My top three is exactly the same as you but reverse order.. Sooo excited about reading wuthering heights in October with you. Loads of people want to join us. Will look for Daniel deronda now and loved these videos 💕
Thank you for doing this project, Kate! I've been following you for several years now and it was fun seeing your favorites. Yes to your top five. My all time favorite is North and South, and I agree with you about Elizabeth Gaskell. She's great!
Loved this project. Now I am anxiously awaiting Wuthering Heights in Victober. Thank you for encouraging me to reread a book that I despised the first time I read it. Perhaps because I was forced to read it in high school literature class. I am now in my 60s, so it’s time to discover and hopefully appreciate the novel that it is.
I think we ALL knew what your #1 book woulde be 😂😂😂 💗. I love these videos though. I wrote some of the books down that I will have to read & get to know some new authors. Thank you!! 🥰
I completely agree with everything that you said about Wuthering Heights. I read it 6 years ago and I couldn't put it down even for a moment. Like you've said "Once you're in it..."
I am so disappointed that I didn't get to read Wives and Daughters with either of the groups this year 😂 I guess I'll have to catch you in your fifth go-round! WHAT A JOURNEY, 100 books woo!!!!! Wuthering Heights is allll about the feels and definitely not a romance at all 😂🤦♀️ I definitely think Jane Eyre is more romantic, but you nailed it: Jane is the draw of the story. She is just AWESOME
I was so excited to see The Woman in White in your top ten!!! Yay! It is still my favorite Collins! Wuthering Heights is a favorite of mine as well. I need to re-read it. Same with North and South. How many pages does your copy have? I have an old edition and am hoping that it is not abridged. I agree with your thoughts on Jane Eyre - it is fantastic! Wives and Daughters!! I just finished it and want to re-read it already!
I have really enjoyed this whole series! So many books I want to read. Jane Eyre is my number one right now. Now about Wuthering Heights...I tried reading this decades ago and DNF’d it early on because I found the characters so unlikeable. Last year, I came across non-spoiler reviews of it on booktube which changed my mindset. So I tried again and ...wow! This is a book about destructive and obsessive love, dysfunctional families, and truly TOXIC relationships. And I was here. For. It. 😆 I liked your comment about revenge. So true. I found myself saying “oh, they did NOT just do that” numerous times. You know those scary amusement park rides that terrify you, but as soon as you get off you want to ride it again? Wuthering Heights was a wild ride and I plan to do it again (reread) someday. That is just my feelings about the book. Wuthering Heights is in no way a “love” story the kind of which I want in my life. Haha Thank you for helping to set more realistic expectations for people who might want to read it. I think great books make you feel things and this book certainly gave me some feelings. 😂 I found a glimmer of hope at the end that the cycle of abuse may be broken. I think my Victober this year will include Wilkie Collins and Anne Bronte.
Hi Kate, I just read north and south for the first time on kindle and honestly I didn’t love it. So I was glad to hear that it needs a second reading to appreciate it. I am Jewish so I think I should read Daniel Deronda first as I have not read any of the authors books yet. Aloha
Hi Kate! I'm a subscriber but this is my first comment. I just wanted to say how enjoyable this ranking series has been and how inspiring you are. You make me want to give some books another chance- not everything should be based on first impressions. :) I was so glad to see "The Woman in White" in the top 10. It was one of my very favorites! The Count was a fascinating character. Also, I had not given "Wutherig Heights" a high ranking, but after seeing this video, I'll re-read it. Thanks for the work you put into this series! God bless you!
Amazing last video - it was worth the wait! I just bought the Maud book and really looking forward to reading it. I also loved Wives and Daughters and The Woman in White. I need to try some George Eliot and North and South is on my list. I might have to give Wuthering Heights another chance. I only read it when I was a teenager, so it might be time to read it as an adult. Thank you so much for sharing this, Kate! I enjoyed this series so much! :D
I completely agree on the lady and white, (and yes Marian what a brave and levelheaded lady 😄). I need to find that illustrated diary! I love reading (and keeping) illustrated diaries, this looks so good. It’s very interesting that two of your favorites where just okay the first time you read them, less easy than some modern day literature but that is probably why they are ‘evergreen’ 😊 This was a great series👌
I had heard Katie from books and things cal Wuthering Heights a revenge story instead of a love story a couple years ago. It made me want to re-read it. I hated it in high school. I loved it so much the second time.
