Georgianuary discussion

Please post any recommendations for books and authors that you may have.

I wanted to suggest reading some social history as a prelude to reading books that were written in the Georgian era.

These are some of the histories and biographies that I have already read, which I have personally found useful in understanding 18th century Britain and Ireland:

'An Elegant Madness' (US Title)/'High Society in the Regency Period' (UK Title) by Venetia Murray

'Dr. Johnson's London' by Liza Picard

'Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire' by Amanda Foreman

'Aristocrats' by Stella Tillyard

'Mrs. Jordan's Profession: The Actress and the Prince' by Claire Tomalin

'Jane Austen: A Life' by Claire Tomalin

'Beau Brummell' by Ian Kelly

I've been meaning to read 'Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England' by Amanda Vickery for some time, and I may try and squeeze that in before January.

I also have biographies of Hogarth and Byron that I would like to read.

Freya, I'm happy to spot a fellow Janeite. :o)

BTW, Freya, have you read 'Jane Austen, the Secret Radical' by Helena Kelly?

Some of her conclusions are controversial, but I really got a lot out of that book, and enjoyed it.

Hello! I was just looking at my reading stats here in Goodreads, and I realize that from the Georgian era, I've only read Jane Austen and Fanny Burney. I am definitely planning to reread Jane Austen during Georgianary, but I'm looking forward to perhaps finding a few other authors to check out too!

Welcome, Alisha.

See the general discussion thread for the ideas we've been tossing around for read-alongs and challenges. :o)

Freya, thanks for recommending Sarah Burney. I'd never heard of her.

Did you know that Fanny Burney underwent a mastectomy in the days before anesthetic? I can't imagine how much courage and fortitude she had to have.

So I happened upon a secondhand copy of 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole the other day, which had me excited.

For those not already aware of of it, this is the first Gothic novel in history. Walpole not only set the trend for Gothic novels, but the Gothic Revival in architecture, his sadly no longer existing house at Strawberry Hill, being the first example. He was also a famous gossip of the Regency period, and the son of a prime minister.

Anyway, the book is not very long, only about a hundred pages in the edition I have, (which also includes 'The Old English Baron' by Clara Reeve, which I hadn't heard of), and seems to me an ideal book to fit into Georgianary.

Actually, I just went to check, and discovered that Strawberry Hill does still exist!

The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole is also available to read for free on archive.org for everyone who doesn't find a physical copy :-)

Does anyone know of some good booktube videos of Georgian/Regency recommendations? Or just give me lots of books to add to my TBR list. :-) This is actually making me look forward to January, which I don't think I ever have in my entire life!

Hi, Art. Welcome! :o)

I'm not aware of any Georgian novels being reviewed on Booktube, but then I haven't gone looking either.

It may be that we're breaking new ground, which has me excited too. There are several books from this era that I have long wanted to read, and it looks like this may finally give me the impetus to do do it. I too am looking forward to January for the first time ever!

Just browsing my own collection, these are the Georgian books currently languishing on my shelves:

- Jane Austen's juvenilia (I've already read all her novels, including the two incomplete ones)
- 'Waverley', 'The Bride of Lammermoor' and 'Ivanhoe' by Walter Scott
- 'Tom Jones' by Henry Fielding
- 'A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland' and 'The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides' by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell
- 'James Boswell's London Journal'
- 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women' by Mary Wollstonecraft (mother of Mary Shelley)
- 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley
- 'The Vicar of Wakefield' by Oliver Goldsmith
- 'Gulliver's Travels' by Jonathan Swift
- 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' by Ann Radcliffe
- 'Pamela' by Samuel Ricardson (He wrote 'Clarissa' as well.)
- 'Evelina' by Fanny Burney
- 'Castle Rackrent' and 'Belinda' by Maria Edgeworth
- 'The Monk' by Matthew Lewis
- 'The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker' by Tobias Smollett (I thought I also had his one about the justified sinner, but it seems I don't.)
- 'Sartor Resartus' by Thomas Carlyle
- 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole
- 'The School for Scandal & other plays' by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

As most of us don't seem to have actually read many books from the Georgian era, I suggest that people share a similar list of any unread books they may have, if they are as yet unable to recommend anything.

Oh! I also have Harriette Wlson's Memoirs.

