VICTOBER 2025 discussion

Share what you are reading now for Victober.

I'm reading The Heir of Redclyffe and some Tennyson poetry.

The Mayor of Casterbridge and Jane Eyre at the moment. I watched the BBC series of Jane Eyre, with Ruth Wilson last night; not my favourite adaptation, but a good Saturday evening’s entertainment.

I am getting stuck into David Copperfield. Whenever I come back to Dickens I remember how much I enjoy his writing.

I’m currently reading “The Mayor of Casterbridge” and “Middlemarch”.I’m thinking about starting “Wuthering Heights” on audio if my brain can handle it all.

I've started with A Noble Life by Dinah Mulock Craik and The Moonstone :)

I am reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - it's my main book of the month.

I am also reading The Night is Darkening Round Me by Emily Brontë. There are 30 poems in this little collection, and I am reading one a day.

Today I have read The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll in this wonderful edition illustrated by Tove Jansson.

And started reading Olalla short story by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Then yesterday I also read The Black Veil by Charles Dickens (it's one of his earlier short stories, from the "Sketches by Boz" collection), and On the Death of Anne Brontë poem by Charlotte Brontë.

So as you can see, I crossed off both the short story and the poetry challenges on the first day. But I plan to continue reading both - I have a pretty long "list of possibilities" 🤓

i am reading North and South. What a wonderful novel

I'm almost finished reading Agnes Grey and hope to start Pickwick Papers and The Mayor of Casterbridge today.

The Mayor of Casterbridge and Middlemarch

I've got three books on the go:

- The Mayor of Casterbridge

- Oscar Wilde's Complete Short Fiction. A few fairy tales in, and I'm loving it! I chose this because I'd never picked up Wilde - other Victorian authors had always appealed to me more - but I've enjoyed the pervasive humour, and the skewering of sanctimony

- Christina Rossetti's Selected Poetry. This has been more of a mixed bag, but on the plus side I read more than I'd planned to (the aim was to ration myself to make this last the entire month) and there were a few stand-out poems including 'Hope in Grief', 'Sappho', and 'Have you forgotten?'

Reading: The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens and The Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
"The Trail of the Serpent" has a main character who is a mute in a very interesting field of endeavor.

I'm reading The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Ring and the Book. Is there a thread for The Mayor of Casterbridge discussion or have I missed it?
Anyone else reading The Ring and the Book? It's a reread for me.

Lisa there is a thread for the group read. I read The Ring and the Book recently. It was quite an experience.

Bleak house and the Mayor of Casterbridge... I can't handle more than these two at the moment...

Rosamund wrote: "Lisa there is a thread for the group read. I read The Ring and the Book recently. It was quite an experience."
Rosamund,
Thank you! I'll look for it. I've just finished reading chapter 3 and 4. I don't remember what I thought the first time I read The Ring and the Book, tho' I liked it and ended up writing about it for a major school project, but when I reread Book One last night and this morning, it was the reading equivalent to clinging onto the side of a speeding train...but that's Browning, sometimes! :)

Hi everyone and Happy Victober! I have a few quick questions I'd love some input on. First being, which of Elizabeth Gaskell's novels should I start with? I own North & South, Wives and Daughters, and Cranford. I have yet to read and hopefully enjoy her works, but wanted to start with one that would be more fitting as a first read! Also, I have never read any Hardy and am joining in on the group read. Is this a good place to start for a "first Hardy", or should I set it aside and choose a different title? I own Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess. Thanks so much in advance!

Thus far, have read a few chapters of The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Law and the Lady, and A Dark Night's Work. I think Casterbridge, at least at the start, is intentionally a little cold, but I'm actually fairly content with that, since both of the other two are really outspoken as far as the affections that the characters feel towards each other, and I'm absolutely DREADING the moment when things inevitably go wrong. So a text like Casterbridge, that tells me to keep everyone at arm's length for now, so to speak, is very welcome, ahah.

I’m reading the mayor of caster ridge and north and South. I read Tge Dream Woman by Wilkie Collins yesterday (about 100 pages…does that count as a short story?) and I read goblin market this morning.

How did you find Goblin Market Jennie?
Amy I'd say start Gaskell with North and South and you will find out if she is an author for you. Cranford is wonderful but rather different from most of her work.