Aww, it’s over! (sigh). I thoroughly enjoyed these videos. You are so vivid in your descriptions it really gets me excited to read the books on these lists that I have yet to read. I wish I loved Wuthering Heights. It was my best friend from childhood’s favorite book and I always thought she was so cool and I used to think if I could learn to love that book it would make me cool like her, lol. I love Jane Eyre and look forward to trying Wives and Daughters.
Thank you for these videos. They were so enjoyable. Feel free to make more Top 100 books of any book genre, or era! I pegged your number one pick!!! No surprise to me. Most of the top ten I guessed, just not in any order.
I am glad you liked the idea of reading David Copperfield out loud to kids over the winter. It really was a highlight experience! This whole ranking was so much fun. I too would have had trouble with keeping the numbers straight lol. Thanks for this very fun series!
This series was so fabulous! I'm so excited for Victober. I could not get into Daniel Deronda and did not finish, but I do plan to return to it when i'm ready. Middlemarch is a soul mate book for me. I have reread so many times. I think I may reread for Victober. Middlemarch gets better and better as I age. It is a totally different book for me at 52 than it was in my 20s. Jane Eyre - also a favorite. It was the first classic I fell in love with. North and South, Wuthering Heights are favorites of mine also. I still have not read The Woman in White, but I want to . I am hesitant because i didn't care for the Moonstone. I am completely shocked that Wives and Daughters is number one.. LOL LOL LOL
I guessed that would be your number one book and will endeavour to read it one day - unfortunately time got away from me earlier this year. Glad to see that David Copperfield ranked so highly. I have tried Wuthering Heights multiple times over the years and we know that it isn't for me, however, do note that I am most pleased to see that you rank the book so highly. I hope that the more Victorian novels you read, the more favourites you find. Have you any idea where you will go to next?
Hooray for the top 10! I’ve read 8 of the 10 books and completely agree with you that George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell are the best Victorian authors. Now to find the letters of EG and Maud. BTW if you enjoy reading letters read “Dear Theo” by Irving Stone. It’s the first compilation (not complete) of the letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. He is much like Gaskell in that he’s a philosopher, theologian and much more besides being one of the, if not THE, greatest artist of all time.
Thanks for your inspiration to read more Victorian novels💕🌸💕 My Amazon cart is now full of more Victorian books after these countdown videos! Really enjoyed them:)
This was such an immense series and I’ve loved it. So impressed with you ranking all of these books when I am struggling to rank six Jane Austen novels! 😂 I am really looking forward to Victober which I’ve never taken part in before. You’ve definitely inspired me to read Anthony Trollope, Gerorge Elliot and Elizabeth Gaskell (who I’ve wondered about for some time now). You might even have inspired me to try Hardy again after a terrible time studying Tess when I was younger which put me off his work for the last 25 years. Thank you for doing this!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I got excited when I saw the author names you listed! I hope it's a great first Victober for you. Which George Eliot were you thinking of starting with?
@@katehowereads I’m not entirely sure yet but have been thinking I’d start with Silas Marner as the size is not quite as intimidating and would hopefully give me a good sense of her style of writing.
I loved this! I just may need to re-read "Wuthering Heights". I have never liked it, but I can see now that I was looking at it through a wrong bias. Next time I read it, I will look through the lens as if it is a revenge novel.
Very glad to see that I’ve read eight of your top ten so I’m obviously picking the right Victorian novels to read 😉. I haven’t read Elizabeth Gaskell’s letters but have read the wonderful Jenny Uglow biography and as you know there are lots of snippets of her letters in there to give a taster. Thank you for doing this series Kate, it’s been a treat!
The countdown was wonderful! I enjoyed the whole thing and I have to say what I love about books that I read are the people in their every day lives, and to find someone else that loves that also, is so great!!
