S is for Shelley | Blogging from A to Z

Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley

There are three books which I consider to be my favourite classics; Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I read all of these classics while I was at university, and while Romanticism is not a literary movement I find all that interesting (I'm much more of a Victorian girl) I am glad my Romanticism module gave me the opportunity to read Frankenstein, which has to be one of the most brilliant books I've ever read.

That Mary Shelley began writing this when she was 18 astounds me; the ideas she tackles in this story are so thought-provoking, from the conflicts between science and morality to the consequences of creating a life and what it really means to play God. There's a reason this classic is so many people's favourite, it really is a masterpiece.

O is for Orwell | Blogging from A to Z

Nineteen Eighty-Four
by George Orwell

Though I didn't read it until I was around 20, I was first introduced to 1984, and to the dystopian genre, during my teens when the rest of my drama class and I ended up incorporating a lot of dystopian themes into our practical exam. Drama was the one subject in school where the exams were fun, because it was basically a performance!

In the end we did something completely different to the project we started - for various reasons our ideas fell through - but from that moment on I was hooked on this idea of dystopia. I've always loved stories which involve rebellions and people fighting against corrupt governments or monarchies; I grew up with films such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Braveheart, and with those kinds of stories under my belt from a young age my love for rebels and outlaws was firmly cemented.

Orwell is considered to be the godfather of modern dystopia. If you haven't read 1984 I highly recommend it, though maybe don't read it if you're in a really happy mood. It's bleak and hopeless and numbingly chilling, but it's also just fantastic. Read it!

The Classics Book Tag!

I saw this tag over at It's a Books World and I had to have a go at it myself. I don't read as many classics now that I've left uni, but I still love them dearly.

An Overhyped Classic You Really Didn't Like

Everyone's going to hate me, but I despise The Great Gatsby. Before anyone says anything, I understand why it is the way it is - I get what it's saying - but I still hate it. I don't think it helps that I don't think F. Scott Fitzgerald was a particularly great guy, either. I know we should try to separate the art from the artist, but it's something I often struggle with.

Favourite Time Period to Read About

I'm a Victorian girl, I've always loved the 19th century. So much happened in the 19th century - from the rise of the New Woman to the Gothic to the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species - and it informed the literature of the time in a fascinating way.

Favourite Fairy Tale

Oh Once Upon A Time, you had so much potential...

I always loved Rumpelstiltskin when I was little. I'm still waiting for my creepy Disney version. Or maybe even an adaptation by someone like Guillermo del Toro, that'd be cool.

Most Embarrassing Unread Classic

I don't really agree with this in the sense that I don't think we should be made to feel ashamed for having not read something, but if there's one classic I feel like I should have read by now it's Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm sure I'll get around to it one day, but the more people tell me to read it the less I want to.

Top 5 Classics You'd Like to Read Soon

As I'm starting to get into sci-fi I want to read a bit of classic sci-fi, and I love the sound of The Chrysalids. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall I've read parts of before, but I've never been able to sit down and read it from beginning to end which, as a big fan of Anne Brontë, is something I need to do. So far Jane Eyre is the only novel of Charlotte Brontë's I've read, and I have this lovely edition of Villette waiting patiently for me on my shelves, and while I'm not Thomas Hardy's biggest fan I do like the look of the new film adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd, so I'd like to try reading it this year. I still need to get my hands on a decent copy of The Mabinogion, which are a collection of Welsh legends and folktales!

Favourite Modern Book/Series Based on a Classic

I think most of you know by now how much I love The Lunar Chronicles; they're by far the best retellings I've read.

Favourite Classic Adaptation

I love the 1994 adaptation of Little Women, but I think I have to say the 1993 adaptation of The Secret Garden just because I grew up with it and watched it so often during my childhood.

Least Favourite Classic Adaptation

Alice, a 1988 adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I had to watch it for my Lit and Film course at uni and it's horrifying.

