Wrap Up Thread 2024

[Kathy]

Thought I would start a Wrap Up Thread to hear about your Victober 2024 highlights, lowlights, thoughts, etc.

[Kathy]

Overall, I had a very good Victober. All the titles were new to me, except for my re-read of Phineas Finn on audiobook. I didn't have any disappointments, and I'd say my highlights were:
Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins, a real page-turner, that looks at the absurdities of Victorian marriage laws
The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow & Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond by Margaret Oliphant. A Persephone edition, these two novellas look at two different types of marriage "scandals", but in a very realistic, non-sensational way. I wasn't expecting much, and Oliphant really surprised me with two thoughtful looks at marriage in the Victorian era.
An Eye for an Eye by Anthony Trollope, short, sad and uncharacteristically dark (for Trollope).

Here are all the titles I finished during Victober 2024:

✔️Serialized: Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope, a re-read on audiobook, read by Simon Vance
✔️Form: Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Gaskell, linked short stories, which were good; several of the stories I had read before.
✔️Religion: The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte. M. Yonge; I liked this, but didn't love it. Has a very interesting and enlightened portrayal of disability
✔️Play: G. B. Shaw, I watched "Mrs Warren's Profession" and "You Never Can Tell", both were amusing and thought-provoking.
✔️In memory of Alice: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle on audiobook, read by Simon Vance. A first-time read for me--I was surprised by some of the content, part of which is set in Utah.
✔️In memory of Jennifer: Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins, one of my highlights for the month.

Additional titles I finished:
✔️The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow & Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond, Margaret Oliphant--one of my Victober2024 highlights.
✔️Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson--nonfiction travel memoir that was actually laugh-out funny in parts.
✔️Brief Lives: Elizabeth Gaskell by Alan Shelston, short biography (less than 100 pages) and gives a good sense of Gaskell's life and work.
✔️An Eye for an Eye by Anthony Trollope, another highlight, though sad.

I did not read The Doctor's Wife, as I read that last year.

The only book I didn't get to that was on my TBR was Red Pottage, by Mary Cholmondeley, a "New Woman" book which I didn't get to last Victober, either. 😖 Maybe in 2025????

[David]

Kathy wrote: "Overall, I had a very good Victober. All the titles were new to me, except for my re-read of Phineas Finn on audiobook. I didn't have any disappointments, and I'd say my highlights we..." This is absolutely voracious reading. Proper respect, madam!

[Jassmine]

@Kathy: What a list! I'm especially intrigued to hear that you enjoyed The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow & Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond, I didn't read Oliphant yet, but I am always interested in trying a new woman author and I was contemplating picking this one of her as first since I heard @Elizabeth (from Literary Princess) speaking about it, so this solidifies that decission!

[Jassmine]

Overall, I would say that this was my most successful Victober yet, even though I got sick toward the end and as a result I didn't manage to finish everything I wanted. So I am still working on that...

For the challenges I read two plays: Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde & Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw

Interestingly it turned out that those two plays have a lot in common so it was interesting comparing them! This was also my first time reading Shaw and I have to say that I am not that eager to read more by him, although I did like this play. Wilde is amazing as always, although I have to say that I think I prefer reading his plays with my eyes or seeing them on the stage. I did a dramatized audio for both and the humour didn't really stand out as much as usual. Although, possibly, this play wasn't just Wilde's funnies? (But I don't really think so.)

I also finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall which I originally read for the "form" prompt but it could also definitely be counted for the "religion" prompt. I did enjoy this quite a bit, although I did expect to love it and that didn't quite happen. Still definitely a book I would recommend.


I also picked up a couple of books unrelated to the challenges:

Gloriana, or the Revolution of 1900 was on my last year's TBR as "New Woman" book (as was Mrs. Warren's Profession for that matter) and I'm glad I finally got to it and read it! It was quite delightful, I gave it four stars and I would read more by this author. I do have a soft spot for cross-dressing in my fiction...

I also finally read Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu which has been on my TBR for ages but that I always forget about during Victober and I just absolutely adored it. A lot of my friends have been disappointed by Carmilla, but I just had so much fun with it, it's kind of campy and it just really worked for me. Probably my favourite read this Victober?


So that's five finished books, some of them are short, but it is still great result for me, since I usually only finish one to three (Victorian) books during October. And I finished three of the prompts...


I'm currently reading:

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins for the "serialized" promt and in memory of Jennifer Brooks. I'm struggling with this one more then I thought I would and I am starting to wonder if I should have picked a different book by Collins. I'm 1/3 in and I plan to finish this on November.

Speaking of Jennifer Brooks, I only discovered her YT channel because of this Victober and that makes me so sad, because we actually share a lot of the interests and obsessions. I have been listening to her a lot this month and she became a comfort youtuber for me of sorts.

