VICTOBER 2025 discussion

A place to discuss your plans and recommendations for Kate's challenge, which is to read a Victorian work with chronic illness or disability representation

Tiny Tim in Christmas Carol is the first disabled character to spring to mind.

Couldn't Smike in Nicholas Nickleby qualify?

I wonder if The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would qualify, even though the affliction is self-imposed.

For this challenge, I think I'm going to read "North and South." I haven't read it before, but I recall that there are a couple characters with TB due to the work they did in the mills. ..or I'm completely wrong, lol

Nicole wrote: "For this challenge, I think I'm going to read "North and South." I haven't read it before, but I recall that there are a couple characters with TB due to the work they did in the mills. ..or I'm co..."

No, you are right, one of Margaret's friends suffers from an illness that is a result of her work in the mill. And the working condition in the factories causing health problems is one of the big themes of the book, so I guess it fits the bill even though it would never occur to me on my own...

I would like to read "Poor Miss Finch" by Wilkie Collins for this challenge, which is a story about a blind girl. Earlier this year I have read George Eliot's "The Mill on the Floss", in which Maggie Tulliver´s friend/suitor has a hunchback, which is of some importance to the story. It's also a coming of age story so this could fit two of the challenges.

For this challenge I'm probably going to read Olive by Dinah Craik. I have been unable to find a physical copy, but I acquired an e-copy :) if I still have time at the end, I'd like to reread North and South as well

This is my very first Victober, and my TBR for this year is Barnaby Rudge. So looking forward to participating!

This is my first proper Victober after becoming aware of it only mid-way through last year's. Since I managed to go overboard and plan a long book for each challenge, I've already started working through this one, I'm reading Bleak House and thoroughly enjoying it, as I dug out Katie's readalong youtube discussion on its chapters!

I am going to at last read ‘Woman in White’ by Wilke Collins. This has been in my shelves for a long time - now I will actually read it.

PaulaJA wrote: "I am going to at last read ‘Woman in White’ by Wilke Collins. This has been in my shelves fit a long time - now I will actually read it."

I read that one last year. It is my favorite of last year and now I can't wait to read more Wilkie Collins.

Debra, I would say The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables and this edition has some short stories so I’m looking for this book on eBay.

I was surprised by how much I liked Dr. Jeckll and Mr. Hyde. The writing is phenomenal.

For this challenge, I would like to read The Woman in White, assuming it qualifies. If it doesn't, I will save it for the film adaptation challenge.

I think a few people here are reading The Woman in White, Deb.

I'm thinking of Dombey and Son since the son has a disability related to chronic illness and I've been meaning to re-read it for a while.

Bookwormboy16 wrote: "Couldn't Smike in Nicholas Nickleby qualify?"

Yes, Smike is disabled and it's also coming of age for Nicholas, so I'm re-reading it for both challenges. There are also several film adaptations, so it could be a hat-trick!