Favourite Editions of Classics You'd Like to Collect More Of

I'd really like Puffin to release more Puffin in Bloom titles. I'd love a pretty edition of The Secret Garden to match the lovely edition of A Little Princess they did!

An Underhyped Classic You'd Recommend to Everyone

Just Anne Brontë in general, really. She's forgotten too often, and I won't stop talking about her until she's as well known as her sisters.

I tag:

Libby @ Through the Wardrobe Door

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

Michelle @ In Libris Veritas

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight

Deanna @ Deanna Writes

E is for Eliot | Blogging from A to Z

Silas Marner
by George Eliot

Like Agnes Grey, which I talked about for Letter B, Silas Marner is another one of those divisive classics; there are people out there who think it's horrendously boring, and then there are people like me who think it's a beautiful and underrated story.

When you say George Eliot's name the first story to pop into your head might be Middlemarch or Daniel Deronda, but Silas Marner is always the story I think of after first being introduced to Eliot through it during my A Level English Literature course. What I love most about this classic is the sense of people getting what they deserve, even if it's not in the way you first expect it. It's something I try to emulate in my own writing, though I doubt I do it quite as skilfully as Eliot.

This is the book which made me realise that when it comes to classics it's the literature from the 19th century I most enjoy. I love the themes - from the rise of the new woman, to imperialism, to the Gothic - and I enjoy the rich character studies so many 19th century classics contain.

If you're new to 19th century literature and you find dense books intimidating, something like Silas Marner might be a great starting place for you!

B is for Brontë | Blogging from A to Z

Agnes Grey
by Anne Brontë

I wonder how many of you were expecting to see Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights when you saw the name Brontë. Don't get me wrong, Charlotte and Emily are literary geniuses in their own right - although nothing is ever going to make me see Heathcliff as a romantic hero - but the youngest Brontë, Anne, is forgotten far too often.

Unlike her sisters, who drew upon elements of the Gothic for their work, Anne was much more interested in society and, in particular, society's attitudes towards women in the 19th century.

Agnes Grey follows the titular character who decides to become a governess in order to support her family when they suddenly find themselves destitute. Much like Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey explores the role of the governess in 19th century society and how these women were treated by their employers and the other people around them, but Anne expands this to look at how women of all classes are treated poorly through Agnes's relationship with Rosalie Murray.

It's not a book for everyone; it's quiet and subtle in its message, but it's a pure joy to read, as well as being one of the only Brontë novels to include a love interest who isn't as problematic as Heathcliff and Mr. Rochester are...

The Count of Monte Cristo Read-a-Long!

It's not too late to join my Count of Monte Cristo Read-a-Long!

You can find the Facebook group with all the details here!

Or, if you prefer, there's a Goodreads group!

Classics & Contemporaries | Social Commentary

Back in July I started this new series with Romance and promised that I'd be back in August with the Science Fiction installment. Then I ended up going on a little hiatus while I finished up my MA coursework and there was no C&C post in August! 

I thought of just bumping Science Fiction up into September and doing two C&C posts, but considering Halloween is next month, I thought it would be a lot more fun to write up Science Fiction then, alongside the Gothic post I have planned.

So today we're talking about Social Commentary, and I promise you it's a lot less boring and/or intimidating than it sounds!

Social Commentary does what it says on the tin; these are the kind of books that had something to say about the time they were written in, regarding issues from gender to class to race to poverty - you name it, someone's written about it!

Charles Dickens is probably one of the most well known authors for this kind of literature; so many of his stories explore issues with poverty and class - just think of the way he portrayed the workhouses in Oliver Twist.

In fact we're starting our Social Commentary journey in the 19th century, with a brilliant (and sadly underrated) female author...

Anne Brontë is one third of the fantastic Brontë trio, but no one seems to talk about her as much as her sisters. She is most famous for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is believed to be one of the first Victorian feminist novels, but today I'm going to be talking about her first, semi-autobiographical novel, Agnes Grey.