She was a famous courtesan of the Regency period, who made her prestigious clientele pay to keep their names out of the book, which inspired Byron to famously exclaim, "Publish and be damned!"

Hariette *Wilson*

(It's maddening that you can't go back and edit or delete your posts!)

I just found two more on my shelves.

I didn't realize that Laurence Sterne's books were written in the 18th century.

Anyway, I have both his 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy' and 'A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'.

Froggles wrote: "Hi, Art. Welcome! :o)

I'm not aware of any Georgian novels being reviewed on Booktube, but then I haven't gone looking either.

It may be that we're breaking new ground, which has me excited too. ..."

Of those you list, I would like to read Evelina, The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Vicar of Wakefield. I am here in the group to find good ones.

ETA--have crossed off one b/c I have been warned against it.

Art wrote: "Does anyone know of some good booktube videos of Georgian/Regency recommendations? Or just give me lots of books to add to my TBR list. :-) This is actually making me look forward to January, which..."

If you're into irony and satire I can recommend "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy" by Laurence Sterne, it's quite funny.

I've read quite bit from the 18th century. There also some authors I've read from the UK, but I realised most of the 18th century books I've read in the past are mostly by German and French authors and other European countries.

My favourite Georgian Era books are:
'Heart of Midlothian' by Walter Scott. This is rather a dark tale set in Edinburgh but engrossing. I love it particularly because much of the action is set between the Royal Mile, where my student halls were and the Grassmarket, where my painting studio overlooked.
Susan Ferrier's 'Marriage' is also a favourite. It starts slowly because, of I remember correctly, she co-wrote the beginning with a friend and they were channeling the popular gothic novels of the time. After she appears to ditch her friend the book turns into a charming Austenesque novel both funny and some wonderful insights into life in Edinburgh and London at the time.
Another favourite is Allan Ramsay's Dialogue on Taste but this is probably just bias since I wrote my final year dissertation on Ramsay and he is my all-time favourite painter. It is a short play about whether there is such a thing as a canon of beauty. Can objective rules of beauty truly be decided?
The Georgian Era is rich in Enlightenment philosophy so I might venture into some David Hume who is fairly readable.

I forgot to add Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding. I highly recommend the audiobook for this one with Rufus Sewell as the narrator. He reads it so beautifully and I'm pretty sure I would have missed a lot of the humour if it hadn't been for his brilliant acting. If I remember rightly, it's quite bawdy compared to the later Georgian period and Victorian. If you enjoy the slapstick side of Shakespeare and more earthy humour you will enjoy this.

Lorna, 'Marriage' sounds really interesting, and is a new title to me.

I was recently in Edinburgh and explored the Grassmarket. (It was my fifth visit to the city, where my great grandmother was born.) I'm fascinated by Edinburgh and would love to read more about it.

I've started reading 'The Bride of Lammermoor' by Scott, but found it slow going, because I couldn't make sense of much of the Scots dialect, so had to keep stopping to look things up. I don't know if it's a case where you'd eventually get the hang of it.

It occurred to me too that because the 18th century was the age of enlightenment and revolution, we might consider making a list of influential political and philosophical works. As well as the Scottish Enlightment thinkers like Hume and Adams, etc, there's also Thomas Paine, and on the conservative side, there's Edmund Burke's famous argument against the French Revolution, which is also credited with being the first book to define Toryism.

I've actually been meaning to read Burke, after coming across Helena Kelly's assertion in 'Jane Austen, the Secret Radical' that contrary to the assumption that Austen avoided the political topics of the day, she was well versed in them, and put Burke's words in the mouth of Lady Catherine de Burgh: "You refuse the canes of duty and honour..."

Ophelia, I'm glad there's someone among us who is fairly familiar with this time period. I have one or two French works from this period, but I'm sorry to say I don't have any other European works.

Lorna, the audiobook with Rufus Sewell sounds like great fun!

One of the things I like about the Georgian period is that it was much more earthy. We're still living with the influences of Victorian ideas about morality, which in many ways was a backlash in response to the excesses of the Prince Regent/George IV, and his brother, William IV.

