Currently reading (2024)

[Lindenblatt]

"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...

Certainly, everbody is entitled to their own opinions, but it should be clear that that's exactly what it is: personal preference. Each of these authoresses has her own merits and Mrs Gaskell does not have to shy away from the comparison! Let me know what you think of Lois the Witch. I decided to keep that one for a second binge and am currently focusing on the first half (+/-) of Gaskell's creative period. Looking forward to our BR! 😊

I also should have mentioned that My Lady Ludlow would probably serve Katie's prompt. Different parts of the story are told in different formats: first person narration of current events, retrospective third person narrative and, concluding events, through a letter. It's quite a mix.

[Lindenblatt]

Lorri wrote: "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..."

I love this whole series so much and still have two left to read. Do you like it? Why did you set it aside? And how?? ☺️

[Jassmine]

Lindenblatt wrote: "I decided to keep that one for a second binge and am currently focusing on the first half (+/-) of Gaskell's creative period."

I have been wondering if you are deciding which ones to read by any key!

I got Loise the Witch second hand some months ago for amazing price, so I just decided to go for it. It's also pretty short, I can't have Victober without Gaskell! Also, I'm only a few pages in, but this book being historical fiction does change things quite a bit. I am curious if I will like it as much as a "more usual" Gaskell. Also wondering if any killing spree is going to happen, the parents are already dead!

About the introduction... I guess the thing that tripped me is, why would a person who thinks that write an introduction to Gaskell collection, like... they couldn't find anybody else?! And the comparison is just weird to me, like... they are all very different writers, why...?

[Lindenblatt]

Jassmine wrote: "the parents are already dead..."

Check ✅️😅

Very true about your comment regarding the intro. Why not find someone that actually appreciates Gaskell?!

To be honest, my key to selecting my Gaskell-Victober-TBR is not a solid one. It's mostly derived from 1) what's available in my libraries and 2) how much time is left for Victober? Keep in mind that I am still reading her letters in parallel. I will be lucky if I'll manage that before the year is out. Of course, there is no rush at all, the point is to enjoy the experience.

[Maxine]

Lindenblatt wrote: "Lorri wrote: "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 th..."

Lindenblatt, I share your love for the Chronicles of Barsetshire series—most of the novels are solid five-star reads for me! I haven’t finished the last two yet, but I'm hoping to dive into them this Victober, at the very least The Small House at Allington. I'm also interested in exploring Trollope's standalone works.

Right now, I’m reading The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens and just started The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays by Oscar Wilde. I’m thinking of reading one play each day to keep them clear in my mind.

[Jassmine]

Lindenblatt wrote: "Jassmine wrote: "the parents are already dead..."

Check ✅️😅"

To be fair, it seemed mostly convenience thing, because she did need to get her protagonist to Salem 🤭

Seems like a pretty good system to pick out your reads in my book!
I am pretty jealous of your letter-reading, I might try to find out if there is any way I will be able to get my hands on this book...

Of course, there is no rush at all, the point is to enjoy the experience.

Yeah... but I also find that the sharing is a big part of my enjoinment. Which is why I'm trying to finish as much as I can in Victober, but... it's usually not working out that well...




Trollope is one of the authors I didn't try out yet and I really should, but...! There is so many authors like that 🙈

[Lindenblatt]

Maxine wrote: "Lindenblatt, I share your love for the Chronicles of Barsetshire series—most of the novels are solid five-star reads for me! I haven’t finished the last two yet, but I'm hoping to dive into them this Victober, at the very least The Small House at Allington..."

I agree with your rating 😊 I read Framley Parsonage in April this year, so I think I will save up The Small House at Allington for 2025. I enjoy these books so much that I don't want to finish the series too soon.

Coincidently, that sentiment was shared by Mrs Gaskell who wrote in a letter in 1860: "I wish Mr Trollope would go on writing Framley Parsonage for ever. I don't see any reason why it should ever come to an end, and every one I know is always dreading the last number." (Jassmine, if that's not motivation to give him a try...)

Have you read any other books written by Trollope? I know he was a prolific writer, but is anything as good as the Barsetshire series?

[Jassmine]

Lindenblatt wrote: "Coincidently, that sentiment was shared by Mrs Gaskell who wrote in a letter in 1860: "I wish Mr Trollope would go on writing Framley Parsonage for ever. I don't see any reason why it should ever come to an end, and every one I know is always dreading the last number." (Jassmine, if that's not motivation to give him a try...)."

