WHERE TO START WITH... VICTORIAN AUTHORS |

Welcome to the new Where to Start ... series! In this instalment, I share where I think you should begin with some of the Victorian eras most popular authors.
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Great Expectations by Charles Dickens → www.bookdeposi...
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens → www.bookdeposi...
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens → www.bookdeposi...
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy → www.bookdeposi...
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy → www.bookdeposi...
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë → www.bookdeposi...
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë → www.bookdeposi...
North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell → www.bookdeposi...
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell → www.bookdeposi...
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[@Pschychotically]

"I started reading Charles Dickens with Great Expectations..." Wait, what, did she do that on purpose? :O

[@jamesduggan7200]

I imagine she thought of it many years ago, and was only barely aware of it this time.

[@lucythereader]

I didn’t even realise it was a pun! Definitely not on purpose! (Although I did begin with Great Expectations on purpose!)

[@Pschychotically]

@@lucythereader aaahhh yes :D I will add this to my collection of anwers by youtuber I love

[@englishwithakbar9443]

Dickens is really the man of literature. reading his novels bring you back to his era in thoughts .....

[@malthesse]

While I think that A Christmas Carol is probably Dickens' most accessible and fun work, I would caution a new reader that it's also quite atypical for his writing. Although it does have some dark themes, including the social justice themes which I love about Dickens' books, it is also a lot more light-hearted and optimistic than most of his other work. Most of Dickens' books are much more realistic, adult and violent - and very wordy and detailed compared to the fast paced Christmas Carol. So that's just something to keep in mind.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Great shout with Anne Brontë’s Tenant of Wildfell Hall - it’s often overlooked, so thanks for drawing attention to it. And Gaskell’s Cranford is hilarious - it really captures what it’s like (affectionately) to live with people’s idiosyncrasies.

[@samrudd1555]

Mu favourite Dickens by a mile is Bleak House. Some amazing, memorable characters.

[@davidmitchell5917]

Thanks for a wonderful video. I love your selections, especially Great Expectations (one of the greatest novels ever written). Your list made me think. What next? ‘Wuthering Heights’ - definitely. It’s unique. Difficult but hypnotic. A whirlwind of a novel. ‘Jude the Obscure’? Thomas Hardy at his most relentlessly pessimistic. But that’s what makes it so moving and turns it into a ‘modern’ novel. It’s difficult to choose the next Dickens. ‘David Copperfield’? A more straightforward presentation of Dickens’ childhood than ‘Great Expectations’. ‘Bleak House’? Combines symbolism with social critique. But it is long and a bit of a slog. Maybe ‘Hard Times’, with its social critique. Anyway thanks again for the informative, thought provoking and entertaining video.

[@searchanddiscover]

I would start with late victorian works such as Sherlock holmes and three men in a boat. In some ways they are almost edwardian in style. But it's a good transition into older writing styles of the victorian prime.

[@lucythereader]

I definitely do have a 1840s/50s bias - but I’m currently writing a novel set during the 1890s so I’ll be featuring lots of late Victorian novels in the next few months because I’m reading lots for research. I love seeing the changes in language and structure from the beginning to the end of the era!

[@mohankashyap3534]

Thomas Hardy.👍I'LL probably read his Novels..

[@selantrian]

Your summaries for classics always make me so excited to read them 💕

[@learnwithasher3350]

What’s your favourite classic authors

[@soniajohnson8878]

Tess and the Tenant of Wildfell Hall were my first adult book reads.

[@brandonthegreatandam]

Great recommendations! Could you also do a "Where to start with modernist authors?" I think that's the one literary movement I've read the least of...