😂 I was literally on the edge of my seat when you said that. LOL Homeschooling is priceless and there isn't anything I regret about homeschooling my last child. He graduated this year and even though we've had a hiccup in the world, because he was homeschooled, he's still on track. I have a plan to read David Copperfield next year. Now I think I should add Wives and Daughters as well. 🤗 I'm glad you didn't wait until Victober to do all of these videos. I can well imagine the amount of time you put into this project. Thank you!
I'm nearing the end of Middlemarch and feel the way you did the first time. I'll have to revisit it eventually to see if my opinion changes. I also want to reread David Copperfield, but I have a project of reading every Dickens' novel. I still have 6 to go, but I'm tempted to put it on hold for a reread.
Thank you SO much! This was fun. You inspired me to reread Middlemarch (someday) and I'm very interested in Gaskell's letters. I'm reading North and South for the first time and am loving it so much. Can't wait to read Wives and Daughters!
I’m glad you didn’t wait until Victober to do this series. It is a great resource for people to help them with their upcoming Victober TBRs! I have meant to reread David Copperfield for several years now and haven’t done so. I last read it when I was 8 years old, so yeah, I think I need to reread it, lol!
What a wonderful series! Not only do I love your choices, but enjoy hearing why you love them so! I feel like I haven’t read many Victorian novels …. but I have read 5 of your top 10. So many more to read ….
Yay! The final 10! I loved this series. I think I have only read 4 of the top 10 so I have 6 books that are further up my TBR…maybe 5, I am not keen on Dickens, but we shall see.😂
This has been such an enjoyable series, thank you! The Illustrated Diary of a Victorian Lady looks wonderful. Middlemarch is my absolute favourite Victorian novel. It's become a comfort read now, and I'd recommend the BBC series from the 1990s if you haven't seen that yet. Fred and Mary are one of my favourite literary couples, and I have a soft spot for Dorothea and Will :)
This has been such a fun video series to follow along with! I have read your top four, but not the other six favourites and this has definitely made me want to pick them up (or prioritize them sooner for the ones I was already thinking of reading). I'm very tempted to make David Copperfield my next Dickens read!
I cannot remember, did you mention The Mill on the Floss by Eliot? Have you read that novel of hers? Karen Swallow Prior recently wrote an article about Jane Eyre and how it is in the tradition of pilgrimage stories. The article is called From Dante to Bronte. You should check it out.
This has been such an exciting video series. Since discovering your channel, I have recommended the channel to friends. I was honestly excited looking forward to each new episode in this series. I have been wanting to tackle some classics and these videos really helped me start a new path. Thank you for all of your hard work!
I have to say, the non-fiction threw me. I guessed the top 2 and a couple others. Yay Jane! I just finished my third read through. I really want to re-read Wives and Daughters now, but it’s the only Gaskell I’ve read so far.
What do you think about chopping up nineteenth century literature up into categories, like "literary" and "popular"? I think one of the reasons Collins doesn't get nearly enough credit as a writer is because he's not considered "literary" even though he basically went a long way in inventing the detective story and mystery genres. I 've enjoyed pretty much I've ever read by him.
I think categories can be helpful for readers looking for books they know will match up with their taste but I do agree that it's a shame when an author gets written off simply because they write more plot based novels. Although, if someone is widely read they will have experienced the glories of genre fiction and see how well crafted books in different genres can be. It's their loss if they never give Wilkie Collins a chance! What is your favorite book by him? Or one that you really love that wasn't on my list?
Had some sad news lately so decided to get away and binge watch all 10 videos. Thank you, this was great. Just what I needed and yes I totally agree with your review of Jane Eyre and many others. Happy Christmas!!