Thank you Rosamund! I will start there!

I’m starting ‘The Woman in White’. Last year I read my first Wilkie Collins - ‘The Moonstone’ - and found it took a surprisingly long time to read. I’m expecting the same with ‘Woman in White’, it is a thick book! I’m also reading Fiona Sampson’s ‘Two Way Mirror - The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’ and will read some of the relevant poetry as I go.

I enjoyed Goblin Market quite a bit. I haven’t read much poetry in ages so it was a bit rough at first. I always imagine reading poetry like the poet is reading it aloud with a very obvious flow. I found it a bit hard to get into that flow (if that makes sense?). The imagery was lovely though. I have some more Christina Rossetti as well as a few other poets to dabble in this month.

I am currently participating in a read along of Dracula and Dracula's Guest. I am then going to concentrate mostly on short stories and poetry this Victober, rather than novels. I feel like they don't get enough attention in my reading life, so I want to rectify that a little bit.

I've re-read 'The Happy Prince and Other Tales' by Oscar Wilde. It wasn't on my TBR, I just wanted to read it again. Currently reading 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' and enjoying it very much.

I'm reading Trail of the Serpent by Mary Elizabeth Braddon--started today. Yesterday I finished a collection of her Gothic short stories, A Face in the Glass. Will be starting another short story collection shortly--Weird Women 2--which has several Victorian short stories in it.

Amy wrote: "Hi everyone and Happy Victober! I have a few quick questions I'd love some input on. First being, which of Elizabeth Gaskell's novels should I start with? I own North & South, Wives and Daughters, ..."

Hi Amy, I found Gaskell's Cranford more enjoyable than North & South, though I have yet to read Wives & Daughters. Cranford is heart-warming and funny and informative, the latter with regard the daily life of impoverished women in the Victorian era. North & South is good as well, and actually was my first book from Gaskell, but I found the lengthy descriptions of the cotton business, industrialization and workers' conditions a bit tedious. However, if you prefer a bit more substance, it would work as well. Again, I haven't read Wives & Daughters yet. In case of doubt, it might be good to read them in chronological order, thus starting with Cranford again :)

As for Hardy, The Mayor of Castorbridge is probably not a bad start. Any book but Jude, the Obscure, which is simply depressing! Tess is similar, but better. The "lightest" and (for me) most enjoyable option is Far from the Maddening Crowd, which is also his earliest book from this selection. However, if you would like to benefit from a group read then The Mayor is a good option, too, IMO.

That said, I have decided to read my books in chronological order and have started with Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Ros' challenge) and Barchester Towers (1857, Kate's challenge). So I have finished one challenge already :) However, I´ll keep reading the rest of the little book of poems. As for Trollope, I am relieved to find the second book more entertaining than the first, even though it is still mostly about matters of church politics and doctrine. The characters are exquisite, though!

Amy wrote: "Hi everyone and Happy Victober! I have a few quick questions I'd love some input on. First being, which of Elizabeth Gaskell's novels should I start with? I own North & South, Wives and Daughters, ..."

I would start with North and South. It was the first Gaskell book I read and it's very concise with a romance that somewhat resembles Pride and Prejudice - with some more of social commentary and fabric mills.
I'm currently reading Cranford (started yesterday, one chapter in) and I have a feeling that book isn't for everybody. It's very... calm, some could say uneventful. I'm reylly enjoying it so far though...

I'm following the group read and also reading Cranford. Yesterday I read A Pair Of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin and a collection of poetry by Tennyson. Loving it all so far. This is my 1st time taking part in Victober

As of now, I am reading,"The Mayor of Casterbridge", "and "Victorian Fairy Tales". I haven't started it yet, but "Olive"by Dinah Craik as an ebook. I don't know how I will fare with that,since, I don't like reading on a tablet. I am thoroughly enjoying the other books!

The Rose and the Ring, by William Makepeace Thackery, is definitely worth the read in the short story category. A critique of society done in a very funny way! The upper class gets lambasted.

Well that was fast! Started Trail of the Serpent (M.E. Braddon) yesterday and continued on today. Placed it in the DNF pile this afternoon. This is the second time I have tried with this book--this time with the text and a couple years ago in audio format. I lost patience both times, so not going to try again! Life's too short to spend time wading through exasperating books. I looked up the plot summary to see where the second half of the book goes. which made me even more certain I did not want to continue reading.

