Andrea,
Eliot would indeed be an excellent choice but have now decided to make my life infinitely harder in the lead-up to Christmas and explore Darwinian 'Feminism' through Gothic Romanticism. 2 weeks to do it..oh Joy Unconfined!!
*peeps out from behind a stack of articles and journals for air*

Kate wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Welcome to Gerald and Windfall Apple!
Windfall, I love your name, although I'm not sure how to apply it to a person. Are you going to focus on a specific writer or maybe one or t..."

I would love to read "The Eustace Diamonds" this spring. But will spring actually come? This is perhaps not the time of year to think of it.

Windfall Apple wrote: "

Hi Susanna, Andrea, Everyman and everyone!
Indeed, Darwinism explored through the Victorian novel is daunting and yes, I do need to focus on one aspect and one novel Andrea, but which???? :)is my..."

I have to say for some reason The Mill on the Floss seems intriguing for this.

Rebecca wrote: "What do they mean by Palliser novels?
"

It's a series of six novels by Trollope which basically follow in a roundabout way the fortunes of Plantagenet Palliser, but are far more than that. They're Trollope's "political" novels since they are closely involved with English politics, intrigues, power struggles, social climbing, and the like.

The six novels, in order, are:

Can You Forgive Her?
Phineas Finn
The Eustace Diamonds
Phineas Redux
The Prime Minister
The Duke's Children

Some Trollope lovers consider them his finest work.

Thank you Windfall Apple...

What do they mean by Palliser novels?

Wow! thats amazing Peregrine.:)

There's also The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins An Illuminating History of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, Artist and Lecturer by Barbara Kerley. Kids' book, but useful info: the first life-size dinosaur models, a dinner party in the head of one of those models, menacing Boss Tweed. Waterhouse Hawkins is my four-times-great grandfather, too.

Likin your thinkin DJ!:)

Whee Here.
3 Books to add
THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE
DARWIN BIOGRAPHY
THE ORIGIN ON THE SPECIES!!

DJ wrote: "I recently got a biography of DARWIN but was unsure if it would fit the Parameters of our Challenge?..."

There really are no parameters for the challenge :)

Windfall Apple wrote: "

Hi Susanna, Andrea, Everyman and everyone!
Indeed, Darwinism explored through the Victorian novel is daunting and yes, I do need to focus on one aspect and one novel Andrea, but which???? :)is my..."


I recently got a biography of DARWIN but was unsure if it would fit the Parameters of our Challenge?

Lovely to meet you Windfall Apple....

Paula wrote: "Yes, at the terminal - love my new blackberry! Thanks for the concern, dad, (used affectionately) I have traveled a bit so am usually pretty prepared :)"

Yea!!!
I can`t live without my STORM either.....
Safe Trip.

Andrea wrote: "Welcome to Gerald and Windfall Apple!
Windfall, I love your name, although I'm not sure how to apply it to a person. Are you going to focus on a specific writer or maybe one or two novels?

G..."

Hi Andrea! I'm reading 'The Eustace Diamonds' as part of my Victorian Challenge for 2010 (along with the rest of the Palliser novels) - probably in March or April. Would love it if you joined in discussion!

Rebecca wrote: "Thank you Paula and Peregrine for the recommends. They both look great."

You're welcome. If it would be useful, here's a list of some other authors:

Alice Walker
Toni Morrison (sp?)
Audre Lorde
Tessa McWatt (Guyanese Canadian)
J. California Cooper
Octavia E. Butler
Nalo Hopkinson (Caribbean Canadian)

Thank you Paula and Peregrine for the recommends. They both look great.

Hi Susanna, Andrea, Everyman and everyone!
Indeed, Darwinism explored through the Victorian novel is daunting and yes, I do need to focus on one aspect and one novel Andrea, but which???? :)is my dilemma.
Suggestions most welcome!

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill is *very* good. It came out in Canada under its original title of The Book of Negroes, referring to a list of black Loyalists drawn up by the British Army. I don't know which title is used in the UK. The story is the fictionalized life of a woman from that list, Aminata Diallo. It starts with her capture as a child in Africa, follows her to the Caribbean, the States, Canada, Africa again, and then England.

Rebecca wrote: "Does anyone belong or can they suggest a good group for African American Lit. I want more exposure to it. Thank you."

Have you read anything by Chinua Achebe? I read Things Fall Apart for a world lit class once, and re-read it a few years ago. It's a fantastic book. He's written several other notables, but TFA tends to be the one people think of first with him.

I think one of the things I like most about his books is they focus on a lot of tradition, and then how those traditions are impacted by changes in society, changes in culture, changes in values, etc.

Does anyone belong or can they suggest a good group for African American Lit. I want more exposure to it. Thank you.

Everyman wrote: "Gerald wrote: "Hey Everyman. Just joined this group. I am ashamed to admit that in 50 plus years of reading classics, I've never read Trollope. Would you have a suggestion for where to start?
Gerry..." Hi Everyman,
Thanks a lot. This will head my list for the new year (after, of course, what we will read for the Classics group). I've been buying Trollope as I see him in used book stores when I visit the states, so I have many of these on my shelf. On top of the pile is a paperback with both The Warden and Barchester Towers, so I'm all set to go! Looking forward to getting started. I appreciate your taking the time to give me such a detailed answer.
Gerry

That's one of the Palliser novels, I think - The Eustace Diamonds.