For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain which at various times was treated with arsenic, strychnine, morphia and cocaine (‘works like magic,’ she observed with satisfaction). I’ve not been able to find out any further specifics of what her illness was. But I’m going to count it, as it was long term and life affecting. I was influenced to choose her because of her work for disabled children.
I’m not sure which novel to pick so if anyone has any recommendations do let me know.
Ward was very interesting, she was instrumental in the foundation of Somerville, one of its first two women's colleges, in 1879. She was the first secretary of the Somerville Council and it was Ward who suggested that the new institution should be named after the renowned mathematician and astronomer, Mary Somerville.
She was also responsible for the Mary Ward Centre, originally known as the Passmore Edwards Settlement, founded by her in 1897 near the deprived area of St Pancras to provide public education – concerts, lectures, debates, interest societies – and social service for the community. She initiated the Play Centre movement which provided care and activities for children outside school hours, an idea which she promoted throughout the country. She opened one of the very first schools for physically disabled children and successfully lobbied Parliament to make provision for physically disabled children in the Education Bill of 1918.
Her later novels were commercially successful with every new novel selling over 100,000 copies in the first six weeks after publication. Largely through her own exertions, Mary Ward made herself one of the most famous and highly paid women of her day. Her novel Robert Elsmere was a publishing prodigy (Sutherland has called it ‘probably the most popular novel of the century’)
And now hardly anyone has heard of her. I think this is because she seems to have done quite a lot to make herself unpopular. She used her literary status to make herself a public figure, campaigning for women’s education (though never their emancipation), and for a richer life for working people (though never higher wages). And she has not been forgiven for her relentless championship of the Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League, not doing anything by halves, she was its first president in 1908, and became editor of the journal, the Anti-Suffrage Review. As well as writing a large number of articles on the subject, several of her novels, notably, The Testing of Diana Mallory (1908) and Delia Blanchflower (1915) criticised women's suffrage campaigners.
Also, the modernists didn’t like her. Virginia Woolf claimed that reading her work was like "catching influenza" and Lytton Strachey described her as "that shapeless mass of meaningless flesh - all old and insignificant". After her death Woolf commented: “Mrs Ward is dead; poor Mrs Humphry Ward; and it appears that she was merely a woman of straw after all – shovelled into the ground and already forgotten.”

Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain which at various tim..."

That is such a great idea! Also, thank you for introducing this new author and woman featuring in (anti) women's movement. It's always interesting to find new stories in the puzzle.

Thank you for introducing me to Mrs. Ward. I'd never heard of her, and she sounds fascinating!

Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain which at various tim..."

I'd probably opt for Marcella, Volume I it's not that easy to find a print copy but you can download it for free via Archive.org if you don't mind reading a digital edition.

Kate mentioned Jane Eyre in her prompts for this category. Can anybody who's read it please share how chronic illness or disability is represented in this novel? I'm thinking of picking this book as my main Victober read and just wanted to understand possible trigger warnings.

Christine wrote: "There is a character in Jane Eyre with mental illness that is treated in a way that is no longer considered acceptable but at the time the book was written the treatment was actually kinder than ma..."
Thank you Christine! I will keep an open mind!

Jassmine wrote: "Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain wh..."

Isn't she interesting! Copies of her books are hard to get hold of as they seem to be all print on demand copies which are v. expensive and have awful covers.

However; if you have a kindle quite a few of her novels are available as free downloads

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=mrs+hump...

Or there are free audiobooks on LibriVox:

https://librivox.org/author/2055?prim...

Alwynne wrote: "Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain wh..."

I found how to get hold of free ebooks/ audio books of Mrs Humphrey Ward, which might be the only cost effective way of reading her unless a mainstream publisher her decides to republish her books. I think Virago used to. Thanks for recommending Marcella, I'll have a try of the audio book.

Rebecca wrote: "Thank you for introducing me to Mrs. Ward. I'd never heard of her, and she sounds fascinating!"

I'm so pleased you found her interesting too. I'm quite intrigued to read what her arguments were for opposing women's suffrage. I don't think I'll be convinced; I'll report back if I get converted entirely. Those novels are not Victorian, but I'll post a link to the free audio book of "Delia Blanchflower" just for fun,

https://librivox.org/delia-blanchflow...

Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain which at various tim..."

When I was looking up Victorian authors who had a chronic illness I came across a few others;

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: At 15, she became ill, suffering intense head and spinal pain for the rest of her life. Later in life, she also developed lung problems, possibly tuberculosis. (Poetry challenge)

Alfred Lord Tennyson had epilepsy. (Poetry challenge)

Mrs Henry Wood Wood: suffered from several childhood ailments; the most serious being a severe curvature of the spine which was first noticed when she was thirteen. She had to spend days at a time on a reclining board or couch, but as she had access to books she remained in good spirits. Wood’s affliction affected her growth and she remained under five feet in height. She was also left devoid of muscular power and could never "carry anything heavier than a small book or parasol." Many subsequent novels were written in a reclining chair with the manuscript on her knees, or later in a specially designed chair which enabled her to write at a table.

