Victorians! discussion

It is hard to believe that it is that time again, to nominate what we want to read in January.

Please nominate the Victorian book which you would like to read, it can be any book, from anywhere, or anyone that has been published between 1837-1901.

Only one nomination per person please, and try to avoid nominating books already read within this group. If you are unsure, you can scroll down to our bookshelf at the bottom of the page for a list of books we have read.

Nominations will be open from Dec. 1st-Dec. 9th.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Silas Marner is my nomination.

I was thinking about nominating The Mill and the Floss, but seeing there is already a nomination for George Elliot, I will nominate another book I have been wanting to read for a long time.

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

I am nominating The Mill on the Floss. I'm more likely to read this with the group than on my own.

My nomination is Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy .

Hasn't that already been nominated?

I would like to nominate:


Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

I adored Lady Audley's Secret and have heard that this is a great sensational novel too.

May I nominate Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.

I would like to nominate Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.

Boof wrote: "I would like to nominate:


Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

I adored Lady Audley's Secret and have heard that this is a great sensational novel too."

I really like lady Audley's Secret too, I have not read anything else by the author, so that sounds like it could be interesting.

I nominate Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

I second Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

I don't know if it had already been read but I would like to nominate A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Silencio wrote: "I don't know if it had already been read but I would like to nominate A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens."

Hi Silencio, this book was actually read as a group last December, so would you like to nominate something else?

Some great nominations guys. I could happily read several of these.

Boof wrote: "Hi Silencio, this book was actually read as a group last December, s..."

Then, anything works for me :) I'll write again if I have any other nominations...

I would like to nominate "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoyevsky

I'd love to read Madame Bovary. I've read it before, a long time ago, ut it's time for a reread, and I need an excuse to buy the much praised new translation by Lydia Davis.

I second, or is it "I third" Jude the Obscure

I would like to nominate Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

Hey Boof, I've not read that Aurora but I've read The Doctor's Wife, which quite was good :o)

Madame Bovary.

Boof wrote: "I would like to nominate:


Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

I adored Lady Audley's Secret and have heard that this is a great sensational novel too."

I am reading Lady Audley's Secret at the moment and enjoying it, so I would like to read Aurora Floyd.

Boof wrote: "I would like to nominate: Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
I adored Lady Audley's Secret and have heard that this is a great sensational novel too."

I would also like to read Aurora Floyd, as I've liked Lady Audle's secret a lot last year.

Fleur wrote: "I'd love to read Madame Bovary. I've read it before, a long time ago, ut it's time for a reread, and I need an excuse to buy the much praised new translation by Lydia Davis."

I have a copy of this new translation, Fleur, and I must admit it looks very accessible. If this wins I really look forward to reading it.

Ok, so far we have the following books nominated:

Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Uncle Silas by Le Fanu

Some great nominatations here. Thanks for your contributions so far. We will start the voting on 9th December.

I daresay any of these selections should generate a lot of interest.

I would have nominated three of those myself, so I'll just wait and do my voting on the 9th.

Gary wrote: "I would like to nominate "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoyevsky"

That's being read right now by the Readers Review group; they/we are about half-way through, and will still be reading it into January.

Everyman wrote: "Gary wrote: "I would like to nominate "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoyevsky"

That's being read right now by the Readers Review group; they/we are about half-way through, and will still be readin..."

Hi all, I'm relatively new to goodreads and I'm tad baffled. If a book is currently being read by the reviewer group how come it remains eligable to be read again the following month? Is there a logic?

Victorians and the Readers Review groups are different groups, although many people belong to both. Is that what you mean?

Suppose so. Still it does seem strange. I can't work out whether it's a good or bad thing for the member of both groups or for a member of just the one group.

I only just joined The Reader's Review because I thought the discussion threads were so interesting. I like being part of both, because one gets more choice.

Malcolm wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Gary wrote: "I would like to nominate "The Brothers Karamazov" by Dostoyevsky"

That's being read right now by the Readers Review group; they/we are about half-way through, and w..."

Because even though there are members here who belong to both groups, this group is independent of the Readers Review, and thus we do not base our nominations on what other groups may be doing. It is within the power of those who have already read the book to choose to nominate and vote for something else. We cannot work on the assumption that everyone is active in both groups.

Because even though there
are members here who
belong to both groups, this
group is independent of the
Readers Review, and thus we
do not base our nominations
on what other groups may
be doing . It is within the
power of those who have
already read the book to
choose to nominate and vote
for something else . We
cannot work on the
assumption that everyone is
active in both groups .

