Celebrate Victoria Day With These Top Victorian Novels!

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I love a long weekend more than anyone, but have you noticed we really don’t do anything to actually celebrate or acknowledge the dowager mourning Queen?

But I’m not encouraging everyone to dress in black from head to toe or marry their first cousin. Instead, enjoy these Victorian reads while you lounge on your patio while the BBQ heats up.

 

The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde.

Cheeky at it's best! But in all honesty, any Oscar Wilde book is worth your time.

 

 

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.

When a rich merchant dies, he wills most of his fortune to an estranged son, John Harmon, but only on condition that this son marry a girl the father has chosen. She is Bella Wilfer, the pretty, spirited, slightly petulant daughter of a humble clerk. But whether young John Harmon would have consented to marry her is a mystery, because his body shows up on the shore in the novels macabre opening scene.

Look, just because it was required reading in school doesn’t mean it won’t speak to you. Plus, the names in a Dickens' novels are incredibly wonderfully ridiculous. In his day, Charles Dickens was quite a rock star. People would line up on the docks for new copies of his books and women would swoon at his public readings.

 

Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthor Conan Doyle.

Fog. Murder. London. It doesn't get more Victorian than that, my friend.

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Orphans, a mysterious wealthy gentlemen, a spooky mansion with a forbidden tower and a drunken cook. What could possibly go wrong? 

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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

We always picture the monster when we hear the name Frankenstein, but it is in fact Victor Frankenstein that the title references. Written completely in letter form by the narrator, you'll wonder who is the real monster of the story; the murderous creation or the creator himself.




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Far From theMadding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

A headstrong landowner in want of a husband considers three suitors; a farmhand, a wealthy neighbour, and a handsome soldier with a tragic secret.
 

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North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell

Pride and Prejudice for socialists. Truly, a wonderful read.



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What are some of your favourite Victorian reads?

What's Your Story?

Are you worried that your story is so totally awesome and unique you don't even want to breathe a word about your query because someone will take your idea it's just that amazing?

Well, cool your heels sister, chances are your completely original, never-been-seen-before-idea, has already been written.

RELAX. Apparently every story is basically a remake. There is a common belief that every story ever written falls into one of seven categories.

1. Tragedy. Where the hero with a fatal flaw meets a tragic end.
2. Comedy. Not necessary a thigh slapping, laugh fest, but always a happy ending, usually of the romantic persuasion.
3. Overcoming the Monster.
4. Voyage and Return.
5. Quest. Ah yes, it is the journey and not the destination that propels the plot forward.
6. Rags to Riches.
7. Rebirth. This is where the main character has an epiphany and discovers a new meaning of living.

I tend to agree with this list. But then why do we keep writing the same stories over again?

Probably for the same reason musicians keep writing songs with the same notes that Bach and Beethoven used. And the same reason fashion designers come out with new ways to wear pants and jackets each season.

The theme may be the same, but the characters, settings, and dialogue are different. Every story is a window display but how you dress up the mannequin makes all the difference.

Let's look at the list again. I've put a classic and contemporary novel beside each one to demonstrate how wonderfully different two of the same story can be.

1. Tragedy. Macbeth by Shakespeare. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
2. Comedy. Emma by Jane Austen. When It Happens by Susane Colassanti
3. Overcoming the Monster. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
4. Voyage and Return. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. Reckless by Cornelia Funke
5. Quest. Lord of The Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare
6. Rags to Riches. Cinderella by Brothers Grimm. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
7. Rebirth. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

What theme does your story fall into? Get any new ideas for your MC? Will they meet a tragic end or have a happy romantic ending?

Next Monday I'll be blogging the latest episode of Once Upon A Time.

Cheers!

Top Five Christmas Reads

Never mind rum and eggnog, thick hot gravy or the smell of a fresh fir tree. Okay, those are staples at my place every season, but what I cherish the most are my holiday books, fanned out on the coffee table.

And it doesn't matter if I down the whole story in one go or flip to a certain scene, a good Christmas read is as traditional as my awesome gravy (white wine is the secret). Here are my top five favorites. Drum roll...

1. How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.

A verse that begs to be read out loud! My Boris Karloff impression wins each year, hands down.

2. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

There are so many versions, but one of my favorites is an abridged version by Stephen Krensky. He entwines a subtle creepiness with the vulnerable side of humanity, making the characters flawed but likable. Dean Morrissey's wonderful illustrations give the book a Norman Rockwell aura as well.

3. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.

         Just for the record, the bell still rings for me.

4. The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde.

After the giant builds a high stone wall to keep the village children out of his flower garden, he faces the consequences of a continuous winter. Until one day, a small boy manages to push through a small hole.

5. The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth.

A World War II pilot gets lost in the fog on Christmas eve. The audio version by Alan Maitland is the best way to enjoy this holiday ghost story.

 

What are your favorite reads at Christmas?