Welcome to Gerald and Windfall Apple!
Windfall, I love your name, although I'm not sure how to apply it to a person. Are you going to focus on a specific writer or maybe one or two novels?

Gerald, I haven't read a lot of Trollope either, but would like to read more. I liked The Warden and Barchester Towers. I currently have The Eustace Diamonds in my sites, partly because I like the title, sounds like a mystery.

Everyman wrote: "Windfall Apple wrote: "
Hi:) Windfall here, new to the group, have to explore the concept of 'Darwinism' in the Victorian novel for an essay,...!"

That's much more than an essay topic; it's a full..."

That topic's going to need narrowing.

Laurele wrote: "Paula wrote: "Oh - this is terrible :) I just bought FFtMC and The Secret Scripture for my Kindle :)

Boof - I have Age of Innocence on my Kindle but was thinking of bringing either that or Ethan F..."

You guys are hilarious! But, don't we all understand!

Windfall Apple wrote: "
Hi:) Windfall here, new to the group, have to explore the concept of 'Darwinism' in the Victorian novel for an essay,...!"

That's much more than an essay topic; it's a full length dissertation topic at the very least.

Gerald wrote: "Hey Everyman. Just joined this group. I am ashamed to admit that in 50 plus years of reading classics, I've never read Trollope. Would you have a suggestion for where to start?
Gerry"

Boy, are you in for a treat! Or, I should say a series of treats.

Partly depends on your interests. Trollope is a wind-ranging author, and his books can be quite different.

My favorites of all time are the Barsetshire series, which should be read in order: The Warden, Barchester Towers, Dr. Thorne, Framley Parsonage, The Small House at Allington, and The Last Chronicle of Barset. No need to read them all at once; read the Warden (it's short and sort of introductory) and Barchester Towers, and then read the other ones over the next few years as your interest dictates. The books are mostly standalones, not real sequels, because each one deals with a quite different situation, but they do have some sustaining characters and do sometimes refer to earlier events, so it's really best, the first time, to read them in order. But if you're not really into one, it's also fine to drop it and go on to the next one; you won't miss all that much.

Of his stand-alone books, one of his very best is The Way We Live Now, which could have been written this year, the issues are so relevant! Orley Farm and He Knew He was Right are also excellent.

All of those, except The Warden, are among his longer books. He also has quite a few little gems which are much quicker reads if you want just to sample his writing without getting too committed to a longer book, though I will say he reads quickly. These shorter books aren't as "serious" as his longer works, but they're enjoyable nonetheless in their own right. For some of the shorter books, you could try Rachel Ray, The Bertrams, Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite, or even Harry Heathcote of Gangoil, which is hardly more than a long short story (my edition is 125 pages).

His Palliser series, centered around politics and Parliamentary people and events, are favorites of many Trollope lovers. They're not so much favorites of mine, but don't let that turn you off of trying them. Again, should be read in order; the first book in the series is Can You Forgive Her?

Laurel is also a Trollope enthusiast, and can add her own thoughts here, which are probably somewhat different from mine. But overall, as I said, his books are often quite different from each other, much more so than with other authors, so if you don't like one, just try another.

Hi:) Windfall here, new to the group, have to explore the concept of 'Darwinism' in the Victorian novel for an essay, any opinions most welcome! Good to be here!

Everyman wrote: "Paula wrote: "LesMis (also have on Kindle), Possession (altho I'm not that into it, just want to finish it), FFtMC, something fun... maybe Douglas Adams? Crime and Punishment, Edith Wharton, Anthon..."
Hey Everyman. Just joined this group. I am ashamed to admit that in 50 plus years of reading classics, I've never read Trollope. Would you have a suggestion for where to start?
Gerry

Everyman wrote: "Yes, I am a dad (and granddad) who always worries when my children go off traveling. I'm the worry-wart type, but since they so far have always gotten home safely, it seems to work, so why change?..."

I hope you don't change! I was tickled that someone was concerned enough to point out the tips :)

Boof wrote: "Everyman, I think my parents can relate to the worry-wort thing. We were speaking about it only the other day and I realised that when I was travelling ('93 & '94) I didn't have email or a mobile p..."

I can relate, definitely. For the summer between my junior and senior years in high school I took the Queen Mary and my bicycle over to England (from the US) and spent the summer cycling all over England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Only communication was by airmail letters -- international phone calling was expensive back then, and we only did that in true emergencies, which fortunately I didn't have any of. I was carefree and knew I was okay (well, mostly -- there was that day when I was cycling up from Belfast to near Ballycastle across the loneliest moors outside of Dartmoor against a ferocious head wind with heavy rain -- at times I had to walk my bicycle even on the flats because the wind was so strong. But I made it, and wound up in the tiny hut of friends of some distant family members who welcomed the stranger in true Irish hospitality into a minuscule living room with a real peat fire.