I have loved this series - thank you so much for making it. I am intrigued as to why you re-read Middlemarch when you so disliked it on the first reading - please do tell! xx
Great Choices. I did not care for David Cooperfield, but all the rests are favorites of mine. Here are my favorite 20 Victorian novels, in no order, except my #1 1. Wuthering Heights 2. Villette 3. Jane Eyre 4. Tenant of Wildfell Hall 5. Agnes Grey 6. North and South 7. Middlemarch 8. Daniel Deronda, 10. A Tale of Two Cities 11. Bleak House 12. Return of The Native 13. Vanity Fair 14. They Way We Live Now 15. Wives and Daughters 16. The Odd Women17. Hester 18. Lady Audley's Secret 19. The Woman In White 20. The Moonstone. Have you read Hester yet? I haven't read nearly as many Victorian novels as you though.
I can’t be the only one whose sad that this is over!
🍁THE SEASON BEFORE VICTOBERRR🍁
My top three is exactly the same as you but reverse order.. Sooo excited about reading wuthering heights in October with you. Loads of people want to join us. Will look for Daniel deronda now and loved these videos 💕
Thank you for doing this project, Kate! I've been following you for several years now and it was fun seeing your favorites. Yes to your top five. My all time favorite is North and South, and I agree with you about Elizabeth Gaskell. She's great!
Loved this project. Now I am anxiously awaiting Wuthering Heights in Victober. Thank you for encouraging me to reread a book that I despised the first time I read it. Perhaps because I was forced to read it in high school literature class. I am now in my 60s, so it’s time to discover and hopefully appreciate the novel that it is.
I think we ALL knew what your #1 book woulde be 😂😂😂 💗.
I love these videos though. I wrote some of the books down that I will have to read & get to know some new authors. Thank you!! 🥰
I completely agree with everything that you said about Wuthering Heights. I read it 6 years ago and I couldn't put it down even for a moment. Like you've said "Once you're in it..."
I am so disappointed that I didn't get to read Wives and Daughters with either of the groups this year 😂 I guess I'll have to catch you in your fifth go-round! WHAT A JOURNEY, 100 books woo!!!!!
Wuthering Heights is allll about the feels and definitely not a romance at all 😂🤦♀️ I definitely think Jane Eyre is more romantic, but you nailed it: Jane is the draw of the story. She is just AWESOME
I was so excited to see The Woman in White in your top ten!!! Yay! It is still my favorite Collins! Wuthering Heights is a favorite of mine as well. I need to re-read it. Same with North and South. How many pages does your copy have? I have an old edition and am hoping that it is not abridged. I agree with your thoughts on Jane Eyre - it is fantastic! Wives and Daughters!! I just finished it and want to re-read it already!
I loved this. I got so excited whenever I saw a video in this series
I have really enjoyed this whole series! So many books I want to read. Jane Eyre is my number one right now. Now about Wuthering Heights...I tried reading this decades ago and DNF’d it early on because I found the characters so unlikeable. Last year, I came across non-spoiler reviews of it on booktube which changed my mindset. So I tried again and ...wow! This is a book about destructive and obsessive love, dysfunctional families, and truly TOXIC relationships. And I was here. For. It. 😆 I liked your comment about revenge. So true. I found myself saying “oh, they did NOT just do that” numerous times. You know those scary amusement park rides that terrify you, but as soon as you get off you want to ride it again? Wuthering Heights was a wild ride and I plan to do it again (reread) someday. That is just my feelings about the book.
Wuthering Heights is in no way a “love” story the kind of which I want in my life. Haha Thank you for helping to set more realistic expectations for people who might want to read it. I think great books make you feel things and this book certainly gave me some feelings. 😂 I found a glimmer of hope at the end that the cycle of abuse may be broken.
I think my Victober this year will include Wilkie Collins and Anne Bronte.
Hi Kate, I just read north and south for the first time on kindle and honestly I didn’t love it. So I was glad to hear that it needs a second reading to appreciate it. I am Jewish so I think I should read Daniel Deronda first as I have not read any of the authors books yet. Aloha
This was such a great series. I have only read a few of your top 10! Look forward to reading the rest!
Yay!!! Top 10 😍 I loved watching this whole series! (And what a first line from David Copperfield!)
