I’m thrilled to see so many people joining in the conversation and sharing their lists! Thank you. I have been curious about Tristan Shandy. I may have to add it to my list!
Thanks, Shelly! I saw that you posted one, but we've been busy with meetings this week, so I'm looking forward to catching up on it. I'm curious to see which we overlap on. Somehow, I doubt it's GB84 . . . Cheers, Jack
my favorite part of MM is when Mr Brooke says :" There's something singular in things: they come round, you know." That one line encapsulate his whole character so well...
Absolutely! That such careful and specific lines exist in a massive work are really a testament to Eliot’s craft. I’d love to hear what five of your favorites are. Cheers, Jack
Aptly observed how 'Tristram Shandy' anticipates postmodernism centuries before modernism itself was even a thing. The estimable American critic Jonathan Rosenbaum regards this as still the greatest experimental novel in the history of the form. Five of my favorite English novels include (in chronological order): --'Wuthering Heights' (1847) by Emily Brontë --'Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There' (1871) by Lewis Carroll --'Titus Groan' (1946) by Mervyn Peake --'A Clockwork Orange' (1962) by Anthony Burgess --'Gloriana, or The Unfulfill'd Queen' (1978) by Michael Moorcock
Thanks, Brian! Byatt generally inspires strong reactions though mine are positive. David Peace’s Red Riding Quartet is more accessible than GB84 and sort of sets the stage for the decade that precedes it. Cheers, Jack
Aren’t they such wonderful books! Is there a second place among the works of George Eliot and/or Virginia Woolf for you? Thanks for the kind words, Sabine. I hope this week is ending well for you. Best, Jack
Wonderful list, as expected. Possession, Persuasion, P&P, Jane Eyre, Mrs Dalloway, and some of Agatha Christie are all ones I have read over five times or more.
I DNF'd Byatt's Possession. I felt it was something to be admired but I didn't enjoy it after 100 pages or so. Your praise of it makes me want to return to it.
Hi new subscriber here. I've read a few of the books you mentioned and a few of them are on my radar for this year. I don't think I want to read Dickens for a couple of reasons but middlemarch is a book that's been praised on booktube. Of course I love all the Victorian ladies and was introduced to Jane Austen in my thirties. I love that goes to Christy because Mysteries are my jam. I think I have to put weathering Heights in my favorite English books. It just had me mesmerized.. aloha
My wife and I are big fans of Wuthering Heights, such a dark story. It’s sort of the final nightmare of Romanticism. I enjoy a number of Victorian books, but I am always moving from one genre or period to another. Hope your weekend is going well, Marilyn! Best, Jack
Hahahaha, that recovery is a lifetime of reading, Heather, though I'm tempted to take this idea global and try to create equivalent videos for a few other nations. Which novels from England would be at the top of your list? Cheers, Jack
I’d never even heard of GB84 Jack and I have to say Possession underwhelmed me when I read it back in the 90’s- I’m willing to try a reread to see if that changes- but I love Mrs Dalloway and Middlemarch and although it was also almost three decades ago I remember being surprised how much I enjoyed Tristam Shandy when it was one of the first- and biggest- books we were assigned my first year of college!
So hard to choose just 5! I've yet to read Middlemarch or any George Eliot. I think my favorite would be the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and then of course Agatha Christie, but idk which one I would elevate above the rest. Maybe Death on the Nile??
Death on the Nile is very strong! Some of the later works, like that one and Murder on the Orient Express, have such compelling casts of characters. It was VERY hard to choose just 5. Best, Jack
GB84 I’ve seen mentioned a few times. I’ll have to try and nab that somewhere. It’s not at the library for sure. I don’t even think they have A Peace book here. The only immediate English novel that comes to mind for me is The Waves by Woolf maybe? I’d have to go look.
Sounds like there is a lot of love for The Waves, Fraser. I'm hoping to read that next year after I spend some time with Orlando this year. The Red Riding Quartet is really the place to start with David Peace. It ends in 1983, leading up to the events of GB84. Cheers, Jack
Thanks, Ros! I don’t know if David Peace will ever become more than a cult novelist here in the US, but I am glad he has more recognition at home. I suppose you and Tilly made a sort of entry in this with the 5 Perfect Novels video last year. Were all of those from English writers? I recall Austen and Christie off the top of my head. Hope you are all well! Best, Jack
Pilgrim's Progress/John Bunyan, Gulliver's Travels/Jonathan Swift, Wuthering Heights/Emily Bronte, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass/Lewis Carroll, The Old Wives' Tale/Arnold Bennett, To the Lighthouse/Virginia Woolf, 1984/George Orwell. Oops, that's 7 and the limit is 5, so put the Bunyan and Bennett novels on the "honorable mention" list.