I was in Kenya with my husband and kids in 1998, when the U.S. embassy in Nairobi was bombed and we were bumped off our flight back to U.S. The village we were staying in (we got out of Nairobi mighty fast) didn't have any working phones and no email in those days. I ended up finding a business card of an acquaintance in my wallet that included his fax number. Somebody knew of a Swedish aid agency that had a fax machine and I sent this guy a fax asking him to call my parents and tell them I was okay. It was one of the big adventures of my life, frankly, but I think my parents could have done with a little less excitement.

Laurele wrote: "there's nothing better than lying back with a cat or two on top of me, listening to a good book."

Laurele, you have just described my heaven!

Everyman, I think my parents can relate to the worry-wort thing. We were speaking about it only the other day and I realised that when I was travelling ('93 & '94) I didn't have email or a mobile phone so unless I called from a pay-phone or wrote a letter they had no way of keeping in touch with me. I am only just starting to appreciate just how frightened they must have been. Once I rang them from Cyprus after I had been there a week and they thought I was still in Egypt! I thought I was bullet-proof in those days though.

Paula wrote: "Thanks for the concern, dad, (used affectionately)"

Yes, I am a dad (and granddad) who always worries when my children go off traveling. I'm the worry-wart type, but since they so far have always gotten home safely, it seems to work, so why change?

Oh, I'd like to be able to listen to audiobooks! It would save me a lot of eyestrain. But I always feel sleepy or distracted after a while.

Have a good time in Sligo, Paula!

As for listening skills: I developed them years ago when I realized how much of my work and leisure was dependent on my eyes. I started out by learning how to listen to and love classical music and then started renting audiobook tapes and realized just how wonderful it is to have someone read books to you. It took me back to my childhood and all those wonderful hours listening to my father read us Kipling, Pooh, Untermeyer's anthology of English poems, etc. Since I have to rest a lot now, there's nothing better than lying back with a cat or two on top of me, listening to a good book.

Everyman wrote: "Laurele wrote: "You can view my Audible library here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/171..."

You have 213 Audible books? Eagd! They must love you!

You must have some mighty comfortable ea..."

Well, they do treat me very well, and I have been taking advantage of some great sales that are for members only. For earphones, these cheapies work fine for me: http://www.amazon.com/JBuds-Hi-Fi-Noise-... . Since it's just me and the cats, though, I take full advantage of Kindle's speaker, using the earphones only when I'm traveling.

Yes, at the terminal - love my new blackberry! Thanks for the concern, dad, (used affectionately) I have traveled a bit so am usually pretty prepared :)

Paula wrote: "Sligo, Ireland (for work, not vacation!) and I leave in two hours!!!"

And you're still on the computer? I hope you're all packed! Have you double-checked to make sure you have your tickets and other essentials safely stowed?

Laurele wrote: "You can view my Audible library here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/171..."

You have 213 Audible books? Eagd! They must love you!

You must have some mighty comfortable earphones -- my ears get tired after just an hour or so of my cheapie phones. I think if I audio-read as much as you do I would probably spring for the Bose.

You must be developing a skill which many today have lost -- that of serious listening. Of course the ancients and even up to about 1600 had it in spades -- listening to recitations of epics, troubadours, etc. was basic entertainment. And for over a thousand years most Christians listened to hours of sermons and were expected to know the messages cold.

Back in the Quill pen age, recorders had to listen to court proceedings, Parliamentary debates, and the like and be able to write them down verbatim.

With our reliance to day on literacy, most of us (myself included) have lost the skill of prolonged listening memory.

Paula wrote: "LesMis (also have on Kindle), Possession (altho I'm not that into it, just want to finish it), FFtMC, something fun... maybe Douglas Adams? Crime and Punishment, Edith Wharton, Anthony Trollope......."

Trollope is great for airplane reading since he's totally enjoyable but doesn't require hard reading or deep thinking.

Yay, we'll be able to compare notes pn AoI.

I took Laurele's advice and backed away from the stacks but took AofI along via Kindle. In the car now but you can be sure I'll be here regularly; this site will be a welcome respite from the chaos of the next two weeks!

I've probably missed you now Paula, but The Age of Innocence is the one I was planning on reading too. I read Ethan Frome this year and it is now one of my all time favourties.

Enjoy whichever you decide on and hope you have a great time. Hope you manage to pop on and chat at some point ☺

Oh good! I hope you enjoy The Secret Scripture.

Laurele wrote: "Back away from the bookcase, Paula...."

Yes, ma'am :)

Paula wrote: "Oh - this is terrible :) I just bought FFtMC and The Secret Scripture for my Kindle :)

Boof - I have Age of Innocence on my Kindle but was thinking of bringing either that or Ethan Fromme in 're..."

Back away from the bookcase, Paula.

Oh - this is terrible :) I just bought FFtMC and The Secret Scripture for my Kindle :)

Boof - I have Age of Innocence on my Kindle but was thinking of bringing either that or Ethan Fromme in 'real' form.

Perhaps I'm overpacking? I have Excellent Women, The Warden and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency plus my Kindle :)

I'd love a job that entailed travelling! If only you had a copy of Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture which is set in Sligo.