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Listmania on the Victorian Era

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Margaret
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Post by Margaret » Thu November 20th, 2008, 6:41 am

Divia, I see that Emma Donoghue's The Sealed Letter is #1 on your Victorian listmania. I just finished reading it and posting a review at http://www.HistoricalNovels.info/Sealed-Letter.html. For a book with no gunfire, knife fights or other mayhem in it, I found it a pretty effective thriller! In the Victorian era, losing one's reputation was the next worst thing to a death sentence.
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

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Kasthu
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Post by Kasthu » Fri December 12th, 2008, 9:53 pm

There are some good books on the list! The Meaning of Night and The Glass of Time are some of the best books I've read this year. Other really good Victorian-era fiction include the Tomas Pitt series by Anne Perry; Girl in a Blue Dress, by Gaynor Arnold (set to come out here in the US next week); Posession, by AS Byatt; and there's a new book coming out in February called Drood, by Dan Simmons, which looks excellent ("narrated" by Wilkie Collins, it's about the last days of Charles Dicken's life).

Ditto on the Deanna Raybourn novels--she really knows how to tell a good story. And may I say that I have not just the slightest crush on Nicholas Brisbane?

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Kasthu
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Post by Kasthu » Fri December 12th, 2008, 10:01 pm

There's also The Far Pavilions, by MM Kaye, about the British Raj in India. Literally a doorstopper of a book (955 pages), but well worth reading.

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boswellbaxter
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Post by boswellbaxter » Fri December 12th, 2008, 10:34 pm

[quote=""Kasthu""]There are some good books on the list! The Meaning of Night and The Glass of Time are some of the best books I've read this year. Other really good Victorian-era fiction include the Tomas Pitt series by Anne Perry; Girl in a Blue Dress, by Gaynor Arnold (set to come out here in the US next week); Posession, by AS Byatt; and there's a new book coming out in February called Drood, by Dan Simmons, which looks excellent ("narrated" by Wilkie Collins, it's about the last days of Charles Dicken's life).

Ditto on the Deanna Raybourn novels--she really knows how to tell a good story. And may I say that I have not just the slightest crush on Nicholas Brisbane?[/quote]

Welcome, Kasthu! I'm looking forward to the Drood book.
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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Fri December 12th, 2008, 11:19 pm

[quote=""Kasthu""]There's also The Far Pavilions, by MM Kaye, about the British Raj in India. Literally a doorstopper of a book (955 pages), but well worth reading.[/quote]

Kasthu, welcome to the board. FYI, The Far Pavilions is going to be our January book of the month. I think everyone voted for it just to stop me from nominating it every month :o :)

PS, if you want to read more like TFP mosey on over to the India thread.
Last edited by Misfit on Fri December 12th, 2008, 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Celia Hayes
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Post by Celia Hayes » Sat June 13th, 2009, 4:24 pm

Oh, I hope everyone loved The Far Pavilions, and Shadow of the Moon, as well ... very Kiplingesque, the both of them. Shadow of the Moon is almost a family saga, and finishes up with a bang during the Sepoy Mutiny ... which is about there The Far Pavilions begins. Yes, they are both doorstoppers, but well worth it.
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Lady Macbeth
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Post by Lady Macbeth » Fri July 17th, 2009, 3:30 pm

Gotta love a bit of Vic Lit. :D

Not read too many on that list. Have read The Observations and really enjoyed it - very funny. I read Fingersmith a few years ago now and was completely floored by the twist in the middle of the novel - totally didn't see that coming. The adaptation was OK but not as good as the book.

Has anyone read Kept by D J Taylor? For some reason, the cover really appeals to me but I just haven't gotten around to picking up a copy yet.

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Fri July 17th, 2009, 10:21 pm

I cannot tell you how many times i have picked up Kept and then put it down again. I think next time I will just go ahead and buy it.
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Leo62
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Post by Leo62 » Fri July 17th, 2009, 10:50 pm

[quote=""Lady Macbeth""]

Has anyone read Kept by D J Taylor? For some reason, the cover really appeals to me but I just haven't gotten around to picking up a copy yet.[/quote]

I have. It's very atmospheric, but don't expect heart-stopping action. :D

Kate Quinn
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A neglected author of Victorian fiction

Post by Kate Quinn » Wed March 24th, 2010, 6:14 pm

Has anyone here ever read Brenda Jagger? She wrote a terrific set of books set in Victorian England, generally dealing with the clash of the newly-rich millowners, the aristocracy, and the desperately poor mill-workers. They are the best Victorian-era books (outside the classics) that I have ever read, and yet she is relatively unknown. "A Song Twice Over" is my favorite of hers.

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