I’ve read six of these and thoroughly enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know about The Old Wives’ Tale. I’ll have to explore that one. Woolf seems to be the most-represented author among the many videos and comments I’ve caught, what an extraordinary writer. Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Virginia Woolf wasn't particularly impressed with Arnold Bennett, but she only read one of his novels, and not one of his best. Bennett wrote a lot, and he'd sometimes turn out a novel quickly because he needed the money. But the Old Wives' Tale is his best effort, a very convincing account of two Victorian sisters and how they adjusted to their changing situations over the decades.
I have not yet, though I have a copy to read once our remodel is finished. I did reread The Damned Utd last year and remained mesmerized. Did you enjoy Red or Dead?
Also, not a novel, but have you read All The Devils Are Here by David Seabrooke? I think about that book on a near-daily basis. Recommend it if you haven’t read it.
GB84, a review: 'This could have been a really interesting, but the author wrote it in the most boring and uninformative way possible. Almost no information is given so we know little about who the people are, why they are doing what they do and worst of all, why we should care. To give an example, most of the book is in this style: Robert boiled the kettle. He took out a cup. He put a teabag in the cup. He poured the hot water into the cup. Robert made a cup of tea. Entire chapters are written like this, describing mundane activities in the most dull way. I slogged through this book for a long while before realising that it wasn't worth it. I have a huge interest in the history of the miners strike, but I just couldn't care about the plot (if there even was one). I also didn't like how one character was referred to almost entirely as "the Jew" and this title was repeated a dozen times on every page. The religion of no other character was mentioned.' I have to wonder how much the alarm bells should be ringing, given the added controversial nature of the subject. Reviewing reviews might be an interesting discussion topic? with potential and scope!
I saw that concept of reviewing reviews somewhere recently, Richard, so it's interesting that you bring that up, and there's undoubtedly potential there. I suppose I commit the folly of reading too few, though it's introductions as misplaced afterwords that really get me. Have you read any books from Peace that you enjoyed? I hope you're well! Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Fraid I was probably far too busy on the sports field in 1984 or thereafter for a while to pay much attention to books, of all things, about a major (sometimes daily) TV news item! I guess I've never really been much of a fan of politics. Three fanatics is two too many if you will allow. But of course have things ever been thus.
@@ramblingraconteur1616 And yes with respect to introductions, it does seem like the editors need to add in some spoiler alerts! at least somewhere, preferably sooner rather than later. One exception springs to mind however is the intro to Frankenstein by Maurice Hindle, 1992 Penguin Classic edition. I recall it with pleasure, and still rate it very highly now years later.
@@ramblingraconteur1616 it certainly would be near the top of my list. The novel comprises a series of 12 books that follow the fortunes of the British upper middle classes and bohemians from 1914 to 1970. It is full of marvellously drawn characters and incredible insights about human relationships. It is also often incredibly funny. Powell (pronounced Pole) was a contemporary and friend of Evelyn Waugh. He was another member of the Bright Young Things, but also a friend of modernist musicians and painters.
I’m thrilled to see so many people joining in the conversation and sharing their lists! Thank you.
I have been curious about Tristan Shandy. I may have to add it to my list!
I hope you enjoy Tristram Shandy if you have a chance to read it!
Cheers, Jack
Tell me if you fancy a buddyread Sarah. Tristram Shandy is one of my bucket list books that I can't believe I haven't yet read.
@@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711 Yes!! I would love to.
Great choices as always. I’ve never heard of GB84. Will need to look into it.
Thanks, Stephanie! David Peace is one of my favorite living writers, but I only see a few folks ever mention his work.
Jack, I absolutely adore this tag! You and I have several overlap in our top 5 English novels.
Thanks, Shelly! I saw that you posted one, but we've been busy with meetings this week, so I'm looking forward to catching up on it. I'm curious to see which we overlap on. Somehow, I doubt it's GB84 . . .
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Ha! GB84 was new to me, certainly.
my favorite part of MM is when Mr Brooke says :" There's something singular in things: they come round, you know." That one line encapsulate his whole character so well...
Absolutely! That such careful and specific lines exist in a massive work are really a testament to Eliot’s craft.
I’d love to hear what five of your favorites are.
Cheers, Jack
What an excellent discussion! After seeing how closely many of your choices map on to mine, I clearly need to pick up GB84!
