than England.

Dracula for the win! =)

True Victorian and appropriate for fall, gothic-esque reading: Uncle Silas by Le Fanu Uncle Silas

Non-fiction: Victorian People and Ideas by Richard D. Altick.

The Mill on the Floss is my nomination. (a true Victorian)

I'm dying to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass, by Lewis Carroll. If the collection is too ambitious for September, then the former rather than the latter?

Category: True Victorian

Varney the Vampire

Since it's fall--and all things spooky are appropriate. I originally nom'd Dracula thinking the choice would be narrowed down to the handful of books that got the most noms, but I guess that's not the case? I looked at newbie rules and didn't really see an explanation so I guess I'll continue with baptism by fire :)

I believe Dracula was already nominated?

Category: True Victorian

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I vote for Dracula since I will be reading it for a Horror & Literature class this fall.

If many have read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass how about The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald?



The Princess and the Goblin is a children's fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co. The sequel to this book is The Princess and Curdie. Anne Thaxter Eaton writes in A Critical History of Children's Literature that ‘’The Princess and the Goblin’’ and its sequel “quietly suggest in every incident ideas of courage and honor." Jeffrey Holdaway writing in New Zealand Art Monthly said that both books start out as “normal fairytales but slowly become stranger”, and that they contain layers of symbolism similar to that of Lewis Carroll’s work.

Also, I have a book with all three: Frankenstein; Dracula; Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Could we do a three month read of these ( I love Halloween and it would fit perfectly into the time frame!)

I would like to nominate Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.
Category: True Victorian

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

It is one of the few Dickens novels that I haven't read and it has been sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me.

I would be more than happy to read Little Dorrit again though. I love that book.

Rhea wrote: "I guess a Gothic novel would be great for the fall Victorian group read.

Category: True Victorian

Dracula by Bram Stoker"

Haha I considered nominating that myself since this will be for Sept and October.

Holy cats we got a lot of nominations in the first day! Some extra info for the newbies - :)

One nomination per person. Therefore, if someone owns a book that contains three novels, they should choose which of those novels they want to nominate (sorry, Jamie!). If you nominate multiple books, only your first nomination will actually move to the polls.

The polls will include whatever is nominated. We may end up doing a run-off poll, since we have so many noms and it may become difficult to see an actual winner, as opposed to spreading the votes a bit thin.

Other questions? Ask away!

Haha just trying! My nomination would really be for The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald. I forgot to put that.

Silver wrote: "ooh I am first

Catagory: True Victorian

Silas Marner by George Eliot"

I personally love this nomination, as I'm currently reading it! ;)

Lots of great nominations already. But We haven't read any Trollope in awhile, so in the category of True Victorian I'm going to nominate Orley Farm, which was Trollope's favorite of his many novels.

There's an interesting side note on this book. The house in Orley Farm was based on a house, Julians, which Trollope's family had owned and which was bought in the late 1850s to expand Hastings School (a feeder school to Harrow). When Orley Farm came out in 1862, Hastings recognized the description of the house and, with Trollope's approval, renamed his school Orley Farm School, and under that name the school is still going strong today.

It has an address which sounds more like an 1860s than a 2010 address. Only in England!

Orley Farm School
South Hill Avenue
Harrow on the Hill
Middlesex

Category Non-fiction:

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective byKate Summerscale.

It is an extremely interesting read that gives great insight into the times and how this true story of a young boy's murder, and the birth of police detectives, influenced many Victorian era authors such as Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens.

Why not Emile Zola, still an underappreciated novelist. This time however, The Debacle about the Franco Prussian War and resulting revolution in France. It has it all hubris, war, famine, and excitement. Not only that, but Zola has been getting no love.

I second Everyman's nomination of Trollope's Orley Farm. I am ready to 'trollope' in 'Trollopiana.'

I have never read any Trollope or Zola, so I will vote for either of them if they are nominated.

I would have nominated Dracula so glad someone else has, I desperately want to read it this Autumn!

True Victorian:
A Woman's Life (Une Vie) by Guy de Maupassant

The Suspicions of Mr Wicher

Sorry can I change my nomination?!

Black Beauty - Anna Sewell. I love this book and haven't read it for years!

I "third" Orley Farm. And thanks for the info on the school, Everyman, that is really fun.

Paul wrote: "Why not Emile Zola, still an underappreciated novelist. This time however, The Debacle about the Franco Prussian War and resulting revolution in France. It has it all hubris, war, famine, and exc..."

Paul, which Zola would you like to nominate? I am dying to read more of his stuff so interested to see which one you go for.

Charity wrote: "True Victorian:
A Woman's Life (Une Vie) by Guy de Maupassant"

Fabulous book! I loved it.

Maggie wrote: "The Suspicions of Mr Wicher

Sorry can I change my nomination?!

Black Beauty - Anna Sewell. I love this book and haven't read it for years!"

Oooh, both of those are fantastic!!

Wowzers, look at the list already!

Silas Marner - George Eliot
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
With Fire and Sword - Henryk Sienkiewicz
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Uncle Silas Joseph le Fanu
Victorian People and Ideas - Richard D Altick
Mary Barton - Elizabeth Gaskell
alices adventures in wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
Little Dorrit - Charles Dickens
Our Mutual Friend - Charles Dickens
Orley Farm - Anthony Trollope
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: Or The Murder at Road Hill House - Kate Summerscale
A Woman's Life - Guy de Maupassant
Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
The Mill on the Floss - George Eliot

Plenty there to mull over and have a think about before the nominations begin on Sunday.

Seen anything you like?

Boof wrote: "Wowzers, look at the list already!...
Seen anything you like? "

Anything I like????? I see only one I don't like.

And wild horses wouldn't drag out of me which one, so don't bother asking.

I'm a newbie here, but jumping right in. I'd be the fourth (I think that's right) for Orley Farm.

Go on, Everyman! Tell, tell, tell!!!! ;o)

Yes, the current nom list is quite the candy store, isn't it?

Why no Debacle by Emile Zola? He gets no love here.

Paul wrote: "Why no Debacle by Emile Zola? He gets no love here."

While Boof didn't include it in her list it is safe to assume that'll end up on the list, Paul. I shouldn't worry about it, Amigo.

I'm a newbie. I have been "saving" David Copperfield for my retirement (since grad school because I love Dickens and had read everything else). While I'm not there yet, I must nominate DC. True Victorian.

I see 10 I like.
I second the nomination of ORLEY FARM by Anthony Trollope.

Anna wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Boof wrote: "Wowzers, look at the list already!...
Seen anything you like? "

Anything I like????? I see only one I don't like.

And wild horses wouldn't drag out of me which on..."

Is it Black Beauty? I bet it is..

Lol.. That's my guess too..

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
I am newby, do you thinks this book would be hard to read???????

Julia wrote: "Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
I am newby, do you thinks this book would be hard to read???????"

Not at all, Julia! It is a wonderful story and welcome to the group.

Thanks Marialyce!!! so i my nomination would be Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte . I really want to read it !

Ha ha, yes I didn't get the bit about "wild horses" form Everyman. Black Beauty is a wonderful book - I'd be more than happy to read that one again.

Paul, I did miss The Debacle - don't worry it will go on the final voting list.

I'm tempted to throw one of my own nominations into the mix but there are so many already that I should maybe give it a miss.