[@imaginativebibliophile549]

Lucy, I love reading classics, particularly Victorian literature. Fortunately, I still have many Victorian novels left to read. I am currently writing a story set during the late Victorian period. I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in December 2018 and I fell in love with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s Christmas experiences. I have read portions of Great Expectations. However, I have not yet read the text to its entirety. I really did enjoy the parts I read with a well-crafted character, Pip. I have Oliver’s Twist downloaded on my Kindle. I have not read anything by Thomas Hardy. Instead of feeling remorseful about it, I am actually excited to now pick up one of his books. I think I am going to read Far From The Madding Crowd and then Tess of the D’ubbervilles. As for the Bronte sisters, I recently read Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and really loved it. The next book I am going to read is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte because it is a book I have wanted to read for a long time. I am sure that I will also enjoy The Tenant of Wild-fell Hall by Anne Bronte. I am currently reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell and enjoying it even if there is not really much of a story to it. North and South seems so interesting. I get obsessed over books when I read them. There are stories that I cannot stop thinking about, for they have been deeply inscribed with a lovely pen on the insides of my heart. I love you

[@nicolesreadingnook9586]

I read Tess because I loved Jane Eyre so much and my English teacher said I might like it! I really loved it, especially the way Hardy writes descriptions 💛

[@SophiaAlexisBooks]

I love Victorian literature and really appreciate this video 💜

[@lucythereader]

So pleased you’re a fellow Victorian literature lover!

[@julietteguillemin2050]

Thank you so much for making these videos ! As a French person, I feel like I don't know English classics at all, so it's really nice to discover them on youtube! (and thank you so much for including women, because my university doesn't include them in their programm, so it's nice to discover them)

[@starfire1]

I am currently reading Great Expectations and have just finished volumn 1 of 3. I have seen different versions of the story including the uldated 90s film where Pip becomes an artist. I have always loved the story and it is the first English classic or English author classic I have read

[@jamesduggan7200]

Gweneth Paltrow stars in that. I like her a lot.

[@resa_reads]

As always, a wonderful video! :) 💕 When it comes to Thomas Hardy I always recommend both Tess and Far from the Madding Crowd since it definitely depends on the mood the reader's in! My first Hardy novel was Jude The Obscure, though, and it didn't put me off reading more of his works, especially because it kind of prepares you for Tess a bit!☺

[@dianewalker9154]

I’ve read all but three on this list, North & South and the Thomas Hardy books. Thomas Hardy is sitting on my bookshelf - the TBR section. I plan to read him this year.

[@BeatrixOnyx]

Such excellent choices for those new to Victorian classics. I finally started reading Thomas Hardy's works thanks to your videos, Lucy. I really enjoyed the Mayor of Casterbridge. 😊

[@karrenmurphy3019]

I love this video! I feel inspired to pick up Victorian novel. It's funny, I took a Victorian Literature module at uni and loved it so much. Then when I graduated and started working I developed a nervousness towards Classics! Not sure why. This has inspired me to pick one up again. I love A Christmas Carol . Adore Oliver Twist too...:o)

[@englishwithakbar9443]

Well, my favorite book amongst many is Wuthering heights......... Its structures and plot is a bit complicated but it really fascinates its readers. And I really appreciate your attempt about reading those other books which I m looking forward to..

[@jamesduggan7200]

Like, no doubt, most viewers here, I have some of those on my shelves and am moved now to read or reread - as the case may be - some of them. Thx for the reminder.

[@nicolaknight6953]

Thanks as usual for this video, Lucy, from a fellow guinea pig enthusiast (14 at present....)😀🐹 Really good Hardy suggestions for an intro to him; I adore him. Hoping to return to Tess in the summer. The Woodlanders has just blown me away!

[@buchdrache1409]

I used to love Dickens a lot when i was a child. He was my favourite for many years. But now i find his themes to be rather simplistic. The villains are too villainous, the heroes, too heroic. They still make for lovely reads, and his humour/sarcasm is really on point. My favourite Dickens is Our Mutual Friend. It is just incredible. Thomas Hardy is my favourite author. I have read only 4 of his novels, but i own them all and can't wait to go more into his works. My favourite of the four i have read by him is Mayor of Casterbridge. It is shocking by i am yet to read a book by Charlotte Brontë. I have read Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey and Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I tried reading JE when i was 14, found it depressing and left it. Haven't picked it up since then. I do however plan to read Villette and Shirley this year. I started reading Ruth by Gaskell last year and had to leave it. The lack of agency of the protagonist got a little grating. I just started Cranford and am looking forward to reading it.

[@huckleberry3868]

This video is pure solid gold. Congratulaions. You are great!

