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?
Speaking as someone who loves A Tale of Two Cities above all other books in the world... no. It wasn't my first Dickens novel. I'm actually not sure which Dickens was my first, but it was either A Christmas Carol or David Copperfield. There's just something so powerful about A Tale of Two Cities that moved me more than any book ever had then or has since.
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. ❤️
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. 😂
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
This is a very interesting discussion, thank you. Jane Eyre was the first Victorian classic I read, and it was perfect to start with. I got into Thomas Hardy reading Tess, which I now regret. If I had started with Far from the madding crowd I would probably have liked it better. As for Anthony Trollope, I would recommend starting with a stand-alone. Miss MacKenzie was my first read by him and I feel like it was a very good choice. I think that if I had started with The Warden it would have discouraged me. I also started with Middlemarch with George Eliot, and I agree with you. It was not an easy read but in the end I really enjoyed it.
I love videos like this. Thank you for making it. We started in the same place for all except: Hardy (Return of the Native) Eliot (Silas Mariner) Gaskell (Cranford) I haven’t read Collins, but will likely follow your advice. You described my approach to Eliot (avoidance of Middlemarch) perfectly 😂
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.
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!
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.
Excellent discussion! I will take your advice on and agree with you on most of these - however I would disagree regarding Jane aEyre. For me, reading Jane Eyre first before any other Victorian novel has ruined so many of them for me! They just don’t compare and I get fed up easily which is a shame. And yet I would not have given up that delicious experience for anything… I do wish I would have read every single other Brontë book 1st and ended with Jane eyre. I’m still struggling through the other brontes because of overly high expectation. But… We’ll get there! Thanks for a great vid!!
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.
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!
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.
Great video! Thanks for taking the time to make it. Tess of the D’Ubervilles was the first Victorian novel I attempted to read (at school). I hated it, didn’t finish it and it put me off Thomas Hardy for life. Not even the most enthusiastic recommendation has tempted me to as much as look at the cover of another one of his books. The first Victorian novel I read and liked was Jane Eyre. I immediately followed it up with Wuthering Heights which I really didn’t like. I finished it … but only by skipping through a lot of it. I the read Wives and Daughters by Mrs Gaskell which I loved. I agree with you on Great Expectations, it was my first, and still favourite Dickens, but David Copperfield is a very close second. Struggled through Middlemarch but I’m glad I that I did. I was planning to read some Anne Brontë, Anthony Trollope and more Elizabeth Gaskell this Victober but I got tempted by some other BookTubers to read lesser known (to me) authors … and I have not been disappointed. So far I’ve read The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett, The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy, Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Brandon and I’ve just started Trilby by George du Maurier. I’m not a fast reader but these are short books and I had a lot of free time on my hands last weekend. 😊 I’d recommend them to anyone wanting to dip their toe into Victorian literature or a new author. Happy Victober, everyone!
Hi Jennifer! Another great video! Thanks to you I subscribed to Kate Howe and Bill Ruttenberg. Was wondering if you read any of the Outlander books or have seen the series. I think it’s great. Also have you seen Downton Abbey. I love the 1920’s era. I saw North and South series from the 80’s. I really enjoyed it. I’m going to start reading Jane Eyre per your recommendation. Thank you! Rose
I started with Elizabeth Gaskell by reading Cranford which I really liked. After all the recommendations on booktube, I tried North and South and ended up DNFing it. The characters were not interesting. Started George Eliot with Silas Marner which was a dense read, but the characters and story were compelling. Tried Middlemarch last Victober and DNFed it. I found it dense and really hard to get into. Seriously doubt that I will try her other novels. Started Trollope with The Warden. There are parts that are rather tedious, but I loved the character of the Warden. I'm working my way through the Barchester Chronicles and will read Framley Parsonage next. I really like Trollope--the characters, the location, and the social commentary. I have to try Dickens again. We read Great Expectations in high school.
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!
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 😊
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.)
Great video! I think my first victorian novel was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, when I was 9 (and I'm rereading it now, I'm curious to see if I still like it) and then Jane Eyre (in an adapted version) at 10. After that, I never read that much victorian novels until last year (North and South was one of them and I adore it), so I'm excited with all the road I have yet to discover.
Such an interesting video, my feelings & thoughts about MMarch were 100% *exactly* as yours. I wasn't too fussed about reading any more by GE but then.. Romola (ironically it was you that got me interested) & i loved it- despite the work. So.. im all in for reading more GE now lol & even considering a re read of MM one day. I started TH with Tess.. bad choice lol. Its gonna be a while till i venture to TWoodlanders or TROTNative.. eventually. Your Victober uploads are seriously good- thanks for all your hard work Jen! 🎃😊
I hate that your experience with Tess soured you on Thomas Hardy for a while, lol. I hope you can come back to one of his lighter books! Having just finished Romola, on the whole I think I enjoyed it far more than Middlemarch, which seems odd to say.
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.
