VICTOBER 2025 discussion
Victober 2024
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Currently reading (2024)
Just finished “Mistress Bridget and Other Tales,” which was my pick for Kate’s challenge, and I really enjoyed it. The writing was engaging and the plots were different than I expected. My favorite was the title story, which was more of a novella, as the characters were explored in greater depth. Also I love a good historical novel set in a time period that I’m not overly familiar with. Religion came up both as a source of strength and love and compassion but also as a kind of smoke screen for people to weaponize against those who they resent and hate. This theme gets used in some of other stories here but the title story does it best. Now I’m on to start “Tom Ossington’s Ghost” which I think is a mystery.
Hi, everyone.This may not be the place for this.But I just have a question.I'm currently reading Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens and loving it. Just came to part where Pet and Mr.Gowan married. As they're leaving in the carriage, it says Mrs. Trickett took off her shoes and thrown the shoes after the carriage.Can anyone tell me what the significance of that is and what it means? I'm just curious.
Finished reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell yesterday, and currently reading Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Enjoying it so far, and I hope to continue my Victober with a Trollope novel. I want to continue my Barsetshire journey with The Small House at Allington, but it was such a long time since I've read Trollope that I'm thinking of reading a standalone novel first. Is The Vicar of Bullhampton a good choice for easing my way back into Trollope?
Hester by Mrs. Oliphant
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Mrs. OliphantUpdate: Volume 2, ch 2 - There's a new kid on th block, Roland Ashton (stockbroker) Aunt Catherine is quite taken by him...but the boy's own grandfather (Capt Morgan) does not feel the same. This wise old man can smell trouble. It feels like Roland could cause a financial disaster in the Vernon family. But this is just a hunch on my part!
I have just finished "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. I enjoyed this book very much. There are several narrators - but the first (and finest) is Mr. Gabriel Betteredge. He is a delight! I can see why Jennifer Brooks enjoyed reading Wilkie Collins - I look forward to reading more of his novels.
If you enjoy Victorian ghost stories, I highly recommend this collection.
I enjoyed every story in the collection, which rarely happens. I'm starting Diary of a Nobody today.
Darcy wrote: "I have just finished "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. I enjoyed this book very much. There are several narrators - but the first (and finest) is Mr. Gabriel Betteredge. He is a delight! I can see..."Hi Darcy,
Firstly I love your profile name. I have started "The Moonstone" and I am enjoying. The quoting from "Robinson Crusoe" is hilarious, a panacea for all ills. 🤣
Maxine wrote: "Finished reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell yesterday, and currently reading Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Enjoying it so far, and I hope to continue my Victober with a Trollop..."Hi Maxine,
I have almost finished my reread of "Cranford". It is such a delight, Matty is so lovable. I would hug her and Mr. Harding from "The Warden."
Michelle Hyland wrote: "I have noticed on my reread of "Cranford" that there are quite a few xenophobic/racist comments regarding Catholics, Muslims and the Irish. "Yes, I noticed it. The scene with the begging Irish woman that was supposed to be funny was just really disgusting to me. Looking back, I understand what Gaskell was going for there, but it really missed the mark for me.
And the resolution of the main story is really unfortunate from the postcolonial perspective. Those bits didn't really ruin the book for me, but I did end liking it less then I thought.
Natashaortash wrote: "Hi, everyone.This may not be the place for this.But I just have a question.I'm currently reading Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens and loving it. Just came to part where Pet and Mr.Gowan married. As..."That's so interesting!
Sadly, I have no idea...
Jassmine wrote: "Michelle Hyland wrote: "I have noticed on my reread of "Cranford" that there are quite a few xenophobic/racist comments regarding Catholics, Muslims and the Irish. "Yes, I noticed it. The scene w..."
Hi Jassmine,
I know that there may have been a lot of anti-Irish sentiment during that period. Many Irish left Ireland due to the Famine and perhaps they had to beg as they had no money hence no food.