[@R3BECCAK]

I just wanted to say thank you so much Lucy for creating videos and being a person that gives me confidence to pick up classics. I’ve never really read classics and it’s a daunting genre for me so these videos really help me to decide where I want to start/what I want to try! 😊

[@hm5142]

I tried to read some Thomas Hardy as a young teen after having read some other Victorian books, Jane Eyre and David Copperfield. I was unable to get into the Hardy at all. Now that I am in my 70s, I will return to Hardy on your recommendation.

[@khadrockslol]

An excellent video, this really helped me decide which classics I should read next, thank you Lucy!

[@lucythereader]

Glad you enjoyed it, Layla!

[@hayleyc5594]

Fantastic new series and great for those feeling their way and unsure where to start or what era of classic writing they prefer.

[@silviaholm3890]

Love Anne Brontes books so much!

[@ireshadeepthi1174]

Thanks a million!💖

[@xaviercrain7336]

I appreciate your reading and recognition of the difficult political questions these texts raise. Two of the other British channels try to steer clear and do not reflect a good reading of the works

[@derekdavis5310]

Agnes Grey was amazing!

[@lucythereader]

It’s the best!

[@AbiofPellinor]

For some reason we read the beginning of Great Expectations in school but didn't go any further, I should probably pick it up! Have you read any of the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde? They involve going into books and interact a lot with Miss Havesham!

[@darwinmontanoarebalo5886]

I really liked your video, but I think there is one author missing. George Eliot, known for her greatest novel Middlemarch, was a brilliant author as well and I think she ought ti be included in that list. Thanks anyways for posting!!!

[@Emily-jd8mm]

I absolutely love the idea of this video! I think it's great, I've been wanting to get into Elizabeth Gaskell but had no idea where to start, now I do!

[@xaviercrain7336]

I have always been struck that as someone who grew up in the States that George Eliot is much more appreciated than across the pond about where she wrote

[@mohamedlouchiri]

I've finished reading Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy last night. Thank you for the suggestion. It was completely worth it.

[@lucythereader]

So glad you liked it! Ah, I love Two on a Tower so much. I read it a few years ago now but it’s still so vivid in my mind. I wish it was given more attention!

[@GenWivern2]

Thank you Lucy: interesting advice there. I'd like to put in a word for Stevenson, because he's readable, succinct and major ... not a common combination. Kidnapped or The Master of Ballantrae would be good starters. Also it would be a shame to miss out George Eliot, and that would have to be Silas Marner.

[@bookedforlife5943]

I second the recommendation for Kidnapped. I read it last month and loved it! David and Alan are such great characters, and I love their friendship. The story is also easier to digest than The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, which I read a few years ago and liked, but didn't love. I definitely want to read more from Stevenson, or maybe even reread Jekyll and Hyde, but take my time with it this time.

[@MilenaReads]

Thanks so much for the Dickens tips! Think my next one will be Oliver Twist.

[@lucythereader]

I hope you enjoy it! 😊

[@staffanlindstrom576]

Apropos of Thomas Hardy, I am reading "The Woodlanders" and found this at the beginning of Chapter IV: "There was now a distinct manifestation of morning in the air, and presently the bleared white visage of a sunless winter day emerged like a dead-born child". Well, really! You begin to see what Walter Allen meant (in "The English Novel") when he wrote of Hardy that "His prose is often clumsy to the point of uncouthness".

[@williamhgould1583]

Nice Video. Good job.

[@amelian9677]

That’s a pretty edition of Jane Eyre.

[@polinameisak8899]

Thank you Lucy 💕💕

[@javiermorales5106]

Wow, very good video!! Thank you so much, it excites me even more to get to these wonderful classics!!