Cool, I hadn't separated the two groups in my mind. Thanks Silver :o)

I think Everyman above was just offering a suggestion for those who might go to that group and discuss rather than waiting to see if it was voted in here. Even if not a member of both, you can always join any public group if you see a discussion that interests you, as you may know already.

Silver, should we state an official closing time for nominations, because we just have a date, not time posted?

Sasha wrote: "I only just joined The Reader's Review because I thought the discussion threads were so interesting. I like being part of both, because one gets more choice."

I can only read one book at a time. For me, trying to read more than one book at a time would be far too demanding particularly if I've only the odd hour relaxation time to grab the ocassional chapter or two an evening.

I agree Malcolm. Sometimes I can read several things simultaneously, so to speak, but often it is much more relaxing to just stick to one novel at a time. Also depends on how much pressure is coming from "real life" at the time!

SarahC wrote: "I agree Malcolm. Sometimes I can read several things simultaneously, so to speak, but often it is much more relaxing to just stick to one novel at a time. Also depends on how much pressure is comin..."

Well, if one is expected to keep up with a group discussion then participating in more than one at a time will spoil my enjoyment of both books. I'm thinking of putting North And South aside as it has been a bit of an efffort trying to guide the groups thoughts of reading it from a nineteenth century perspective rather than through twenty first century eyes.

It's a shame they all don't read it in book form. I'm not quite sure if Penguin Classics or OUP do online versions of their books with explanatory notes. I expect not due to the notes being still in coyright.

Perhaps you should recommend and urge that where possible they at least hunt out a book of A Level study notes for the nominated work under discussion.

SarahC wrote: "I agree Malcolm. Sometimes I can read several things simultaneously, so to speak, but often it is much more relaxing to just stick to one novel at a time. Also depends on how much pressure is comin..."

I plan on putting up the poll tomorrow, most likely at midnight I shall have it up, becasue knowing me I will still be up then, so I thought I would leave today as the last day in which people can nominate.

Excellent Silver. Let me know if I can do anything to help. Exciting to start another selection process.... :)

Malcolm wrote: "SarahC wrote: "I agree Malcolm. Sometimes I can read several things simultaneously, so to speak, but often it is much more relaxing to just stick to one novel at a time. Also depends on how much pr..."

Malcolm, I certainly hope you continue on in the discussion of N&S. I would suggest simply expressing your thoughts and views and not thinking about how the perspectives of others may come about. In other words, some members' view of the novel will match more closely with your own and some will not. Our views of all we have been through and all society has been through since the time of a book's inception is always part of the conversation.

I may be misreading what you mean in message 40, but either way, do continue on in our discussion.

Malcolm wrote: "SarahC wrote: "I agree Malcolm. Sometimes I can read several things simultaneously, so to speak, but often it is much more relaxing to just stick to one novel at a time. Also depends on how much pr..."

I think that both forms of thought are equally valid. Being that we are living in the 21st Century it is only natural that people's reactions and opinions will be influenced by the 21st century, and every ones view point and opinions should be resepcted even if we disagree with them.

Though it is still important to keep in mind when the book was written and what the views and opinions of the 19th century mind may be, it would in fact be impossible for us to read the book from a 19th century persepctive.

While it is important to look and and understand the purpose of the work within the time in which it was written, one of the things which makes a classic a classic and a lasting work is the way in which it transcend time, and readers will naturally see within what they are reading something which they can relate to and be relevant to them.

We should not altogether discourage 21st century readings, but perhaps offer a balance between two and respect all modes of thought.

Silver wrote: "Malcolm wrote: "SarahC wrote: "I agree Malcolm. Sometimes I can read several things simultaneously, so to speak, but often it is much more relaxing to just stick to one novel at a time. Also depend..."

Not at all, but I think it would be easier paricularly with Pre-1950s that if one had the advantage of a penguin classics/OUP which have reletively basic notes it would aid the reader's understanding of the work at hand. Work from the period we are reading are littered with classical allusions, Latin and French words and phrases in a very casual manner that to a modern reader it can impede understanding of storylines, plots and even dialogue.

These things alone without trying to understand the general perspective must put off many casual readers who are not as academically minded as some others.

I left school with no qualifications so I always read Penguin Classics or OUP when reading novels from an historical period. It's rather pointless to do otherwise as one loses maybe a third if not more of the work in hand.

The nomination period is now closed and the poll has been put up. So please go and vote for what you want to read. A lot of good choices out there.

The poll will close on Dec. 16th.

Where do we vote? Here?
I vote forAurora Floyd

Vote at the actual poll -- find it either by scrolling to the bottom of our main group page or by clicking the polls link in the righthand list of links on the main group page.

Comment back here if you have any trouble with it :)