Hi Kate! I'm a subscriber but this is my first comment. I just wanted to say how enjoyable this ranking series has been and how inspiring you are. You make me want to give some books another chance- not everything should be based on first impressions. :) I was so glad to see "The Woman in White" in the top 10. It was one of my very favorites! The Count was a fascinating character. Also, I had not given "Wutherig Heights" a high ranking, but after seeing this video, I'll re-read it.
Thanks for the work you put into this series! God bless you!
Just going online to track down a copy of Maud
Amazing last video - it was worth the wait! I just bought the Maud book and really looking forward to reading it. I also loved Wives and Daughters and The Woman in White. I need to try some George Eliot and North and South is on my list. I might have to give Wuthering Heights another chance. I only read it when I was a teenager, so it might be time to read it as an adult. Thank you so much for sharing this, Kate! I enjoyed this series so much! :D
I completely agree on the lady and white, (and yes Marian what a brave and levelheaded lady 😄).
I need to find that illustrated diary! I love reading (and keeping) illustrated diaries, this looks so good.
It’s very interesting that two of your favorites where just okay the first time you read them, less easy than some modern day literature but that is probably why they are ‘evergreen’ 😊
This was a great series👌
I had heard Katie from books and things cal Wuthering Heights a revenge story instead of a love story a couple years ago. It made me want to re-read it. I hated it in high school. I loved it so much the second time.
This was such a great series! I have added several books to my TBR. Thank you.
Yay so satisfying to see this! I was not shocked by your #1. Lol. I can’t wait for Victober!
Aww, it’s over! (sigh). I thoroughly enjoyed these videos. You are so vivid in your descriptions it really gets me excited to read the books on these lists that I have yet to read.
I wish I loved Wuthering Heights. It was my best friend from childhood’s favorite book and I always thought she was so cool and I used to think if I could learn to love that book it would make me cool like her, lol.
I love Jane Eyre and look forward to trying Wives and Daughters.
This was a wonderful series! One to rewatch, definitely. Just knew Wives and Daughters would be at the top:)
This was such a good series! I really must read Maud and Elizabeth Gaskell's letters this Victober.
Thank you for these videos. They were so enjoyable. Feel free to make more Top 100 books of any book genre, or era! I pegged your number one pick!!! No surprise to me. Most of the top ten I guessed, just not in any order.
What an awesome reading accomplishment you have made getting through 100+ Victorian books! I have enjoyed watching this series 😊
I am glad you liked the idea of reading David Copperfield out loud to kids over the winter. It really was a highlight experience! This whole ranking was so much fun. I too would have had trouble with keeping the numbers straight lol. Thanks for this very fun series!
This series was so fabulous! I'm so excited for Victober. I could not get into Daniel Deronda and did not finish, but I do plan to return to it when i'm ready. Middlemarch is a soul mate book for me. I have reread so many times. I think I may reread for Victober. Middlemarch gets better and better as I age. It is a totally different book for me at 52 than it was in my 20s. Jane Eyre - also a favorite. It was the first classic I fell in love with. North and South, Wuthering Heights are favorites of mine also.
I still have not read The Woman in White, but I want to . I am hesitant because i didn't care for the Moonstone.
I am completely shocked that Wives and Daughters is number one.. LOL LOL LOL
I guessed that would be your number one book and will endeavour to read it one day - unfortunately time got away from me earlier this year. Glad to see that David Copperfield ranked so highly. I have tried Wuthering Heights multiple times over the years and we know that it isn't for me, however, do note that I am most pleased to see that you rank the book so highly. I hope that the more Victorian novels you read, the more favourites you find. Have you any idea where you will go to next?
Hooray for the top 10! I’ve read 8 of the 10 books and completely agree with you that George Eliot and Elizabeth Gaskell are the best Victorian authors. Now to find the letters of EG and Maud. BTW if you enjoy reading letters read “Dear Theo” by Irving Stone. It’s the first compilation (not complete) of the letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo. He is much like Gaskell in that he’s a philosopher, theologian and much more besides being one of the, if not THE, greatest artist of all time.
Such a great series!! We have a lot in common. Thank you, Kate!