The Irish are not popular in "North and South" either.
I have noticed some racism also in "The Moonstone." I am not someone who dislikes a book due to this and I understand that it was a different time. It does bother me though.
@Michelle: That's so interesting. I didn't notice this in North and South at all, although it might have been just because at the time I was reading it, I had my hands full with understanding the passages in dialect so I probably missed quite a bit.Edit: Oh, I think I'm remembering about the Irish now! But if I remember correctly it made more sense in N&S (view spoiler)
For me, it depends how much space in the book the problematic part takes. In Cranford it bothered me because the scene was fairly long and it was combo of hatefulness because she was Irish and also because they took it into their heads that it was a man dressed as a woman which really adds to the fire dumpster that is the scene. Also, there is a family starving, being in real trouble and instead of doing anything for them, those nice middle-class ladies just start imagining things about them. I really hated that scene because of the way the narrative was focused on certain bits and completely overlooked some others.
But yeah, dated commentary usually isn't that much of an issue for me. I started Woman in White few days ago (I didn't really do much progress, I didn't get into it yet) and surprisingly the narrative starts with quite a few mentions of little people/dwarves and Freak Shows and although they are not exactly sensitive, I kind of like them in a way they casually let physical difference into narrative - I don't think that could happen in a modern novel at all. So yeah, I feel it's more complicated then one might think at first.
I finished The Notting Hill Mystery by Charles Felix aka Charles Warren Adams. The form (witness statements, journals, letters, like in The Moonstone) detracted from the story with out-of-context spoilers. The last chapter recapped the evidence in narrative form. Ho-hum. Yet, the criminal was diabolical and the events sensational.
I finished watching The Moonstone 2016 miniseries. It did a wonderful job retaining the characters and dramatizing the story. If time runs short, I may count this adaptation as my Wilkie Collins text in remembrance of Jennifer Brooks.
I notice and disapprove of Colonialism, Racism, and Sexism in the societies and texts from past centuries. For the most part, I blame the social norms and systems that allowed or condoned these attitudes rather than individuals and individual authors. I have lived through much social change and choose tolerance.
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Mrs. OliphantCh 24 - Now there is a new girl on the block, Emma (23 yr). Roland Ashton's sister is visiting the grandparents. Hester and Emma could no BE any more different! This novel is becoming a study of opposites. Emma has but one ambition: a home of her own, a husband and a settled income. Hester wants independence, a life!
I finished 'Ruth' by Elizabeth Gaskell yesterday and I absolutely loved this book! It's very sad, but so so beautiful, and stunningly written. I loved Ruth herself, who is very young, innocent and pure. It's a very religious book (definitely fitting Kate's prompt), but Ruth's faith is so simple and pure that it's a joy to read (and I am an atheist!). One of the problems I have with this book is that nobody that has a heart can condemn Ruth. Being almost saintly, she does not represent the many "normal" girls that may "have fallen" out of love, or passion, curiosity or weakness instead of childlike ignorance.
Is there a Victorian writer that dared to portrait a woman who chose to live in sin, either facing the damnation or repenting? Something like Sue Bridehead, but less depressing than Hardy's 'Jude'? Still haven't worked up the courage to re-read that one.
As for Ruth, I felt that her shame is entirely out of proportion to her crime, which seems to have been the opinion of some of Gaskell's contemporaries, too. On the other hand, her seducer, Mr Bellingham, is rather underdeveloped and the end seems unnecessary.
I am continuing my Gaskell-binge with 'Mr Harrison's Confessions', a Cranford-like novella.
Lindenblatt wrote: "Is there a Victorian writer that dared to portrait a woman who chose to live in sin, either facing the damnation or repenting?"Maybe try Mrs. Warren's Profession I thought that Mrs. Warren's character was really interesting as was her position on her profession, but her daughter's reaction was a bit disappointing and I'm not entirely sure what the reader/audience member was supposed to take out of it. I would be interested in your opinion!