[@sonusingh-zr6xw]

*GREAT REVIEW LUCY. PLEASE DO A REVIEW OF BEST BOOKS(FICTION & NON-FICTION) ON BEING ALONE & LIVING ALONE*

[@shonnarobertson6462]

Years after studying all of these at university, I was finally able to go back and reread some of the Victorian fiction I struggled with at uni - I still dislike Thomas Hardy intensely (sorry), never got over Mayor of Casterbridge (my first Thomas Hardy) and being totally horrified by the opening chapters... studying another three of his novels (Jude, Tess and FFMC) and his poems just seemed to deepen my dislike - I did find them too depressing for words... I am more reconciled to Charles Dickens, having read Oliver Twist and Christmas Carol when young and thoroughly enjoyed them, so was able to get past the need to over analyse his other books and still enjoy the stories. However, I love the Brontes and Elizabeth Gaskell and still reread them all with great pleasure every few years! And I can report that inspired by a video of yours, I finally read George Eliot’s Middlemarch in April! Wasn’t sure about it at first but ended up thoroughly enjoying it - it is really quite soap opera-ish, now onto Daniel Deronda which has been sitting on my shelf for nearly as long as Middlemarch! Then I might reward myself with some Austen 💕💕

[@gracetaylor7351]

Are going talk about Jane Austen and around her time ? Who to read if u like her books?

[@lucythereader]

Yes, that’s definitely on my list!

[@marlaluna1926]

Hello Lucy, I just love your enthusiasm and all the tips and knowledge that you share on Classics. Have you read the PICKWICK PAPERS by Dickens? Seems like nobody talks about them, His first publications and a huge success at the Time with sales of 35,000 publications. It shows life ay the Time from a very realistic and funny way also. These four friends travel through England and encounter so many situations and characters. Most of them truly enjoyable and some others showing true sadness, just as life is. They represent true friendship, love for their country, honour (even though they forget It one of the most hillarious incidents I have read and dealing with an archaeology discovery and PR disaster at the Time). Congrats on your channel. This Is Maritza from México City.

[@user-xh9wm9ev2l]

i couldn"t sleep i couldn"t wait... love is like death nobody knows its date

[@booluther]

I’d love to see a video about either classics you’ve dnfd or ones you really didn’t like ❤️

[@ant7936]

Today I finished The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler. Very readable, by a lesser known Victorian, semi- autobiographical, occasionally very funny, but also a horrifying account of abusive, self- righteous parents and their effect on the education and upbringing of their son. It looks with a very critical eye upon Victorian Society and the Church of England. I'm starting Silas Marner by George Elliot again now. I read it some years ago. Just 165pp, a very touching story about the friendship of a recluse with an orphan child.

[@brokenheartreads8977]

I think this kind of videos are so much difficult to do, so Thank you for doing it :)

[@patsmith9192]

Have you read any Wilkie Collins yet? Woman in White is one of my absolute favourites.

[@crazadventures2296]

I'm so excited 😊😊😊😊 I wanna read alllll

[@learnwithasher3350]

I like to read classics while summers

[@alicegoolden7499]

I think the reason why Anne Brontë is less known and underrated is because Jane Eyre, by Charlotte, Wuthering Heights, by Emily and Agnes Grey, by Anne were all released in the same year. Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights were hugely popular and Agnes grey wasn’t and then when Anne released The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Charlotte said “ The Tenant of Wildfell hall was an entire mistake. It should never have been written, and it would be better for everyone if it never saw the light of day again”

[@im3gine]

Right, but I'm not sure Wuthering Heights was really a success either when it was published for the first time...

[@lucythereader]

No, it definitely wasn’t as successful as Jane Eyre was! Anne did gain some recognition during her lifetime, but her “decline” did have a lot to do with Charlotte and her opinions on her writing. I’ve always viewed it as Charlotte protecting her younger sister from the “immoral” censure that C also received. But society’s loss then is our gain now, I suppose!

[@alicegoolden7499]

lucythereader so true

[@rachaelbird9250]

Have you watched the TV adaptation of Cranford, it's really good

[@emmab.8989]

Another recommendation would be Books by Robert Louis Stevenson.

[@muskaan1129]

I read Jane Eyre a long time back.....I was probably in 9th grade and I really enjoyed it! But it was an abridged version....Now I am confused about reading the whole novel again. I feel like I should.....What do you say?

[@sararoberts3250]

I say yes! It is a great book!

[@julietatonello]

Definitly! Its my favourite book

[@jamesduggan7200]

No reason why not, if it's there already. It's quite good, as I remember. There are so many things one may read so if you can reasonably expect a pleasant experience from one why not start with it?