Thanks for your inspiration to read more Victorian novels💕🌸💕 My Amazon cart is now full of more Victorian books after these countdown videos! Really enjoyed them:)
I always find myself itching for Victober this time of year so thank you for doing this! It definitely helped to hold me over for it 😂
This was such an immense series and I’ve loved it. So impressed with you ranking all of these books when I am struggling to rank six Jane Austen novels! 😂 I am really looking forward to Victober which I’ve never taken part in before. You’ve definitely inspired me to read Anthony Trollope, Gerorge Elliot and Elizabeth Gaskell (who I’ve wondered about for some time now). You might even have inspired me to try Hardy again after a terrible time studying Tess when I was younger which put me off his work for the last 25 years. Thank you for doing this!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I got excited when I saw the author names you listed! I hope it's a great first Victober for you. Which George Eliot were you thinking of starting with?
@@katehowereads I’m not entirely sure yet but have been thinking I’d start with Silas Marner as the size is not quite as intimidating and would hopefully give me a good sense of her style of writing.
I enjoyed this series so much and now can't wait til Victober. I have tons of new books added to my TBR. Thank you.
I loved this! I just may need to re-read "Wuthering Heights". I have never liked it, but I can see now that I was looking at it through a wrong bias. Next time I read it, I will look through the lens as if it is a revenge novel.
Very glad to see that I’ve read eight of your top ten so I’m obviously picking the right Victorian novels to read 😉. I haven’t read Elizabeth Gaskell’s letters but have read the wonderful Jenny Uglow biography and as you know there are lots of snippets of her letters in there to give a taster. Thank you for doing this series Kate, it’s been a treat!
The countdown was wonderful! I enjoyed the whole thing and I have to say what I love about books that I read are the people in their every day lives, and to find someone else that loves that also, is so great!!
😂 I was literally on the edge of my seat when you said that. LOL Homeschooling is priceless and there isn't anything I regret about homeschooling my last child. He graduated this year and even though we've had a hiccup in the world, because he was homeschooled, he's still on track. I have a plan to read David Copperfield next year. Now I think I should add Wives and Daughters as well. 🤗 I'm glad you didn't wait until Victober to do all of these videos. I can well imagine the amount of time you put into this project. Thank you!
I'm nearing the end of Middlemarch and feel the way you did the first time. I'll have to revisit it eventually to see if my opinion changes. I also want to reread David Copperfield, but I have a project of reading every Dickens' novel. I still have 6 to go, but I'm tempted to put it on hold for a reread.
Oh I've loved this!! Yes definitely convinced me to read more of these. I'm excited for the readalongs coming.
👏 I enjoyed this ranking very much! I would like to read The Illustrated Diary of a Victorian Lady😍
Thank you SO much! This was fun. You inspired me to reread Middlemarch (someday) and I'm very interested in Gaskell's letters. I'm reading North and South for the first time and am loving it so much. Can't wait to read Wives and Daughters!
Hey Dina. It's Gretchen!
I’m glad you didn’t wait until Victober to do this series. It is a great resource for people to help them with their upcoming Victober TBRs! I have meant to reread David Copperfield for several years now and haven’t done so. I last read it when I was 8 years old, so yeah, I think I need to reread it, lol!
What a great top 10! I'm looking forward to reading Wuthering Heights with you guys during Victober!
Thank for this, it has been a joy watching this series.
What a wonderful series! Not only do I love your choices, but enjoy hearing why you love them so! I feel like I haven’t read many Victorian novels …. but I have read 5 of your top 10. So many more to read ….
Thank you for sharing this! I recently finished North and South and a definite 5 star read. Excited to read more Elisabeth Gaskell.
This was so great, I hate for it to be over! Would you consider ranking some other books that are your favorites? Superb, Kate!!
Yay! The final 10! I loved this series. I think I have only read 4 of the top 10 so I have 6 books that are further up my TBR…maybe 5, I am not keen on Dickens, but we shall see.😂
Thank you for your work on this project. Very nicely done!