Josephine Butler might also be of interest. I didn't read anything by her yet and I don't think she wrote fiction. But she was a Victorian era feminist who especially focused on helping sex workers and she wrote some essays that I'm quite interested in.
I'm making pretty good progress through the shorter works I wanted to read for this Victober. I finished Carmilla which I really loved. A lot of my friends had mixed feelings about it so I was surprised how purely I just enjoyed it. It's even gayer then I expected...I really liked the LibriVox recording I was listening to, I did turn up the speed up quite a bit but it was really great then. https://librivox.org/carmilla-by-sher...
Yesterday I listened to Lady Windermere's Fan and I really enjoyed that one as well. It's funny that I read it just after Mrs. Warren's Profession because it's basically variation on the same story. I really liked the LibriVox recording I listened to, although the humour got a bit lost in it. I might prefer reading Wilde physically.
https://librivox.org/lady-windermeres...
Victober-related: I'm also currently listening to Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction and quite few of the authors mentioned were Victorian authors (like Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Riddell or Margaret Oliphant) so that was pretty great and unexpected pleasure! It's definitely a book I would recommend if you want some recommendation for spooky books by women authors.
Jassmine wrote: "I'm making pretty good progress through the shorter works I wanted to read for this Victober. I finished Carmilla which I really loved. A lot of my friends had mixed feelings about it ..."I love Carmilla! I heard that Bram Stoker may have written Dracula as a refutation of Carmilla. This theory would account for the misogyny.
Lindenblatt wrote: "Is there a Victorian writer that dared to portrait a woman who chose to live in sin, either facing the damnation or repenting?"You may like Thackeray's bold Becky Sharp fromVanity Fair. The title is from the sinful town of Vanity Fair in The Pilgrim's Progress.
I just finished reading The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and really enjoyed it. However, I realized it's not a Victorian work, so I need to choose another from his collection.I'm currently reading Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell and loving it, but I plan to take my time with it to avoid mixing the stories up in my mind. After that, I think I’ll pick up The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, followed by The Vicar of Bullhampton by Anthony Trollope.
I just finished Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. A masterpiece of suspense. Huge fan of his works and life and so glad I finally read this one. Highly recommend.
Lorri wrote: "I love Carmilla! I heard that Bram Stoker may have written Dracula as a refutation of Carmilla."That's so interesting! I didn't read Dracula yet, I'm dragging my feet about it a bit, because I have a feeling that I might not like it. But now that I read both The Vampyre and Carmilla I feel like I'm out of excuses...
You may like Thackeray's bold Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair.
Aaah, right! I didn't read Vanity Fair yet, so I didn't thought of it... This one is definitely high on my TBR...
I read Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest" and also watched it performed. I totally enjoyed both!
Lorri wrote: "Lindenblatt wrote: "Is there a Victorian writer that dared to portrait a woman who chose to live in sin, either facing the damnation or repenting?"You may like Thackeray's bold Becky Sharp from[b..."
Becky Sharpe is some operator. She shone for me more than her less excessive friend.
Jassmine wrote: "Lorri wrote: "I love Carmilla! I heard that Bram Stoker may have written Dracula as a refutation of Carmilla."That's so interesting! I didn't read Dracula yet, I'm dragging my feet about it a bit..."
Hello,
Excellent.
Carmilla is great. I tried to read Dracula and found it boring.
Ch 28-29 30
by Mrs. OliphantHester is not sure of Edward's feelings towards her, she wants more clarity. Catherine is still obsessed about the "pearls". Hester feels the rage rise when she see how CV keeps Edward from freely expressing his feelings. Christmas Party at CV's house. Hester stays close to her mother to make sure the poor woman is not ignored. Hester asks around about her father...but NO one will tell her anything of his past!
Thanks a lot for the recommendations, Jassmine and Lorri. I somehow expect that I won't like Becky Sharpe, though I should give Thackeray a chance nevertheless.Will also have a look at the plays. It's not my favourite format, but at least these are short. And hopefully at least a little funny.