(William was scorned for living openly with his mistress, the actress Dora Jordan, but that was only because he was prevented from marrying her. To all intents and purposes they were in a common law marriage, staying together for decades and having many children together. They were only forced apart when he unexpectedly inherited the throne and was then expected to produce a legitimate heir. Poor Dora was subjected to the most cruel lampooning of her character by the cartoonists of the day, while she was the main breadwinner in the family.)

Well, I find this discussion on literature during the Georgian era already fascinating and I'm looking forward to discover a lot more Georgian authors and books here :-)

Lorna wrote: "My favourite Georgian Era books are:
'Heart of Midlothian' by Walter Scott. This is rather a dark tale set in Edinburgh but engrossing. I love it particularly because much of the action is set betw..."

Thanks for recommending Allan Ramsay's Dialogue on Taste :-) this will be a really interesting read for me, since art is one if my interests.

I read this about Ramsey: "During his prime period he had a virtual monopoly on court painting. The envy this aroused is manifested in a remark made by Ramsay's competitor Joshua Reynolds that Ramsay was 'not a good painter'. He became the official painter to George III in 1760, and Principal Painter-in-Ordinary in 1767." Which I find very interesting as well.

Ha! Yes. Reynolds was very envious of Ramsay. Perhaps my bias is showing again but I believe Ramsay's paintings have stood the test of time better because they were more true to the sitter. And also because Reynolds was a little too experimental with his pigments and in many the subject's skin has going from a healthy pink to ghoulish green.

Well, Lorna & Ophelia, your last comments sent me down a rabbit hole.

I've just been reading about Ramsay and some of his famous subjects.

I was particularly intrigued to learn that among his commissions was a recently discovered portrait of Charles Edward Stuart, painted in 1745 in Scotland.

Does one of you know if Ramsay's Dialogue on Taste is here in the goodreads system? I can't find it.

Ophelia, if you can't find it, and if you have two devices, such as a smart phone and a tablet, look for an image of the cover using one, and scan it with the other.

I found another Georgian book in my shelves:

'The Complete Poems of John Keats'

I think I've mentioned that I wrote my undergrad thesis on 18th century British literature so my list of book recs is literally 7 pages long lol. But here's a slightly abbreviated set of lists. I will preface this list by saying that my interest is particularly in the way that education and moral conduct is portrayed in literature, so I'm especially drawn to didactic novels, which a lot of people find tedious and boring. So maybe take my suggestions with that little hint of salt? But I also adore gothic fiction because I find it hilarious so there's plenty of those on this last as well.

For nonfiction:
- Eighteenth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction by Paul Langford
- Eighteenth-Century English Society: Shuttles and Swords by Douglas Hay
- Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence
- Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye
- Desire and Domestic Fiction: A Political History of the Novel by Nancy Armstrong
- Fashioning Masculinity by Dr Michel Cohen
- Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837 by Linda Colley
- The Gentleman's Daughter: Women's Lives in Georgian England by Amanda Vickery

Fiction I've read and enjoyed:
- Everything by Jane Austen (obviously)
- Everything by Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay), but particularly Evelina
- Everything by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
- Everything by her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, including her most famous work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman as well as her conduct book Thoughts on the Education of Daughters
- Belinda and Castle Rackrent and The Absentee by Maria Edgeworth
- The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
- The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
- The Monk by Matthew Lewis
- Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson
- A Simple Story by Elizabeth Inchbald
- The Advantages of Education, or The History of Maria Williams by Jane West
- Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland
- Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson
- The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Written by Himself by Olaudah Equiano
- Zofloya by Charlotte Dacre
- St. Leon: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century by William Godwin (who's Mary Shelley's dad, for those who didn't know; you could read from the whole family!)
- A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne
- The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith

Oh wow, thanks for the list!

And thank you for using the links!

Thank you for sharing your list, Lauren! There are all sorts of interesting titles on it.

'The Gentleman's Daughter' by Amanda Vickery is another book currently languishing on my shelves that I simply must read. I started it once and got about a third into it, and then got sidetracked.

Have you seen the BBC documentary, 'At Home with the Georgians', presented by Amanda Vickery, and based on her other book, 'Behind Closed Doors'?

Because it never premiered in North America (I live in Canada), I had to order it in PAL format from the UK, and then dedicate my laptop to only playing PAL from then on, in order to watch it. Happily, it was well worth it! :o)

Your list reminded me of another book I have that fits the bill for our reading in January, and that is a collection of Jane Austen's letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye.

