Hayley Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Last year I really enjoyed our Victober reading challenge. Would anybody like to join me in another this year!? We would be reading books/short fiction/poetry either written in or set in the Victorian era, with votes for the texts over the weekend and a start date of Monday, October 3rd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 1 hour ago, Hayley said: Last year I really enjoyed our Victober reading challenge. Would anybody like to join me in another this year!? We would be reading books/short fiction/poetry either written in or set in the Victorian era, with votes for the texts over the weekend and a start date of Monday, October 3rd. I enjoyed it too. I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Yes, I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 I'm considering reading a couple of Victorian set novels (it is Halloween month after all!) so yes count me in please, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 Yay! Hopefully even more people will join us still but feel free to start throwing in suggestions for things we could read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 (edited) I was planning to read Shadowplay by Joseph O'Connor, plus the next Frey and McGrey book. Both feature Bram Stoker so should work together! Edited September 28, 2022 by Madeleine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 I am thinking of Uncle Silas by Sheridan La (or is it le) Fanu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Good choice Kev, I read this ages ago and it is pretty gothic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 (edited) I have read Uncle Silas too. How about The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ? Edited September 28, 2022 by lunababymoonchild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 Is the idea we all read the same texts, or texts following a theme(s)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 I may read The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler one day. It was published 1903 but set in the Victorian era. It is semi-autobiographical about a clergyman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 8 minutes ago, KEV67 said: Is the idea we all read the same texts, or texts following a theme(s)? I believe so. Last year there were three, in different categories. I also think that they should be reasonably short Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 28, 2022 Share Posted September 28, 2022 17 minutes ago, lunababymoonchild said: I believe so. Last year there were three, in different categories. I also think that they should be reasonably short I agree it is better if they are not too long. However, didn't we read different things last year? Maybe Agnes Grey. That is quite short, although not much fun I don't think. I did quite like Anne Bronte's Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 I can't find anything other than the poll for Viktober 2021 but I remember that we read three short books, one of which was Lady Audley's Lover, a Victorian sensationalist example. I've also read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 There's not much to choose from in the Victorian Sensationalist category and they are all either impossibley expensive - by which I mean over £20 - or very long - by which I mean in the region of 600 pages. Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K Jerome could be a candidate for Victorian Novel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted September 29, 2022 Author Share Posted September 29, 2022 The way we did it last year was by specific challenges. After the vote we had 'read a sensation novel', 'read several chapters from a penny blood/ penny dreadful' and 'read something Victorian and gothic'. We didn't have to all choose Lady Audley's Secret for the sensation novel, but we did . If I remember correctly, Luna and I chose a Frey and McGray book for the 'gothic' challenge, while Kev chose Dracula? I think it works nicely that way because it gives people a bit more choice - and we still ended up having interesting conversations when we weren't reading the exact same books! I would like to throw in the suggestion... A Victorian Ghost Story 13 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said: I have read Uncle Silas too. How about The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ? Both of these are on my to-read list! 12 hours ago, KEV67 said: Maybe Agnes Grey. That is quite short, although not much fun I don't think. It's good but I definitely wouldn't describe it as fun 😅. This could become a 'read a Bronte book' category? I think The Professor is nearly as short as Agnes Grey, but I haven't read that one. 33 minutes ago, lunababymoonchild said: There's not much to choose from in the Victorian Sensationalist category and they are all either impossibley expensive - by which I mean over £20 - or very long - by which I mean in the region of 600 pages. What kind of books were you thinking of? Like the penny blood ones? If anybody wants it, by the way, last years thread is here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 I've read The Thirteenth Tale as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 5 hours ago, Hayley said: The way we did it last year was by specific challenges. After the vote we had 'read a sensation novel', 'read several chapters from a penny blood/ penny dreadful' and 'read something Victorian and gothic'. We didn't have to all choose Lady Audley's Secret for the sensation novel, but we did . If I remember correctly, Luna and I chose a Frey and McGray book for the 'gothic' challenge, while Kev chose Dracula? I think it works nicely that way because it gives people a bit more choice - and we still ended up having interesting conversations when we weren't reading the exact same books! I would like to throw in the suggestion... A Victorian Ghost Story Agreed and seconded 5 hours ago, Hayley said: It's good but I definitely wouldn't describe it as fun 😅. This could become a 'read a Bronte book' category? I think The Professor is nearly as short as Agnes Grey, but I haven't read that one. Seconded 5 hours ago, Hayley said: What kind of books were you thinking of? Like the penny blood ones? We could do that 5 hours ago, Hayley said: If anybody wants it, by the way, last years thread is here: That's why I couldn't find it, I spelled it incorrectly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 Copy of last year's poll : 1 Read something that was written for Victorian children (including poetry, fiction and non-fiction). 2 Read something Victorian and Gothic. 3 Read several chapters from a Penny Blood / Penny Dreadful. 4 Read a sensation novel (e.g. Lady Audley's Secret / The Woman in White). 5 Read something from a Victorian periodical . 6 Read a memoir or life story of a Victorian person, not necessarily famous... 7 Read a story relating to the clergy. I'm finding it hard to find a suitable sensation novel so can we replace 4 with “Read a Victorian ghost story” ? And how about replacing 5 with “Read a Bronte novel”? All other suggestions welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 Don't think we should have 3 again. The Penny Dreadful I read last year was indeed dreadful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 How about read an academic paper about a Victorian novel? There must be some sloshing around free on the internet. I am fine with replacing 4 & 5 with a ghost story and a Brontë. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 41 minutes ago, KEV67 said: Don't think we should have 3 again. The Penny Dreadful I read last year was indeed dreadful. You can do as many or as little as you like. I'm choosing different categories to that which I did last year. 33 minutes ago, KEV67 said: How about read an academic paper about a Victorian novel? There must be some sloshing around free on the internet. I am fine with replacing 4 & 5 with a ghost story and a Brontë. There are books on Victorian novels and Sensation novels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KEV67 Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 (edited) 22 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said: There's not much to choose from in the Victorian Sensationalist category and they are all either impossibley expensive - by which I mean over £20 - or very long - by which I mean in the region of 600 pages. Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K Jerome could be a candidate for Victorian Novel Three Men in a Boat is a late Victorian comedy. I thought it was autobiographical. Diary of a Nobody is in the same vein but I think that is fiction. Late Victorian books were rather different to early and mid. They often seem more Edwardian to me. Edited September 30, 2022 by KEV67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunababymoonchild Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Tomorrow is October so I propose that we move along accordingly. I'll start a thread with the categories and participants can choose which they want to do. As many or as few as suits them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayley Posted September 30, 2022 Author Share Posted September 30, 2022 14 hours ago, KEV67 said: How about read an academic paper about a Victorian novel? There must be some sloshing around free on the internet. Yeah, this would be a good category. The Victorian Popular Fictions Journal has some great free ones: Victorian Popular Fictions Journal – Victorian Popular Fiction Association 32 minutes ago, lunababymoonchild said: Tomorrow is October so I propose that we move along accordingly. I'll start a thread with the categories and participants can choose which they want to do. As many or as few as suits them. Well that saves me a job, thank you . This would be a different set up to last year - as we all voted for our top three categories and were therefore reading books from those same three categories. But I'm happy for there to be a more open choice this year if everyone wants to try that out instead! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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