Agnes Grey tells the story of its titular character, who decides to take life by the horns and become a governess to help her family after her father loses all of his money through no fault of his own. As the younger of two daughters her family are initially uncertain, but Agnes is determined to prove herself and soon finds herself the governess for the children of the wealthy Bloomfields. 

Working for the Bloomfields is nothing short of disastrous; the children are spoilt and cruel, much like their parents who constantly criticise everything Agnes does. Unhappy and lonely, Agnes is relieved when Mr Bloomfield sends her back home, convinced that his children are not learning fast enough, and her mother helps her to find her new position with the Murray family.

Agnes becomes the governess to the Murray's two daughters, Rosalie and Matilda, and though she still often feels the isolation that comes with being a governess, she develops a tentative friendship with the flirtacious Rosalie and befriends the kind curate, Edward Weston.

Throughout Agnes Grey, Anne Brontë reveals how governesses were really treated in the 19th century, and through Agnes's friendship with Rosalie Murray she explores femininity and the way women were treated, even if they happened to be wealthy women. It's an exquisite little novel, and it's one of my favourites, but I think it's something of a marmite read; I loved it, but I've come across many people who found it boring.

So if you're not quite ready for the 19th century, perhaps this piece of historical fiction will be more to your taste...

Eva Ibbotson is a guilty pleasure of mine. She's well known for her children's books, but also for her YA historical romance fiction. A Song For Summer is one such novel, and, like Agnes Grey, it features a feminine heroine, named Ellen, who finds herself working with children when she accepts a job as the housekeeper at a school in Austria.

Ellen becomes intrigued by Marek, the school's mysterious gardener and fencing teacher, but as Hitler's troops advance across Europe their love is endangered by the looming shadow of war.

A Song For Summer is much more romance orientated than Agnes Grey, though Brontë does a wonderful job of portraying the yearning that goes hand in hand with unrequited love, but they both have an innate sweetness which is laced with serious and thought-provoking themes. If you like A Song For Summer, then I definitely believe you would enjoy a classic like Agnes Grey!

Next we have a much more modern classic, written by one of the world's most famous playwrights!

I'm incredibly jealous of anyone who got to study Arthur Miller's The Crucible in school. I had to read Death of a Salesman instead and I loathed it. The Crucible, however, is right up my alley!

The Crucible is Miller's take on the famous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century. Originally published in the 1950s, it is believed to be an allegory for "McCarthyism", the practice of accusing people of treason or disloyalty without evidence, when the American government began to blacklist suspected communists. 

It's a brilliant commentary on hysteria, manipulation and morality, and you don't have to be a history enthusiast to enjoy it! (Though those of you who do enjoy your history might just appreciate it all the more).

However, while The Crucible is a modern classic, and therefore less intimidating than something as huge as War and Peace, it is a play, and often plays are a lot more fun to watch than they are to read.

But have no fear! I have a very recent novel that might just spark your fancy...

Katherine Howe is no stranger to the Salem Witch Trials; not only is she believed to be descended from two of the accused witches, but her first novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, is all about witchcraft. Her recent YA novel, Conversion, isn't all that different.

In Danvers, Massachusetts Colleen Rowley, a student at St. Joan's Academy, is trying to get through high school and all the stress that comes with it. She's been reading The Crucible for extra credit, and when the school's queen bee, Clara Rutherford, falls mysteriously ill with seizures and violent coughing fits, an illness which soon spreads to her circle of friends, Colleen's suspicions begin to rise.

After all, Danvers used to be known as Salem Village where, centuries before, another group of girls suffered from the same epidemic...

I think the very fact that Conversion's protagonist is reading The Crucible herself makes it an ideal read for anyone out there who's not quite ready to read Arthur Miller's famous play. Ultimately, Conversion takes the famous story of the Salem Witch Trials, or at least the epidemic that led to them, and places them in the 21st century. So if you enjoy Conversion, I see no reason why you wouldn't enjoy The Crucible!