Hah, that definitely works as a motivation for me!

I recently watched video by Katie focusing on Trollop, which I think might be worth a watch if you are wondering what other of his books to give a try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=des...

She read almost all of them at this point so for that alone I think it might be useful.

[Lindenblatt]

Jassmine wrote: "Hah, that definitely works as a motivation for me! ..."

I thought so! 😁

Thanks for sharing the link to Katie's video. No. 2, 3, and 4 look rather promising and I might read them alternatingly with the remaining Barsetshire books.

[Kathy]

Checking in with 1 week(!) to go:

Finished this week:
Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins (1870), in memory of Jennifer Brooks. The plot is entirely too complicated and twisty/turny to do it justice here, but it includes mistaken identities; creepy houses; a mute servant who has visions; a murder plot; a healthy dose of fainting; and "missed" chances at every step. It was quite the page-turner.

Amidst all of this, Collins criticizes the strange marriage laws of Ireland; the stranger marriage laws of Scotland; the plight of a British married woman who must give up all rights and property to her husband, no matter how cruel; and the obsessive male physical fitness craze of the mid-Victorian era. Fun stuff!

Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope (1869) on audio; a re-read; I had forgotten how wishy-washy Phineas can be! Still enjoyed on the 2nd reading; for the "serialized" prompt.

Currently Reading:
Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Gaskell; stories with a narrative connection; for the "format" prompt; about half-way through the stories
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle in memory of Alice; on audiobook read by Simon Vance
An Eye for an Eye by Anthony Trollope--one of his shorter novels

I still need to get to:
--A Shaw play--I have 5 on BBC video; just have to choose.

Possibilities if time permits:
The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow & Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond by Margaret Oliphant
Red Pottage by Mary Cholmondeley-- a "New Woman" novel I didn't get to for last year's Victober challenge

[Natashaortash]

Finally finished North and South.

My victober tbr complete.

Little Dorrit✔️
A Study in Scarlet✔️
North and South✔️

[Jassmine]

I got covid, so there is no way I'm finishing The Woman in White in October (I'm 1/3 in) that's for me getting optimistic after the good start I got 😂

So, yeah, seems like I will be finishing a good chuck of my Victober TBR in November...

[Lorri]

Lindenblatt wrote: "I love this whole series so much and still have two left to read. Do you like it? Why did you set it aside? And how?? "
Yes, I like the series and plan to finish it over the next year or two. I only got through the first seventy pages of Doctor Thorne in April and, what's more astonishing, that's about all I read in April! I started and DNFed Madam Bovary, the inspiration for The Doctor's Wife, too. I was incredibly busy and distracted that month and my choices for reading obviously did not fit my mood. The first three chapters of DT were background and the book did not show any headway. Even then it took five more chapters to cover the events of one day. I found this backtracking very frustrating at that time. However; this month I started with the Oxford edition from the beginning and the slow progress no longer bothered me. Go figure!

I read on my Kindle app for PC, so buying, storing, and reading books is cheaper and easier than print.

I finished Doctor Thorne last night. I enjoy his characters and how he exposes all aspects of the marriage market.

[Lorri]

Jassmine wrote: "I got covid, so there is no way I'm finishing The Woman in White in October (I'm 1/3 in) that's for me getting optimistic after the good start I got 😂

So, yeah, seems like I will be finishing a go..."

So sorry you're sick. The nice thing about TBRs is they usually can be moved to another month. I find audiobooks and videos comforting when I'm not well. Hope you feel better soon.

[Jassmine]

@Lorri: Thank you <3 I have to be really sick to be able to do audio while lying down. I can't pay attention to them if I'm not doing something while listening. And I'm not sure I would be able to do The Woman in White in this way anyway...

[Theresa]

Jassmine wrote: "I got covid, so there is no way I'm finishing The Woman in White in October (I'm 1/3 in) that's for me getting optimistic after the good start I got 😂

So, yeah, seems like I will be finishing a go..."

Take care Jassmine! Don't worry about reading into NOv. I do that every year. 😊

[Jassmine]

Theresa wrote: "Don't worry about reading into NOv. I do that every year. 😊"

Haha, I mean, I do too! But this year looked so promising! I thought I would read into November only a little bit 🤭

[Theresa]

Jassmine wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Don't worry about reading into NOv. I do that every year. 😊"

Haha, I mean, I do too! But this year looked so promising! I thought I would read into November only a little bit 🤭"

There is always next year and the most important thing is you getting better.