Lauren, thank you so much for your amazing list!

Froggles wrote: "Thank you for sharing your list, Lauren! There are all sorts of interesting titles on it.

'The Gentleman's Daughter' by Amanda Vickery is another book currently languishing on my shelves that I si..."

I haven't watched At Home with the Georgians, but I did read Behind Closed Doors. I absolutely adore Amanda Vickery's work and briefly considered trying to get into the school she works at to get a graduate degree in history before I decided on library science instead. She is seriously a top-notch writer and researcher and I highly, highly recommend her work.

Lauren, Amanda Vickery is a delight.

I have her documentary on women artists as well.

I would love to be able to take her courses.

Thanks for posting your list of Georgian novels, @froggles. There are many here I’d like to read.

Lauren, your list is great! Thank you . Margiad

Lauren wrote: "I think I've mentioned that I wrote my undergrad thesis on 18th century British literature so my list of book recs is literally 7 pages long lol. But here's a slightly abbreviated set of lists. I w..."

This is amazing thank you!

Froggles wrote: "Hi, Art. Welcome! :o)

I'm not aware of any Georgian novels being reviewed on Booktube, but then I haven't gone looking either.

It may be that we're breaking new ground, which has me excited too. ..."

Wow, not counting Jane Austen, I already own 5 of the books you listed.

Lauren, thanks for your list, too. Now we have 2 great lists to look through!

April, it's interesting how deeply ingrained in the culture Georgian literature is, but most of don't bother to read it or group these works together in our minds, and yet most of us will have at least some of these books on hand.

So glad I joined this group! Discussion is looking amazing!
I would like to read a bit of Ann Radcliffe and Fanny Burney. I'm off to the Library for inspiration :)

Welcome, Hannah! :o)

I've been meaning to read Ann Radcliffe and Fanny Burney for ages myself, and am excited about having some friendly pressure to finally follow through.

I’ve read Jane Austen’s novels multiple times in the past, so I’m going to exclude them from Georgianary for myself. But I highly recommend her novels to anyone who hasn’t read them yet. I have been planning to read the gothic novels mentioned in Northanger Abbey for a while now. But I haven’t decided which ones yet, some of them (after reading the synopsis) seem too horrid for me, though…

Here are some books that I know, recommend and will possibly reread:

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne (started reading this before Georgianary was created. Haven’t finished yet, but it’s quite funny and ironical)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Vampyre; A Tale by John William Polidori


The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (this was serialized from 1836 to 1837, so it technically fits our timeline; I’ve started reading this in the past, but didn’t finish. I’d like to catch up on that)

I also did a list of books for myself, which I’ll use to pick my Georgianary TBR from, as soon as we settle on the challenges.
Apart from The School for Scandal and Evelina, which I’m probably going to read for the group reads, here is the list of potential books for my TBR:

Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders – by Daniel Defoe

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling – by Henry Fielding

The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle – by Tobias Smollett

Polly Honeycombe: A Dramatic Novel of One Act – by George Colman the Elder (deals with the effect of novel-reading on not only young women, but on various members of polite 18th-century English society.)

The Vicar of Wakefield – by Oliver Goldsmith (most popular and widely read among Victorians)

Cecilia – by Fanny Burney (“trials and tribulations of a young upper class woman who must negotiate London society for the first time and who falls in love with a social superior”)

Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle - by Charlotte Turner Smith (a “Cinderella” story)

Lovers' Vows - by Elizabeth Inchbald (a play that was featured in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen)

Nobody: A Comedy in Two Acts - by Mary Robinson (“revenge comedy about betrayal”)

Nature and Art - by Elizabeth Inchbald (“critical reflection on a woman's place in society at that time; analyses the effect of education, power and privileges has on human behaviour”)

Bibliomania ; or Book-Madness: a bibliographical romance - by Thomas Frignall Dibdin

The Wanderer: or, Female Difficulties - by Fanny Burney (“story of a mysterious woman who attempts to support herself while hiding her identity. The novel focuses on the difficulties faced by women as they strive for economic and social independence.”)