I’ve read a few of her books. She does have disabled characters but ‘represented’ is such a tricky term. I can’t much remember whether she portrayed them sympathetically or not. I’d recommend “Anne Hereford”. This was her response to Jane Eyre- there is the Rochester falls of horse scene re-done, and the gothic house, and it starts with the orphan girl. How she wasn’t pulled up for copyright I’ll never know. It would fit for the bildungsroman challenge. -just a note that Anne is not the passionate Jane, so you’re not disappointed, Charlotte Bronte does it best.
Wilkie Collins: from the 1850s onwards (Collins was 26 in 1850) suffered from rheumatic gout and this frequently affected his eyes with particular severity, causing him the most agonizing pain. On some occasions he was compelled to keep his eyes bandaged for days or even weeks at a time so that publishers' deadlines were met only by dictating to a secretary from his sick-bed in a darkened room.

This was the case during the magazine serialisation of The Moonstone in 1868 when he suffered one of his severest attacks. A report at the time described him as having eyes like 'enormous bags of blood'. Once, in conversation, he was heard to say 'I see that you can't keep your eyes off my eyes, and I ought to say that I've got gout in them and it’s doing its best to blind me.'
I’d recommend Poor Miss Finch (Blind main Character)

Sheridan le Fanu, After the death of his wife he suffered severe depression, becoming a recluse, writing his stories in bed in the early hours of the morning between midnight and dawn. He vanished from Dublin society '... so entirely that Dublin dubbed him ‘The Invisible Prince;’ and indeed he was for long almost invisible, except to his family and most familiar friends, unless at odd hours of the evening, when he might occasionally be seen stealing, like the ghost of his former self, between his newspaper office and his home in Merrion Square”.
I’d recommend ‘Wilder’s Hand’ (Mental illness recommendation). His sentences are long but his tension building is fabulous. I loved this novel.

Jassmine wrote: "Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain wh..."

I meant to reply to you when I was writing the above and clicked the wrong button oops!

Anastasia wrote: "Kate mentioned Jane Eyre in her prompts for this category. Can anybody who's read it please share how chronic illness or disability is represented in this novel? I'm thinking of picking this book a..."

Anastasia, there is also a typhus epidemic and a character who dies of consumption in Jane Eyre.

For Kate's challenge, I plan to read Barchester Towers by Trollope, since I read The Warden in April. I also plan to read at least some of the essays from Life in the Sick-Room Harriet Martineau's semi-autobiographical essays. A digitally scanned version of Martineau's text is available from The Internet Archive.

Sobriquet wrote: "When I was looking up Victorian authors who had a chronic illness I came across a few others;
"

Wow, thank you for sharing all this research!
I also just realised that Browning's illness features a lot in Virginia Woolf's novella Flush - told by Browning's dog. I enjoyed it a lot 😄 (It's obviously not Victorian...)
Also thanks for all the links and recs. I'm completely booked for this Victober, but I'm adding some of these books to my general TBR.

Lorri wrote: "Anastasia wrote: "Kate mentioned Jane Eyre in her prompts for this category. Can anybody who's read it please share how chronic illness or disability is represented in this novel? I'm thinking of p..."
Thank you Lorri!

If you’re willing to stretch this to authors with chronic illness, all six Brontë children had TB and most died from either TB directly, or another illness that proved fatal to a body debilitated by TB (eg Charlotte probably would’ve survived her hyperemesis gravidarum had she been a well woman when she fell pregnant).

Referring to a character with a disability in a primary role, I’m going to go to “The Trail of the Serpent” by Mary Elizabeth Braddon in 1860. The disabled character is dumb and can only communicate by sign language.

Alexandra wrote: "If you’re willing to stretch this to authors with chronic illness, all six Brontë children had TB and most died from either TB directly, or another illness that proved fatal to a body debilitated b..."

I didn't think of the Brontes! I definitely think they should be included.

Also, Harriet Martineau who had various health problems as a child, including a hearing impairment which led to her becoming her totally deaf by the time she was twenty years old. From 1830 she used an ear trumpet. (Her novel is Deerbrook).

