I have Deerbrook. I am wanting to get to it. I think all the books I read are historical fiction. Its so funny how Victorian authors like Trollope and Dickens use silly weird names. Bideawile and Slow are lawyers in Trollope. I know you have your outline of how you want to proceed on your paper. I would find it hard to boil things down to a manageable premise. I have trouble deciding what to read next or deciding what to watch on amazon or Netflix. I spend 30 minutes trying to decide and by the time I decide, I'm tired. Cover three to five authors and let it go. Just start writing. It will come. I go to the library to work. It is quiet and a place to concentrate. I cannot work at home.
I got Deerbrook out of the library hoping that it will actually make me read it this year. 😆 I'm with you on not being able to work from home. I just get distracted with chores or my cats or napping on the couch. I've been going to my university library, which is a great work space. And even better now that it's summer and there are very few people around!
I enjoyed Deerbrook. I think Trollope's novel "The Three Clerks" has the most autobiographical elements, so that might be a good one to choose. A few years ago I read a paper "Margaret Oliphant's Carlingford series" by Birgit Kamper (Peter Lang Publisher 2001), which I think was a dissertation or paper for a degree. The author organized it by topics (class, church, gender) and how Oliphant used these in the series. Very illuminating on Oliphant's views on social issues.
I'm reading his Autobiography right now and he just mentioned The Three Clerks and how he used incidents in his life to write it! I'll be checking out the piece by Kamper. Thanks for the recommendation!
Funnily enough I was looking for the Harriet Martineau biography on eBay the other day as she sounds such an interesting person but didn’t end up finding it- or it was too expensive 🤔 I read and really enjoyed The Night Watch and enjoyed The Essex Serpent too so those would be my recommendations if you needed any!
Ok; im voting for Bitter Orange because i have always been curious & nearly hauled it a few times! Secondly; The Essex Serpent as its been on my shelves ummmm.... 5 yrs... read the books you buy Melissa!!😆 I promised myself to get to those 4-5 yr old tbr's this yr.. & you've inspired me to pick up The Whispering Muse (Laura Purcell) somewhat languishing.. or maybe The Crimson Petal & The White (5 yrs & counting ) help me choose lol! 🤷♀🤓Btw you always make me laugh Elizabeth i love your sense of humour 🥰
Aw thanks. I'm glad you enjoy my humor. I always worry I'm the only one that thinks I'm funny. 😆 And The Whispering Muse sounds so good. I'm voting for that one!