Melincourt; Or Sir Oran Hautton – by Thomas Love Peacock (“An orangutan called Sir Oran Haut-Ton is put forward as a candidate for election as a Member of Parliament”)

The Bride of Lammermoor – by Sir Walter Scott (The story is the basis for Donizetti’s 1835 opera Lucia di Lammermoor, which I love)

Melmoth the Wanderer– by Charles Maturin (“a scholar who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for 150 extra years of life, and searches the world for someone who will take over the pact for him”)

Ivanhoe – by Sir Walter Scott (“has been credited for increasing interest in romance and medievalism”)

Maurice, or The Fisher's Cot: A Tale – by Mary Shelley (“a children’s story; focuses on the theme of loss, particularly the separation of parents and children.”)

Maid Marian – by Thomas Love Peacock (for “children”)

Lovers and Friends: Or, Modern Attachments: A Novel; Vol. I – by Ann Hatton/ Ann of Swansea (“characterizes the pride of working women / Critics accused the author of preferring sexually audacious heroines, heinous villains, compromising scenarios, and themes and motifs too indelicate for a gentlewoman’s pen.”)

The Broad Stone of Honour – by Kenelm Henry Digby (“had serious impact on the Victorian notion of a proper gentleman”)

The Inheritance – by Susan Ferrier

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner – by James Hogg

The Adventures of Alice Laselles – by Princess Victoria

Lodore – by Mary Shelley

Phantasmion – by Sara Coleridge

I’ve already read some poetry by John Keats and Lord Byron. So, I may read some of their poetry that I haven’t read yet.

Some poets that I haven’t read anything by and who are potential candidates for my tbr: Percy Bysse Shelley – William Wordworth – Walter Scott – Robert Burns – Thomas Campbell – Charles Tennyson – Robert Browning – Alfred Tennyson

Can anyone recommend some of these poets?

Lyraophelia,

I can't recommend any poets, as I've read far too few of their poems, but I wanted to mention two other well known poets from this time: John Keats and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Froggles wrote: "Lyraophelia,

I can't recommend any poets, as I've read far too few of their poems, but I wanted to mention two other well known poets from this time: John Keats and Samuel Taylor Coleridge"

Thanks. I've already read some of Keats' poetry in the past. But I'll take a look at Coleridges poetry.

Lyrophelia wrote: "I also did a list of books for myself, which I’ll use to pick my Georgianary TBR from, as soon as we settle on the challenges.
Apart from The School for Scandal and Evelina, which I’m probably goin..."

Thanks for all these recommendations, there are many books I haven't even heard of. And you also reminded me that I own Ivanhoe by Scott, but I've never read it. So, one more book to add to my TBR.

Somehow I forgot about poets from this period. I read many of these, but it's been a long time, probably more than 15 years since I've read them. I only remember enjoying Keats and William Blake (especially his Songs of Innocence and Experience).

Lana wrote: "Lyrophelia wrote: "I also did a list of books for myself, which I’ll use to pick my Georgianary TBR from, as soon as we settle on the challenges.
Apart from The School for Scandal and Evelina, whic..."

Oh yes, I forgot William Blake...How could I! I've read some of his works, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Songs of Innocence and Experience (it's been a long time, though), but I always have been particularly fascinated by his illustrations/paintings. I just loved the combination of poetry and art.

Ooh, I forgot about Blake as well.

My only experience with his work is having to memorize 'The Tyger' in my Advanced English high school class.

Yes, "The Tyger" was a favourite in my youth, I still know it by heart.

And I just realised that somehow, "The Tyger" by William Blake and "The Panther" by Rainer Maria Rilke are connected in my memory. When I think of one, I always think of the other. Probably because I read both at the same time for the first time in my youth. And I feel like they have the same "vibe" or atmosphere in a way, but maybe that's just me. Both are among my favourite poems.

I'm not sure how good the English translation of "Der Panther" is, but I love how it's written in German.

So I'm working out a reading schedule for Evelina and The School for Scandal, and am about to post them in their own threads. They'll have to be read simultaneously, as there aren't enough days in the month to space them out enough. However, with three days between each section, I think it's manageable. And it will leave several days remaining at the end of the month for wrapping up the rest of our reading and discussions.

I've taken some Post-It flags to mark out each section to be completed and suggest that others might like to do the same.