That’s definitely my “wild card” choice, Hannah, but I’d be curious to learn what you think of the novels of David Peace.
Aptly observed how 'Tristram Shandy' anticipates postmodernism centuries before modernism itself was even a thing. The estimable American critic Jonathan Rosenbaum regards this as still the greatest experimental novel in the history of the form.
Five of my favorite English novels include (in chronological order):
--'Wuthering Heights' (1847) by Emily Brontë
--'Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There' (1871) by Lewis Carroll
--'Titus Groan' (1946) by Mervyn Peake
--'A Clockwork Orange' (1962) by Anthony Burgess
--'Gloriana, or The Unfulfill'd Queen' (1978) by Michael Moorcock
I love this list! am about to dive into Peace's red riding quartet but haven't heard of GB84 - it sounds brilliant
Happy to share! I’d love to hear what you think of the Red Riding Quartet. It’s a dark tunnel into human society.
Cheers, Jack
Great choices particularly _Mrs. Dalloway_ . Still haven't read Byatt and I always forget about Peace.
Thanks, Brian! Byatt generally inspires strong reactions though mine are positive. David Peace’s Red Riding Quartet is more accessible than GB84 and sort of sets the stage for the decade that precedes it.
Cheers, Jack
Great review! I also picked Middlemarch and Mrs Dalloway.
Aren’t they such wonderful books! Is there a second place among the works of George Eliot and/or Virginia Woolf for you? Thanks for the kind words, Sabine. I hope this week is ending well for you.
Best, Jack
Wonderful list, as expected. Possession, Persuasion, P&P, Jane Eyre, Mrs Dalloway, and some of Agatha Christie are all ones I have read over five times or more.
I hope to reach that count with these ones, Deb! I'm keeping at least one of my Agatha Christie omnibuses out during the remodel.
I DNF'd Byatt's Possession. I felt it was something to be admired but I didn't enjoy it after 100 pages or so. Your praise of it makes me want to return to it.
It hits a nerve for me, but I completely understand when others don’t enjoy it. I hope you find a way in if you give it another shot.
Cheers, Jack
Hi new subscriber here. I've read a few of the books you mentioned and a few of them are on my radar for this year. I don't think I want to read Dickens for a couple of reasons but middlemarch is a book that's been praised on booktube. Of course I love all the Victorian ladies and was introduced to Jane Austen in my thirties. I love that goes to Christy because Mysteries are my jam. I think I have to put weathering Heights in my favorite English books. It just had me mesmerized.. aloha
My wife and I are big fans of Wuthering Heights, such a dark story. It’s sort of the final nightmare of Romanticism. I enjoy a number of Victorian books, but I am always moving from one genre or period to another. Hope your weekend is going well, Marilyn!
Best, Jack
5 books plus 18 recommends - a generous list! Will anybody's TBRs on Booktube ever recover from this tag?! So many books...
Hahahaha, that recovery is a lifetime of reading, Heather, though I'm tempted to take this idea global and try to create equivalent videos for a few other nations.
Which novels from England would be at the top of your list?
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Hannah said it could be any kind of five, so I'm thinking about 5 humour books....
I’d never even heard of GB84 Jack and I have to say Possession underwhelmed me when I read it back in the 90’s- I’m willing to try a reread to see if that changes- but I love Mrs Dalloway and Middlemarch and although it was also almost three decades ago I remember being surprised how much I enjoyed Tristam Shandy when it was one of the first- and biggest- books we were assigned my first year of college!
So hard to choose just 5! I've yet to read Middlemarch or any George Eliot. I think my favorite would be the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and then of course Agatha Christie, but idk which one I would elevate above the rest. Maybe Death on the Nile??
Death on the Nile is very strong! Some of the later works, like that one and Murder on the Orient Express, have such compelling casts of characters. It was VERY hard to choose just 5.
Best, Jack
Great list! I’d have to have something by Douglas Adams and Ken Follett on my list. 😊
Thanks, Summer. I hope you and your family are well. I’d love to see a top 5 from you!
Cheers, Jack
I see some books in your honorable mentions that I have yet to get to. Thanks for the suggestions.
Now, I'm wondering which ones, Sonya!
GB84 I’ve seen mentioned a few times. I’ll have to try and nab that somewhere. It’s not at the library for sure. I don’t even think they have A Peace book here.
The only immediate English novel that comes to mind for me is The Waves by Woolf maybe? I’d have to go look.
Hi Fraser!!
@@Shellyish hihihi Shelly!