[@francisbacon7738]

I find Dickens hard work. I also find Hardy's later novels too dark. However I do find his writing quite brilliant so I stick to his earlier books.

[@val.teacup]

Oh thank God I saw this. I wanted to start reading Thomas Hardy and I thought I'd start with Tess as it seamed to be the most popular, but during a depressing pandemic the last thing I need is a heavy story with rape in it. Far from the madding crowd it is!

[@lucythereader]

Yes, probably not the ideal time for Tess! Far From the Madding Crowd is far more suitable!

[@jennawar13]

I read a Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist as a kid, and recently tried to read a Tale of Two Cities as an adult and am just not getting on with it. I feel bad, like clearly it is a great work to be a classic, but I am just not enjoying reading it.

[@lucythereader]

Don’t feel bad! I really like A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, but I, too, struggle with Dickens’ other novels. He may be popular, but that doesn’t mean he’s to everyone’s tastes! It isn’t a reflection on you at all.

[@jennawar13]

lucythereader I am going to finish it on audio, but I wonder how other people DNF classics without feeling... idk like it’s easier to DNF a non classic if I’m not feeling it, if that makes sense.

[@dg383]

your channel is very different. most book related channel are about hoarding books which i find very uncomfortable. less about literature and more about addiction. neways. wanted to ask you if you can recommend books which leaves one feeling inspired and happy. e.g. i found anne of green gables very inspiring.

[@emmey200]

I feel like Tess of the d'Urbervilles is more of a Modernist novel than a Victorian one. I can't speak for Hardy's other works, but Tess of the d'Urbervilles is a criticism of Victorian society and literature.

[@user-xh9wm9ev2l]

once she dressed red dress..... i imagine her a branch of a rose i have to confess.... her beauty socked me and torn me apart The victim umfortunatly was my heart .... I went home tired and late ... i couldn"t sleep i couldn"t wait... love is like death nobody

[@nonominox]

I read Wuthering Heights because you had mentioned it so many times and I ended up loving it! Which Brontë book would you recommend for me to read next? (I haven't read any others)

[@andreeag3024]

Jane Eyre!!!

[@nonominox]

I'll read it ASAP!

[@lucythereader]

I’m seconding Jane Eyre!

[@learnwithasher3350]

Do you critically analyse the Victorian literature as well ?

[@gabyflores6344]

LMAO I had to read Withering Heights my freshman year of high school for a book report and it was the FIRST classic I’ve EVER read and I was so lost 😂 I gave up 10 chapters in and sparknoted my entire book report 😅

[@jamesduggan7200]

Give it a 2d chance - its a haunted house ghost story with a weird aside about the nature of love

[@super.surabhi]

Hey! I love your videos but I feel you describe the books in a bit too much detail. Kind of spoils. So I always forward when you talk about books.

[@SunriseFireberry]

U didn't pick any Eliot books, George Eliot the big wheel Victorian woman author, who penned such mighty works as Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda. As Eliot books can be somewhat on the heavy side, I can see why u chose the ones u did pick. Wonder who u'll pick for part II of this series...maybe Trollope, who wrote a bushelful of VicLit books. We'll see. :-)

[@lucythereader]

Yep, Trollope and Eliot are planned for the next Victorian instalment - that’s why they weren’t featured here. Next time!

[@val.teacup]

Middlemarch is incredible but it can be much harder to get into for a Victorian literature beginner, rather than the ones mentioned. It's huge and it uses more archaic language.

[@BeatrixOnyx]

As much as I love George Eliot, I wouldn't recommend her works to people new to Victorian classics. Maybe suggest they watch an adaptation?

[@lucythereader]

No, I wouldn’t either! I find her very tricky, even though I feel relatively confident with other Victorian authors. She isn’t the easiest!

[@kadiewhiteleyx239]

You came to my school befor

[@maryanna348]

"Because SHE and Mr Rochester. started to have some feelings".....not "Because HER and Mr Rochester started to have some feelings." You wouldn't say "HER started to have some feelings": no, you would say "SHE started to have some feelings." So don't change the pronoun because you add another person: "SHE and Mr Rochester started to have some feelings."