[Lindenblatt]

Jassmine wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Don't worry about reading into NOv. I do that every year. 😊"

Haha, I mean, I do too! But this year looked so promising! I thought I would read into November only a little bit 🤭"

You'll not be reading alone 😊 At the rate that I am reading the letters of Mrs Gaskell, I'll have to do a Double-"Victember"-Feature to finish my Victober TBR.

Up until a few days ago, there were only one novella and one short story left to read: The Old Nurse's Story and Lizzie Leigh. Of course, the only copy I could find was a collection of all of Gaskell's early short stories and novellas. 16 of them to be precise, all of which have been duly added to my TBR 😅

Take care and get better quickly!

Lorri wrote: "I finished Doctor Thorne last night. I enjoy his characters and how he exposes all aspects of the marriage market."

Good decision to postpone the reading of DT until you were at leisure to enjoy it more. Finding the right time and mood for any given book is very important.

[Michelle Hyland]

Jassmine wrote: "I got covid, so there is no way I'm finishing The Woman in White in October (I'm 1/3 in) that's for me getting optimistic after the good start I got 😂

So, yeah, seems like I will be finishing a go..."

Hi Jassmine,

Oh no. Mind yourself. Covid is an awful curse.

[Michelle Hyland]

Hi all,

I am currently reading "Jane Eyre" and I noticed that there is a mention of Mrs. Read's skin colour and John Read's lips.

Does anyone think that this might be an illusion to possible African heritage?

Brocklehurst is a horrible tyrant.

[David]

To update -

I have 99% failed with the Victober challenge.

New Grub Street triggered all of my writerly anxieties and them some (lol).

Got through the first volume, and then tried an audiobook, then realised I wasn't enjoying myself.

Worth the experiment. :)

[Theresa]

David wrote: "To update -

I have 99% failed with the Victober challenge.

New Grub Street triggered all of my writerly anxieties and them some (lol).

Got through the first volume, and then tried an audiobook..."

This has happened to me before. I try now to start with something either easy to read or something I think I might surely love. I also try to have at least two going so if one doesn't grab me, maybe the other will. Sorry, I know this doesn't help you now but I feel your pain. 😊

[David]

Theresa wrote: "David wrote: "To update -

I have 99% failed with the Victober challenge.

New Grub Street triggered all of my writerly anxieties and them some (lol).

Got through the first volume, and then trie..."
Useful advice for next year. I appreciate your sympathy, Theresa.

[Janice]

Theresa wrote: "I watched the 1952 version of The Importance of Being Earnest. Loved it! So funny and the actors were great."

Oh I agree it is so funny!! :)

[Jassmine]

Lindenblatt wrote: "Of course, the only copy I could find was a collection of all of Gaskell's early short stories and novellas. 16 of them to be precise, all of which have been duly added to my TBR 😅"

Sounds delightful! There are collections of Gaskell's short-stories selected chronologically on LibriVox and I did start the first one last Victober, but I accidentally dnfed it... I think I was just a little bit over-Gaskelled at that point and the first one was in verse, I believe? Have to give it a look sometime....



Anyway, continuing with my Victember reading 🤭 I listened to a little bit more of Woman in White the day before yesterday and I finally realised what my issue is. I just don't really care about Laura Fairlie! I do sympathise with her, but the way every POV character seems to be only concerned about her and nothing and no one else just... it just really annoys me. I really like Marianne but the way her whole world spins around Laura annoys me and I'm just really looking forward to another change of POV. The weird thing is, I usually love reading older sisters dedicated to their younger siblings (I'm the eldest sister myself), but it's just not working for me here? The relationships between characters in general don't seem to be working for me in this book. *sigh* Still dedicated to continue though! But I decided to slow down a little and listen to another book in the meantime...

[Jassmine]

I just finished The Woman in White and I have to say that I was overall a little bit disappointed by the book, but at the same time I'm very eager to read No Name. I'm not really sure what's happening inside my brain.

My main problem was that I didn't really like most of the characters, or I liked some aspects of them, but found them frustrating in others. If you want to read more of my thoughts, here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...