Sounds like there is a lot of love for The Waves, Fraser. I'm hoping to read that next year after I spend some time with Orlando this year. The Red Riding Quartet is really the place to start with David Peace. It ends in 1983, leading up to the events of GB84.
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 thanks!
Five is impossible but I love your list. David Peace was a surprise but he is a tremendous writer. GB84 gives a different perspective on British life.
Thanks, Ros! I don’t know if David Peace will ever become more than a cult novelist here in the US, but I am glad he has more recognition at home.
I suppose you and Tilly made a sort of entry in this with the 5 Perfect Novels video last year. Were all of those from English writers? I recall Austen and Christie off the top of my head. Hope you are all well!
Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 goodness me I am amazed you remembered that video. Peace is a minority taste even here!
Pilgrim's Progress/John Bunyan, Gulliver's Travels/Jonathan Swift, Wuthering Heights/Emily Bronte, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass/Lewis Carroll, The Old Wives' Tale/Arnold Bennett, To the Lighthouse/Virginia Woolf, 1984/George Orwell. Oops, that's 7 and the limit is 5, so put the Bunyan and Bennett novels on the "honorable mention" list.
I’ve read six of these and thoroughly enjoyed them! Thanks for letting me know about The Old Wives’ Tale. I’ll have to explore that one. Woolf seems to be the most-represented author among the many videos and comments I’ve caught, what an extraordinary writer.
Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Virginia Woolf wasn't particularly impressed with Arnold Bennett, but she only read one of his novels, and not one of his best. Bennett wrote a lot, and he'd sometimes turn out a novel quickly because he needed the money. But the Old Wives' Tale is his best effort, a very convincing account of two Victorian sisters and how they adjusted to their changing situations over the decades.
GB84 is so good. Have you read Red or Dead?
I have not yet, though I have a copy to read once our remodel is finished. I did reread The Damned Utd last year and remained mesmerized.
Did you enjoy Red or Dead?
Also, not a novel, but have you read All The Devils Are Here by David Seabrooke? I think about that book on a near-daily basis. Recommend it if you haven’t read it.
@@ramblingraconteur1616 I, too, have not yet read Red or Dead - so was curious to hear your views if you had! 😄
@@foxedfolios Thanks for the recommendation!
GB84, a review: 'This could have been a really interesting, but the author wrote it in the most boring and uninformative way possible. Almost no information is given so we know little about who the people are, why they are doing what they do and worst of all, why we should care.
To give an example, most of the book is in this style:
Robert boiled the kettle. He took out a cup. He put a teabag in the cup. He poured the hot water into the cup. Robert made a cup of tea.
Entire chapters are written like this, describing mundane activities in the most dull way. I slogged through this book for a long while before realising that it wasn't worth it. I have a huge interest in the history of the miners strike, but I just couldn't care about the plot (if there even was one).
I also didn't like how one character was referred to almost entirely as "the Jew" and this title was repeated a dozen times on every page. The religion of no other character was mentioned.'
I have to wonder how much the alarm bells should be ringing, given the added controversial nature of the subject. Reviewing reviews might be an interesting discussion topic? with potential and scope!
I saw that concept of reviewing reviews somewhere recently, Richard, so it's interesting that you bring that up, and there's undoubtedly potential there. I suppose I commit the folly of reading too few, though it's introductions as misplaced afterwords that really get me.
Have you read any books from Peace that you enjoyed? I hope you're well!
Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Fraid I was probably far too busy on the sports field in 1984 or thereafter for a while to pay much attention to books, of all things, about a major (sometimes daily) TV news item! I guess I've never really been much of a fan of politics. Three fanatics is two too many if you will allow. But of course have things ever been thus.
@@ramblingraconteur1616 And yes with respect to introductions, it does seem like the editors need to add in some spoiler alerts! at least somewhere, preferably sooner rather than later. One exception springs to mind however is the intro to Frankenstein by Maurice Hindle, 1992 Penguin Classic edition. I recall it with pleasure, and still rate it very highly now years later.
Have you read Anthony Powell’s “A Dance to the Music of Time”?
I have not. Would that be at the top of your list?
Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 it certainly would be near the top of my list. The novel comprises a series of 12 books that follow the fortunes of the British upper middle classes and bohemians from 1914 to 1970. It is full of marvellously drawn characters and incredible insights about human relationships. It is also often incredibly funny. Powell (pronounced Pole) was a contemporary and friend of Evelyn Waugh. He was another member of the Bright Young Things, but also a friend of modernist musicians and painters.
@@MrToryhere thanks for sharing. Those Bright Young Things produced some gems.