Lindenblatt wrote: "Will also have a look at the plays. It's not my favourite format, but at least these are short. And hopefully at least a little funny."I have to say that sadly Mrs. Warren's Profession wasn't very funny to me. But it might have been also because of the audio format, because after I was listening to Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan and the humour got lost there quite a bit too. That said, those two read together make quite an interesting combo and Lady Windermere definitely also explores the subject you are interested in, although in a little less direct way then Mrs. Warren's Profession, I think.
Michelle Hyland wrote: "I tried to read Dracula and found it boring."Good to know! I'm in no hurry to read this one, but want to eventually...
Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
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Charles DickensRe-reading Pickwick Paper...because it is so amusing! Dickens is just wicked, jabbing fun at the medical profession. Who would want surgeons named Dr. Slasher, Dr. Slammer and ouch, Dr. Payne (pain)!
Jassmine wrote: "Michelle Hyland wrote: "I tried to read Dracula and found it boring."Good to know! I'm in no hurry to read this one, but want to eventually..."
Hi Jassmine,
You are very welcome.
If you do read it please let me know your opinion.
I am reading No Name and Silas Marner. Both good so far.
I made a tiny little progress on The Woman in White today. But I finally finished the other book that I was reading physically, so hopefully I will have the space to focus on it now more.I also started The Tenant of Wildfell Hall on audio and I'm already a quarter in. I'm finding it very readable. It is a slow book that takes it space to discuss stuff it wants to discuss and it would probably take me much longer to read if I was reading it with my eyes, but it's really working out for me so far. I believe some other folks were also planning to read this one this Victober, has anyone already started it?
Checking in with 2 weeks to go:Finished:
Brief Lives: Elizabeth Gaskell by Alan Shelston, a short biography (about 100 pages) that felt complete and gave me a good background in Gaskell's life and work.
The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte Mary Yonge; read for the "religion" prompt; very readable; full-fledged characters with a realistic portrayal of a person with a disability; but felt a bit long, especially the last 150 pages. A solid 3-star read for me.
Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson; travel memoir of 12 days and 120 miles of walking in the French mountains of Cevennes. Again, very readable and witty.
Currently reading:
Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope on audio; a re-read for me; less than 100 pages to go! for the "serialized" prompt.
Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Gaskell; stories with a narrative connection; for the "format" prompt; about half-way through the stories
Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins, in memory of Jennifer Brooks; just started--only 100 pages in to the 600+ pages, but it's flying by!
I still need to get to:
--A Shaw play--I have 5 on BBC video; just have to choose.
--A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle in memory of Alice; will be listening on audiobook to Simon Vance (once I'm done with Phineas Finn).
Possibilities if time permits:
An Eye for an Eye, Anthony Trollope--one of his shorter novels
Red Pottage by Mary Cholmondeley-- a "New Woman" novel I didn't get to for last year's Victober challenge
Jassmine wrote: "I made a tiny little progress on The Woman in White today. But I finally finished the other book that I was reading physically, so hopefully I will have the space to focus on it now mor..."Hi Jassmine,
Happy Friday. "The Woman in White" is great.
I am half way through "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" I started it early so slightly cheating.
It is really good isn't it.
Anne Bronte is my favourite Bronte sister so far.
Theresa wrote: "I am reading No Name and Silas Marner. Both good so far."Hi Theresa,
Silas Marner is lovely. I read it in school and didn't really appreciate it. I must reread again.
Plays/Dramas: I read Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor and watched the 2022 Broadway HD all-male cast production. The read was quick and the production was fabulous. Because I already read but never watched it, I watched the 1983 production of G&S's The Pirates of Penzance with Linda Ronstadt and an all-star cast. It was so much fun! I Am a Pirate King!
Michelle Hyland wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I am reading No Name and Silas Marner. Both good so far."Hi Theresa,
Silas Marner is lovely. I read it in school and didn't really appreciate it. I must reread again."