There is speculation about weather Queen Victorian knew sign language. Her daughter in law Princess Alexandra of Denmark (who married Queen Victoria’s oldest son, becoming Queen consort to Edward VII in 1901) became increasingly deaf from her late 20s, owing to a hereditary condition affecting the function of the small bones of the inner ear.

Lorri wrote: "For Kate's challenge, I plan to read Barchester Towers by Trollope, since I read The Warden in April. I also plan to read at least some of the essays from Life in the Sick-Room Harriet Martineau's ..."

Thanks for suggesting Barchester Towers, Lorri! I have read The Warden in July and didnt know that I could fit the second book into this challenge. Seems like a perfect fit, though, and saves me the time and money to hunt for Poor Miss Finch :)

Lindenblatt wrote: "Lorri wrote: "For Kate's challenge, I plan to read Barchester Towers by Trollope, since I read The Warden in April. I also plan to read at least some of the essays from Life in the Sick-Room Harrie..."

Barchester Towers is great fun and it fits perfectly.

Lindenblatt wrote: "Lorri wrote: "For Kate's challenge, I plan to read Barchester Towers by Trollope, since I read The Warden in April. I also plan to read at least some of the essays from Life in the Sick-Room Harrie..."
Not to discourage you from reading Trollope, but Poor Miss Finch is available for free from Project Gutenberg, just the title search at gutenberg.org.

Looking at The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins~

I'm going to reread North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell for this challenge. It's been a long time since I last read it. I recommended this to a lot of people lately, which got me in the mood to read it myself. The character Bessy Higgins is ill with byssinosis (most likely), after working in the cotton mills for years.

Christine wrote: "There is a character in Jane Eyre with mental illness that is treated in a way that is no longer considered acceptable but at the time the book was written the treatment was actually kinder than ma..."

Perfectly said! Works like these are best to be read in the historical context they were written

Mary wrote: "Lindenblatt wrote: "Lorri wrote: "For Kate's challenge, I plan to read Barchester Towers by Trollope, since I read The Warden in April. I also plan to read at least some of the essays from Life in ..."

Thanks, Mary, Project Gutenberg is indeed a good resource I hadn't thought of. It's just that I prefer reading physical copies and I happen to own Barchester Towers. Also, I didn't like The Warden too much and this will be a perfect opportunity to give Trollope another try :)

I'll be reading Barchester Towers for this prompt. I recently read The Warden and really enjoyed it so I am excited to continue on with this series!

I will be reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I'm reading Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon for this one. It includes a character who is mute.

Zizz wrote: "I'm reading Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon for this one. It includes a character who is mute."
Glad to see someone else reading this novel besides myself. Has a few interesting plot twists and turns.

Sobriquet wrote: "For this challenge I thought I’d read something written by an author who had a disability. Perhaps something by Mary Augusta Ward. For many years she suffered debilitating pain which at various tim..."
Thanks for the recommendation. Ive never heard of her before, but thanks to my trusty Kindle I have downloaded Robert Elsmere and will add it to my Victober TBR.

I read Olive, about a girl with a crooked spine, and John Halifax, Gentleman where the narrator has a chronic illness, both by Dinah Maria Craik. This author is new to me. Really enjoying her!

Christine wrote: "There is a character in Jane Eyre with mental illness that is treated in a way that is no longer considered acceptable but at the time the book was written the treatment was actually kinder than ma..."

That is a really good point that most people familiar with the story totally miss. We look at Mr. Rochester by modern standards and think him a monster, but in his day what he did was merciful.

Lindenblatt wrote: "Mary wrote: "Lindenblatt wrote: "Lorri wrote: "For Kate's challenge, I plan to read Barchester Towers by Trollope, since I read The Warden in April. I also plan to read at least some of the essays ..."

The first time I read The Warden, I enjoyed it, but being an American, I didn't appreciate or understand the English church. I used The Penguin Companion to Trollope which helped me understand church hierarchy, and it really helped. I read The Warden again about 5 years ago, and I loved it.