There's another genre (though I suppose Social Commentary is more of a sub-genre) done and dusted! Check back next month for Science Fiction and Gothic, just in time for Halloween!

J.

Classics & Contemporaries | Romance (Non-Austen Edition)

On Friday I started my new series, "Classics & Contemporaries", with the first Romance installment centered around the works of Jane Austen. You can find that post here! 

Today I'm back with the second installment, which is Austen free, and finishing off the Romance section of this little series.

On Friday we began with one of the most famous love stories in existence and its 21st century retelling, and today we're going to do that again!

I have to admit for a little while I couldn't decide if I wanted to include Romeo and Juliet in this series at all, because I could write an entire post about how it isn't a love story (and perhaps one day I will!), but there's no denying that this play has inspired hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of stories.

In fact I'm so certain of this play's impact on the history of the story that I don't think I really need to tell you what it's about, do I? We all know the story of the two warring families and the star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of them - in fact the names 'Romeo' and 'Juliet' are often names we use to describe people who are in love.

Romeo and Juliet isn't my favourite of Shakespeare's plays - Macbeth has always been my favourite - but it's still worth reading. Sadly though, too many people end up hating Shakespeare because they're introduced to him in the wrong way. Usually in school.

I've always lived in Britain so while I can't speak for people elsewhere in the world, most of us who live in Britain are introduced to Shakespeare in primary school; in fact I first read Macbeth when I was 10 years old! If you have a teacher who can't make Shakespeare fun, however, you're bound to be baffled by him, and so many teachers fail to tell their pupils about all the dick jokes in his plays...

If the thought of reading Shakespeare makes you break out into a nervous sweat, I have just the story for you!

At first sight, you might think a story about flesh-eating zombies would have nothing to do with the most famous love story in the world, but Warm Bodies is nothing if not a retelling.

R (Romeo) falls in love with Julie (Juliet) as soon as he sees her. He murders her boyfriend Perry (Paris), has a best friend called M/Marcus (Mercutio) while Julie's best friend is Nora (the Nurse).

On top of all that, R is a zombie and Julie is not, which is a big problem considering all zombies and the living want to do is kill each other. Then again, all the Montagues and the Capulets want to do is kill each other, so not much has changed in 500 years!

Obviously there's a big difference between the way Warm Bodies is written and the way Romeo and Juliet is written, but at the core they're both the same story - one of them just has zombies! 

If you enjoy Warm Bodies there's no reason why you wouldn't enjoy Romeo and Juliet, but if you still feel a little intimidated by the Old English language why not try watching one of the many adaptations of Romeo and Juliet first? Baz Luhrmann's adaptation, originally released in 1996, is particularly useful, as it's set in the 21st century but still uses the Old English language.

Now we're going to travel forward 300 years, to the Victorian era, where another famous classic awaits us...

Charlotte Brontë's most famous work, Jane Eyre, was first published in 1847 under the pseudonym "Currer Bell". Upon its original release The Quarterly Review claimed it was "an anti-Christian composition", and it is a commonly held belief that Brontë wrote the novel as a protest against the Victorian lifestyle.

Gothic and atmospheric, Jane Eyre tells the story of the titular character who suffers neglect and abuse as a child, is sent away to boarding school and then eventually leaves to pursue a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. Thornfield belongs to the mysterious Mr Rochester, whose ward, Adèle, is Jane's charge.

Coarse and gruff, Mr Rochester is the typical Byronic hero, but Jane gives as good as she gets and in doing so, enchants him, but Mr Rochester is hiding a dark secret that could ruin everything.

I love Jane Eyre, but I know plenty of people who have never been able to get through it because of the novel's slow pace and the density of the text. The truth is that most Victorian novels are very dense - it's rather unusual to come across a short one - as many novels started out serialised in newspapers (such as Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone and Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist) and in the 19th century there were no televisions or cinemas; entire families would enjoy a large novel together, over the course of a couple of weeks!