I'm also reading Lois the Witch and Other Stories by Elizabeth Gaskell, I just can't do a Victober without something by Elizabeth Gaskell in it, so I picked up this book for the religion prompt. I have to admit that I am struggling to get into it, I think that the historical fiction aspect isn't working for me that well. I still didn't make it very far, but it's also not very long, so... yeah, planning to finish this one in November as well.


I'm still planning to read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in memory of Alice. I would have gotten to this one sooner, but I was planning to do an audio and then I had to switch to audio for The Woman in White and then I got sick, so... yeah. I plan to read it before the end of the year, but I'm not sure when I actually get to start it.

I would also like to watch the movie adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest before the end of the year. This is one of my favourites plays ever and I hear the movie is good, so...

[Theresa]

Jassmine wrote: "Overall, I would say that this was my most successful Victober yet, even though I got sick toward the end and as a result I didn't manage to finish everything I wanted. So I am still working on tha..."

The Importance of Being Earnest is so good. (Play and Movie) I am listening to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes now.

[Kathy]

David wrote: This is absolutely voracious reading. Proper respect, madam! "
Thank you! Frankly, I surprised myself--my best Victober ever--I'm not usually so dedicated.

[Kathy]

Jassmine wrote: "@Kathy: What a list! I'm especially intrigued to hear that you enjoyed The Mystery of Mrs Blencarrow & Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond, I didn't read Oliphant yet, but I am always in..."
Thank you! Margaret Oliphant can be hit or miss for me, but these two novellas were quite powerful in their own ways. It's a great place to start with her work, and then move on to the Carlingford books.

[Kathy]

Jassmine wrote: "Overall, I would say that this was my most successful Victober yet, even though I got sick toward the end and as a result I didn't manage to finish everything I wanted."

Lots of great reading here. I actually watched (instead of read) Mrs Warren's Profession, so I think that helped me. I felt similarly to you on my first reading of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall: liked it, but didn't love it. I re-read it a few years later and it did grow on me, and I appreciated what Anne Bronte was trying to convey on a 2nd reading.

[Rebecca]

I didn't get to any Victorian lit this year. I did enjoy seeing what everyone else was reading.

[Jassmine]

Kathy wrote: "It's a great place to start with her work, and then move on to the Carlingford books."

Good to hear that! The Carlingford books do look interesting (some more than others), but I don't want to start with a series right away. I have a completist brain so every time I start a new series I feel like I need to finish it, so it's easier to start with a smaller commitment.

I actually watched (instead of read) Mrs Warren's Profession, so I think that helped me.

Aaah, I didn't know there was an adaptation of Mrs. Warren's Profession! That's exciting... I will try to look if I can watch that, because I feel like going over that story one more time might let me help settle me thoughts and feelings on it a little bit.

I felt similarly to you on my first reading of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall: liked it, but didn't love it. I re-read it a few years later and it did grow on me, and I appreciated what Anne Bronte was trying to convey on a 2nd reading.

Yeah, I did like what the book was trying to do, but the religious motives got a bit much for me at the end. I would prefer if Helen's reasoning was a little different, I understand why it is what it is and that it's very period appropriate, but I was just tired of her trying to be so good all the time. Being occasionally selfish is healthy! So yeah... but I did enjoy it and I think I will revisit it eventually.

[Jassmine]

Theresa wrote: "I am listening to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes now."

Yey! Did you read something from the Sherlock Holmes stories before this? I am very much a Sherlock Holmes newbie, so this will be my first try of that...

[Theresa]

Jassmine wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I am listening to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes now."

Yey! Did you read something from the Sherlock Holmes stories before this? I am very much a Sherlock Holmes newbie, so this..."
I am reading them in order, so I read Study in
scarlet and The sign of Four first then Adventure.

[Jassmine]

@Theresa: Oh, wow. Yeah, doing the chronological reading would normally be my preferred method too, but I really got myself persuaded in this case by the fact that the novels aren't as good as the short-stories are, so I am going for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes first and then I hopefully return to the first two novels.

[Kathy]

Jassmine wrote: "Aaah, I didn't know there was an adaptation of Mrs. Warren's Profession! That's exciting... I will try to look if I can watch that, ."

Yes, it's a 1972 BBC TV production. I found the BBC TV DVDs for several Shaw plays at a library sale. It stars a very young Penelope Wilton as Vivie:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068977/

[Theresa]

Jassmine wrote: "@Theresa: Oh, wow. Yeah, doing the chronological reading would normally be my preferred method too, but I really got myself persuaded in this case by the fact that the novels aren't as good as the ..."

Yes, I know most people don't enjoy the first but it was my favorite so far. I have read three of the short stories. The Study in Scarlet was so different but at the end I was kind of shocked that I really liked it. The Sign of Four I gave three stars but still enjoyed it. I read it at the beginning of Vic. The Study in Scarlet I read last Victober.