Thanks Michelle, good so far. I think Anne is my favorite too.
😊
I finished Little Dorrit and A Study in Scarlet now working on North and South bit slow going
Michelle Hyland wrote: "I cheated a bit and have started reading "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall."It is my favourite book by the Brontes so far. Admittedly I have only read three. I found Anne's writing easier to read than..."
I haven't read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall yet! I am currently rereading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte which I am enjoying. :)
I watched the 1952 version of The Importance of Being Earnest. Loved it! So funny and the actors were great.
Just finished “Tom Ossington’s Ghost,” it’s a fun mystery about a treasure hidden in a house rented by two young women. I spent most of the book thinking it was going to end in a Scooby-Doo type reveal but the end seems to imply the ghost was real and there may have been more than one. Richard Marsh is an author I definitely need to read more of, I previously read “The Beetle” and thought that was a lot of fun too. Now I need to figure out what to read next.
I've been wanting to reread Woman in White for a long time. I think this victober is the time to do it. The spookiness also fits the October vibe. Just few pages in and I'm already hooked. One of the best victorian sensational novels out there.
Today I finished My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell. It's a Cranford-like novel/novella and if you liked that one and are looking for something similar, then I can highly recommend this one. A feel-good book.Next up: The Moorland Cottage, Mrs Gaskell's failed attempt at a Christmas story (according to her own words).
I'm currently reading Doctor Thorne. I read the first eight chapters in April then set it aside for Victober. I reread these chapters and am excited about finishing this third novel in the Barsetshire chronicles.
Tenzin wrote: "Just few pages in and I'm already hooked."I am really envious of that! I can't get into it (which I think is a general thing and not this book's fault at all), so I'm going to switch on the audio for a little bit since that seems to work for me lately.
Lindenblatt wrote: "Today I finished My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell. It's a Cranford-like novel/novella and if you liked that one and are looking for something similar, then I can highly recommen..."
I'm so glad you enjoyed that one and I'm kind of envious of your Gaskell binge at this point. I didn't read The Moorland Cottage yet, so I'm definitely interested in your thoughts in that one!
Talking about being envious about your Gaskell ventures... since we decided to BR Mary Barton later, I picked up the other physical Gaskell copy that I have and I started Lois the Witch and Other Stories today. I think it will suit the religion prompt quite nicely!
The introduction enraged me though...
Mrs Gaskell (1810-65) was first and foremost a woman of her time, a lady of Victorian expansiveness. She was not a brilliant, nor a passionate novelist like George Eliot or Charlotte Brontë...
I ended up just skipping it, because it started to raise my blood pressure.
I also finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and I really liked it. I expected to love it even more but there were so many great aspects to that book! I will try to write a review for it soon.The book definitely fits the "form" prompt - the whole book is... kind of epistolary, but not really and then in the letters big chunk are diary entries and another chunk are different letters copied into the letters... so I guess it does fit. It could also be used for the religion prompt because that is a pretty big component of the book. Which honestly for me is probably one of the big reason why this didn't reach five stars, because it was a little annoying by the end (some things got repetitive).
VICTOBER 2025
Books mentioned in this topic
No Name (other topics)The Woman in White (other topics)
Doctor Thorne (other topics)
An Eye for an Eye (other topics)
Man and Wife (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Mrs. Oliphant (other topics)
Elizabeth Gaskell (other topics)
Charlotte Riddell (other topics)
Mrs. Oliphant (other topics)
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Perhaps it is the fear of "the other" as the community ..."
I haven't noticed this, Michelle. However, I was so thouroughly enjoying myself reading Cranford the first time that I rushed through the book. Will see if I notice anything of that kind whenever I read it again (which will definitely happen). It's quite possible that Gaskell would put something like this in on purpose. The Cranford ladies, being relatively poor and largely without a male protector, probably feel threatened by "others" and change in general. Again, I haven't noticed it myself, so I don't know the exact context. What's the tone in which this is written?