So if you have a fondness for dark 19th century tales of love that crosses the boundaries of class, I have a piece of historical fiction you just might love.

Sarah Waters' Fingersmith tells the story of orphan Sue Trinder who, under the care of Mrs Sucksby, is raised as a petty thief. One day Gentleman, a beloved thief and con man, comes to Sue with an enticing proposition. If she can win a position as the maid to Maud Lily, a young and naive gentlewoman, and help Gentleman to seduce her, the two of them can make off with her vast inheritance and condemn Maud to a lunatic asylum.

Sue wishes to pay back the kindness of those who raised her and agrees to the plan, but when she meets Maud she begins to care for her in unexpected ways...

Perhaps one of the biggest differences between Fingersmith and Jane Eyre is that while the latter tells the story of a love between a man and a woman, the romance in Fingersmith is between two women. In fact Waters is well known for writing historical fiction featuring LGBT characters.

Other than that difference - and really is it that much of a difference? Love is love is love - there are quite a few similarities between the two stories. Both take place in the 19th century, both feature an orphaned heroine who rises from obscurity into a position at a wealthy home, both feature romances which cross the boundaries of class and both feature madness and deception in some form or another.

Fingersmith may not be the shortest read, for historical fiction also has the capacity to be dense, but as it was written in the 21st century its language is much easier to read, especially for readers who don't read an awful lot of 19th century literature - Fingersmith is a brilliant stepping stone towards a classic like Jane Eyre.

So that wraps up Romance! I hope this has been useful for anyone intimidated by classics, or that it's at least been an enjoyable read - I'll be back next month with an installment centered around Science Fiction!

J.

Classics & Contemporaries | Romance (Jane Austen Edition)

Last month I said I was going to start a new five part series titled "Classics & Contemporaries", to try and help anyone who feels intimidated by classics find another way of getting into them - you can find the initial blog post I wrote about the series here!

As I said then I promised the first installment would be Romance, but I did tell one little fib: I said for each genre I'd be talking about two classics and their contemporaries, but just this once I'm going to talk about four instead! Why? Why not! Well when I was narrowing down the classics I could talk about and finding their 21st century equivalents, I was torn between talking about some of the world's most famous love stories and some equally well-known modern reads, or talking about classics with some less obvious, and perhaps even lesser known, contemporaries.

So instead I decided to talk about both, and I suppose having double the amount is a good way to celebrate the start of this little series!

Two of the classics I ended up choosing for Romance were written by Jane Austen - one of the most famous romance authors of all time - so I thought I might as well split Romance into two separate posts, and centre one of them around the two Austen picks.

First up, let's start with one of the most famous, and most popular, love stories in the world...

Jane Austen's most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, was first published in 1813 and is still widely read today. In fact to date the novel has sold 20 million copies worldwide!

When it comes to Jane Austen I can completely understand why someone may struggle to read one of her novels because I'm not one of her biggest fans myself, and I think a big reason for that is that I was simply introduced to her in the wrong way. For years I have said I will always dislike her novels, but recently I've thought about giving her a second chance. She must be well-liked for a reason, and perhaps now that I'm older I will have more patience with her work.

I had to read Pride and Prejudice during the second year of my degree but I just couldn't force myself through it, and yet I can watch an adaptation of any Jane Austen novel and enjoy it. And, in all honesty, I want to like her. I feel like I'm missing out on something!

The story of Pride and Prejudice is the kind of story I should love; give me a story about two characters who hate each other only to grow to love each other and I'm sold. And if you're the kind of reader who enjoys those kinds of love stories but feels too intimidated to jump straight into one of Jane Austen's novels, I have just the book for you!

I'm sure this doesn't come as much of a surprise to most of you; those of you who haven't read Bridget Jones's Diary have probably seen the film, and if Colin Firth playing the part of the modern Mr Darcy isn't enough of a clue that this is a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice then I don't know what is!

