Where I Started with Victorian Authors | #victober

When I was first getting into Victorian classics, I dove right into the most popular works. Was that the right thing to do? Do I still agree with starting with these particular classics?

Books I Mentioned:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Social Media:

[BrandonsBookshelf]

I think everyone neess to read Jane Eyre as either their first or any other time!

[willman]

It's hard to top Jude the Obscure in terms of Thomas Hardy's darkness.

[Sherlika_Gregori]

I started George Eliot with Middlemarch and Collins with The Woman in White. Middlemarch is my favourite. I love this book so much.

[maryh]

The Return of the Native, by Thomas Hardy. I read it for A level LOVED IT. still do.

[chrissymisha]

One thing that I wonder is how much the experience of reading the first book by a new favorite author influences how highly that particular book tends to rank overall. I started with a Tale of Two Cities for Dickens and loved it so much that I think it's unlikely another will ever take its place. I'm currently reading David Copperfield and loving it, but I was expecting to love it. I think at best it'll reach second place, but if I had read David Copperfield first would it be as equally difficult for A Tale of Two Cities to surpass it?

[a.g.]

I liked The Warden. 😄 💗 Love Anthony Trollope & George Elliot. I read Middlemarch first too but I really liked it. 🙂 Great video!

[theresas]

Adam Bede was my first George Eliot and I loved it, and I have never read a Trollope. I am now reading my first Wilkie Collins and loving it, The Woman in White. I am sad to hear that all his other books don't measure up but I will probably like most of his work. My first Dickens I read was A Christmas Carol and I was disappointed in it. I guess I always loved the movies and thought I would be giving it a 5 star and didn't.

[beautifulminutiae]

We started in the same place with most of these authors! I’m glad I started with Far From the Madding Crowd with Hardy, because I needed a happier book to enjoy his writing style before I delved into Tess and Jude. If id read Jude the Obscure first, I don’t think I would’ve read another book by him.

Silas Marner was my first Eliot and I recommend that as a great place for people to dip their toes into George Eliot. It’s not as long or intimidating and still a great way to see if you like her writing. Plus the story is so wonderful!

[TooFondofBooksJH]

I started with the Woman in White too and loved it! it's my favourite Wilkie Collins and my favourite Victorian novel. I just read The Legacy of Cain. It's his last novel. It was pretty good but didn't knock Woman in White off the top.

[meghanthestorygirl]

That's so interesting that Mary Barton is your favourite Gaskell! I love it too, but I think North and South and Wives and Daughters rank above it for me. This was very helpful in deciding where to start with Hardy and Trollope. Thanks for making this 😊

[elizabethbrink]

This is such a delightful video! Here's my list: Wives and Daughters - I loved starting here with Gaskell; Jane Eyre - definitely the best place for Charlotte!; The Woman in White - I think this is a fun place to start with Collins though The Moonstone would be good too; Under the Greenwood Tree (Hardy) - pretty boring read for me, I think Far From the Madding Crowd would be much better; Barchester Towers - This was my first Victorian novel and I had no idea what was going on, lol! I think a standalone Trollope would be a good intro; Middlemarch - I agree with you!; and David Copperfield - I think this was a good place to start with Dickens. I love thinking about the Victorian novels I stumbled into before I knew anything about the period. It's been heartening to realize how much easier reading Victorian novels gets as I read more and more. (Not that it's always easy, but it doesn't freak me out any more when it's not easy.)

[johnsaxongitnolife]

I think I might have to go back and read all your books suggestions please stay safe and enjoy your reading love your channel love your number one Australia fan John xxx

[josmith]

I started a Dickens with Bleak House and none of his others so far has lived up to that, however, I’m not sure I’d recommend it as a first Dickens because of its size. I wasn’t in love with The Warden either the first time I read it then picked it up again a few years ago and now Trollope is one of my favorite writers, Victorian or not!

[watermoonbb]

I am also very much a mood reader. I would love to hear your recommendations for seasonal reads!

[daily_]

I started reading Victorian Lit with Oscar Wilde: The Canterville Ghost and Other Tales, The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Importance of being Ernest.

[eruditearchive]

Great video! Thanks for the insights. This is my 2nd Victober, read Great Expectations🪦 last October, and trying Lady Audley's Secret🗝️ this year and I'm really liking it. It's an easy read and I think a great place to start with Vic Lit, too, at least for me.

[Lu.G.]

This is so great! To hear that you had "a fear" of books over 500 pages makes me feel so much better! 😆 I mean...I've read some chunksters, but they always intimidate me. 🙄 I really want to finish Victober with The Pickwick Papers, but every time I go to take it from my shelf, I think "oooh girl...maybe next year!" 😂 Thanks for doing this. ❤️

[jackiesliterarycorner]

I started with a Tale of Two Cities with Dickens, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and I took plunge starting with Middlemarch but I think I was still reading it when I read Silas Marner. I'm starting with Armadale for Wilkie Collins. I think I do a mixture of random and picking what is popular, because of booktube.

[Ninaofthes]

I actually started reading victorian literature by watching the BBC adaptation of North and south with Richard Armitage (with whom I'm in love with ever since) and that got me into reading the book. Loved it. Afterwards I read more victorian literature, which is now my favorite time period. But this one was the very first!
So I guess I have to thank the bbc mini series...and Richard Armitage. 😂

[femsfables]

North and South was the first Victorian novel I read. I stumbled upon it while watching a bootube video and decided to pick it up. I've never regretted starting my Victorian literature journey with that book as I really loved it (and really want to reread it)! It's funny you mention not liking Jane Eyre when you first read it as I didn't even finish it. I'm currently reading Vilette and I am really enjoying it so far, so much so that it made me want to give Jane Eyre a second try. I think I might have read Jane Eyre too soon as it was one of the first Victoran novels I read, I really hope that I will like it better now that I have a bit more experience with Victorian literature! I really enjoyed this video, it was very informative and interesting!