This has been such an enjoyable series, thank you! The Illustrated Diary of a Victorian Lady looks wonderful. Middlemarch is my absolute favourite Victorian novel. It's become a comfort read now, and I'd recommend the BBC series from the 1990s if you haven't seen that yet. Fred and Mary are one of my favourite literary couples, and I have a soft spot for Dorothea and Will :)
I think I may try The Woman in White or Agnes Grey for Victober this year. Loved this series!
This has been such a fun video series to follow along with! I have read your top four, but not the other six favourites and this has definitely made me want to pick them up (or prioritize them sooner for the ones I was already thinking of reading). I'm very tempted to make David Copperfield my next Dickens read!
W.H. is too dark for me. Anne is my favorite Bronte. You should do this ranking with modern classics. I really enjoyed this.
I cannot remember, did you mention The Mill on the Floss by Eliot? Have you read that novel of hers? Karen Swallow Prior recently wrote an article about Jane Eyre and how it is in the tradition of pilgrimage stories. The article is called From Dante to Bronte. You should check it out.
This has been such an exciting video series. Since discovering your channel, I have recommended the channel to friends.
I was honestly excited looking forward to each new episode in this series.
I have been wanting to tackle some classics and these videos really helped me start a new path.
Thank you for all of your hard work!
This has been such a great series Kate, thank you for sharing. Have a lovely day x
I have to say, the non-fiction threw me. I guessed the top 2 and a couple others. Yay Jane! I just finished my third read through. I really want to re-read Wives and Daughters now, but it’s the only Gaskell I’ve read so far.
Love that you love Daniel Deronda so much!! It's such an underrated classic and one of my very favorites for sure. ♥
What do you think about chopping up nineteenth century literature up into categories, like "literary" and "popular"? I think one of the reasons Collins doesn't get nearly enough credit as a writer is because he's not considered "literary" even though he basically went a long way in inventing the detective story and mystery genres. I 've enjoyed pretty much I've ever read by him.
I think categories can be helpful for readers looking for books they know will match up with their taste but I do agree that it's a shame when an author gets written off simply because they write more plot based novels. Although, if someone is widely read they will have experienced the glories of genre fiction and see how well crafted books in different genres can be.
It's their loss if they never give Wilkie Collins a chance!
What is your favorite book by him? Or one that you really love that wasn't on my list?
I enjoyed watching your countdown. I am a fan of Dickens and Trollope and now I am excited to read some of these other books.
That copy of Jane Eyre! 😍
Had some sad news lately so decided to get away and binge watch all 10 videos. Thank you, this was great. Just what I needed and yes I totally agree with your review of Jane Eyre and many others. Happy Christmas!!
Jodi, I'm so sorry that you received some bad news and especially at this time of year. I'm so glad these videos brought you some cheer!
Hi Kate can you please recommend your favorite mystery/detective/thriller novels in the victorian era other than Holmes and moonstone murders. Thanks!
I really enjoyed this series! I learned about some Victorian novels I didn't know about. Thank you!
I have loved this series - thank you so much for making it. I am intrigued as to why you re-read Middlemarch when you so disliked it on the first reading - please do tell! xx
I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! I think the characters were beckoning me to come back and reevaluate them.
Great Choices. I did not care for David Cooperfield, but all the rests are favorites of mine. Here are my favorite 20 Victorian novels, in no order, except my #1 1. Wuthering Heights 2. Villette 3. Jane Eyre 4. Tenant of Wildfell Hall 5. Agnes Grey 6. North and South 7. Middlemarch 8. Daniel Deronda, 10. A Tale of Two Cities 11. Bleak House 12. Return of The Native 13. Vanity Fair 14. They Way We Live Now 15. Wives and Daughters 16. The Odd Women17. Hester 18. Lady Audley's Secret 19. The Woman In White 20. The Moonstone. Have you read Hester yet? I haven't read nearly as many Victorian novels as you though.
Enjoyed reading your rankings. But ... there is no #9. Wondering what book could it be? ! ?
Don't mind me, I'll just be sitting here waiting for part 11
This has ended up being a great series.
I think Great Expectations probably should be higher.
I started reading wives and daughters but I found it very slow moving and had to stop reading it. I like Mary Barton but not this