Though I was still pretty shocked when I realised the connection. I'm dumb.

Just like Elizabeth Bennet, Bridget Jones is a single woman whose mother is desperate for her to be married; so desperate that she tries to set her up with Mark Darcy, a lawyer and old family friend, but Mark and Bridget don't get off to the best start...

This story is so much fun, and because it's basically a direct retelling of the original story I think reading this before you try reading Pride and Prejudice will make reading the classic much easier, and therefore less intimidating!

Next up we have one of Austen's less famous works, and the novel that first introduced me to her when I was 18: Persuasion.

Like Northanger Abbey, Persuasion was published posthumously in 1818 and is the shortest of Austen's novels. You might think that would make it the ideal Austen novel to start with, but this is the novel that made me dislike her work so much as a teenager (although it's also the one novel of hers I'd most like to reread now that I'm older). Having said that, if you are the kind of reader who finds the size of classics more intimidating than their content, this could be the ideal read for you!

Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot, an intelligent, 27 year old spinster, who was persuaded to break off her engagement to Captain Wentworth 8 years before because of his poverty and uncertain future. However, due to his success in the Napoleonic Wars, Wentworth is now wealthy and much sought after, and still hurt by Anne's rejection years before. While Wentworth seeks out a suitable bride, Anne struggles with the decision she made all those years ago and the feelings she still has for Wentworth.

If a story about people who are already in love - people who need to work through their troubles rather than try and get together in the first place - is one that interests you, then Persuasion is the novel for you, and I've managed to find a contemporary equivalent. A very recent equivalent!

Rainbow Rowell has quickly become one of the most famous authors of contemporary romance since the success of her YA novel Eleanor & Park. Her second YA novel, Fangirl, took the book community by storm, and this summer she released her second adult novel, Landline.

(I reviewed her first adult novel, Attachments, here!)

Landline tells the story of Georgie McCool and her husband, Neal, who are going through some marital troubles. They decide to spend Christmas with Neal's family in Omaha, but Georgie's job as a TV writer is hectic and something comes up at work. She has to stay in Los Angeles. Neal, however, takes their children and leaves for the airport.

Terrified that she has ruined their marriage for good, Georgie calls him, but the Neal that answers is the Neal from the past. Perhaps Georgie can use this strange connection to fix their future, or perhaps she should end their marriage before it even begins.

Obviously Landline and Persuasion are very different novels, Landline isn't a direct retelling in the way Bridget Jones's Diary is, and yet they share a lot of similar themes. Both feature a heroine who has made a mistake concerning the man she loves, and both include a mixture of maintaining an existing relationship while also including a small dose of 'will they, won't they'. If you're interested in Jane Austen's novels and you like Landline, I see no reason why Persuasion wouldn't be the perfect classic for you!

So there we have it: my 21st century suggestions for a 21st century reader who wants to read some Jane Austen. I really hope this has been useful (or at least fun!) and I'll be back on Monday with my non-Austen Romance installment!

J.

10 Books That Changed Me | Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

I've heard a lot of horror stories about some of the books people were forced to read in school - I know my Dad certainly wasn't impressed by the selection his school offered - but I was very lucky in that the majority of the books I was given to read during school I really enjoyed. In fact I got to read everything from Macbeth to Skellig to Jane Eyre; it wasn't until I got to A Level English Literature that I was given assigned texts to read that I didn't enjoy.

It was during my GCSEs I had to read Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. It was my first (and so far only) foray into Steinbeck's work, and also my first experience with American Literature. I'd be a liar if I said I read this book and instantly loved it, but I certainly didn't dislike it. What I've found about this book, in my experience, is that it needs time to sit in your brain and slowly worm its way into your thoughts. 

I don't know if I'd say this was my favourite of the books I had to read in school, but it's definitely the classic I've thought about the most; I had to read this book almost eight years ago now, and I think it says something that it's a story I still think about even now.

I haven't had much luck with American Literature: during my A Levels I had to read both The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman and I'm sorry to say I despised them both. Steinbeck is the first American author who really made me think long and hard about 'The American Dream' and what it means, and as a writer I'm certain this book encouraged my interest in justice and whether or not a character deserves the comeuppance they receive.

J.

Top Ten Tuesday | Favourite Classics

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find out everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Favourite Classic Books'. So, without further ado, here are my favourite classics!

The Moonstone

by Wilkie Collins

‘When you looked down into the stone, you looked into a yellow deep that drew your eyes into it so that they saw nothing else’

The Moonstone, a yellow diamond looted from an Indian temple and believed to bring bad luck to its owner, is bequeathed to Rachel Verinder on her eighteenth birthday. That very night the priceless stone is stolen again and when Sergeant Cuff is brought in to investigate the crime, he soon realizes that no one in Rachel’s household is above suspicion. Hailed by T. S. Eliot as ‘the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels’, The Moonstone is a marvellously taut and intricate tale of mystery, in which facts and memory can prove treacherous and not everyone is as they first appear.

Frankenstein

by Mary Shelley

At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Agnes Grey

by Anne Brontë

'The name of governess, I soon found, was a mere mockery … my pupils had no more notion of obedience than a wild, unbroken colt’

When her family becomes impoverished after a disastrous financial speculation, Agnes Grey determines to find work as a governess in order to contribute to their meagre income and assert her independence. But Agnes’s enthusiasm is swiftly extinguished as she struggles first with the unmanageable Bloomfield children and then with the painful disdain of the haughty Murray family; the only kindness she receives comes from Mr Weston, the sober young curate. Drawing on her own experience, Anne Brontë’s first novel offers a compelling personal perspective on the desperate position of unmarried, educated women for whom becoming a governess was the only respectable career open in Victorian society.

Carmilla

by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

A young woman living at her father's castle is the narrator of this novella. When a mysterious and beautiful stranger is stranded at the castle in odd circumstances and becomes a guest, the heroine quickly forms a close bond with her --but she subsequently discovers that her "friend" has a dark and lethal secret.

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors.

The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. One day, with the help of two unexpected companions, she discovers a way in. Is everything in the garden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life?

Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

Perhaps no other Shakespearean drama so engulfs its readers in the ruinous journey of surrender to evil as does Macbeth. A timeless tragedy about the nature of ambition, conscience, and the human heart, the play holds a profound grip on the Western imagination.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson's famous exploration of humanity's basest capacity for evil,The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, has become synonymous with the idea of a split personality. More than a morality tale, this dark psychological fantasy is also a product of its time, drawing on contemporary theories of class, evolution, criminality, and secret lives. 

Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Brontë

Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed. 

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is one of the best loved books of all time. Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, spoiled Amy: these are hard lessons of poverty and of growing up in New England during the Civil War. 

Through their dreams, plays, pranks, letters, illnesses, and courtships, women of all ages have become a part of this remarkable family and have felt the deep sadness when Meg leaves the circle of sisters to be married at the end of Part I. Part II, chronicles Meg's joys and mishaps as a young wife and mother, Jo's struggle to become a writer, Beth's tragedy, and Amy's artistic pursuits and unexpected romance. 

Based on Louise May Alcott's childhood, this lively portrait of nineteenth- century family life possesses a lasting vitality that has endeared it to generations of readers.

Silas Marner

by George Eliot

Wrongly accused of theft and exiled from a religious community many years before, the embittered weaver Silas Marner lives alone in Raveloe, living only for work and his precious hoard of money. But when his money is stolen and an orphaned child finds her way into his house, Silas is given the chance to transform his life. His fate, and that of the little girl he adopts, is entwined with Godfrey Cass, son of the village Squire, who, like Silas, is trapped by his past. Silas Marner, George Eliot's favourite of her novels, combines humour, rich symbolism and pointed social criticism to create an unsentimental but affectionate portrait of rural life.

What are some of your favourite classics?

J.