I'll start John Halifax, Gentleman (Dinah Mulock Craik) later tonight.

Hope everyone is enjoying their reading!

I started today with The Mayor of Casterbridge in audiobook form. The plan is to start reading Vanity Fair after I finish my current non-Victober related book, but don't know if I will keep listening to Hardy's audiobook at the same time or would rather leave it for later.

Shari wrote: "Well that was fast! Started Trail of the Serpent (M.E. Braddon) yesterday and continued on today. Placed it in the DNF pile this afternoon. This is the second time I have tried with this book--this..."

I had the exact same experience with the Braddon, started it at least twice but gave up both times. I'm not sure why, I loved 'Aurora Floyd' and 'Lady Audley's Secret'.

Suzanne wrote: "The Rose and the Ring, by William Makepeace Thackery, is definitely worth the read in the short story category. A critique of society done in a very funny way! The upper class gets lambasted."

I agree, it's a brilliant story, great seasonal read, although think his illustrations are a large part of what I love about it.

I think "The Rose and the Ring" is in a volume of My Book House books; I will check and read it if it's there. I do remember that one volume includes a chapter of The Mill On The Floss.

Alwynne wrote: "Shari wrote: "Well that was fast! Started Trail of the Serpent (M.E. Braddon) yesterday and continued on today. Placed it in the DNF pile this afternoon. This is the second time I have tried with t..."

I finished A Face in the Glass on Saturday and quite enjoyed that (a collection of her Gothic short stories). I will try some of her other work and see how I get on with that :-)

I've just finished The Lifted Veil by George Eliot (Marissa's challenge). Well, it was okay. It will not remain in my memory for a long time, I'm afraid.
I've read the first six chapters of The Mayor of Casterbridge, which I enjoyed very much.
For Ros's challenge I've started Sonnets from the Portuguese.

I'm currently reading John Halifax, Gentleman by Dinah Craik and I'm enjoying it so far.

I finished "Goblin Market" and Other Poems by Christina Rossetti in the Penguin Little Black Classics edition. Enjoyed several of the poems in that collection.

I also finished In a Glass Darkly, a collection of short stories by Sheridan Le Fanu. I'd read "Carmilla" before, but the four other stories were new to me. Really enjoyed "The Room in the Dragon Volant".

I've started Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and it's very different structurally than I expected -- my first read. Had to draw up a small family tree to keep the characters in my mind.

Plan to also start The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte M. Yonge soon as well as A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Victober is off to a great start!

I finished Agnes Grey early this morning, and have officially started The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Pickwick Papers.

It's been awhile since I read Agnes Grey, but really liked it. Maybe there should be a Brontober some time? :)

Lisa wrote: "It's been awhile since I read Agnes Grey, but really liked it. Maybe there should be a Brontober some time? :)"

How about a Brontëmber?

I dnf'd Cranford midway through chapter 2. I was gutted as I've wanted to read it for yrs. I just wasn't taking any of it in. I swapped it for Olive and getting on a lot better

Cranford is different; I read it as part of a school assignment, and did again later, but haven't picked it up in years tho' I probably will at some point, I enjoyed the adaptation which starred Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins.

I'm currently reading David Copperfield. My approach is to lean back and uncritically let Dickens tell his story filled with eccentric characters and emotional extremes.

In September, I read the first 300 or so pages (200 pages to go) of The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barret Barrett 1845-1846 vol I. I am really enjoying watching their relationship grow. This is also a very good choice for Kate's challenge of reading a work with a chronic illness or disability representation. The physical restrictions because of EBB's invalidism are a constant presence. Every so often, she frankly discusses her illness. For instance, she tells RB that her doctor administers opium for her heart and not as an antidepressant. Additionally, RB is suffering headaches that interfere with his life and writing as well.

I need to read the Brownings' letters! I've started on the Dover edition of Sonnets From The Portuguese and Other Poems.
Your approach to David Copperfield is good--that's how I try to read. I'm just interested in what characters are like and what happens to them, tho' in school it was all that plus thinking about meaning, imagery etc.

Lisa wrote: "I need to read the Brownings' letters! I've started on the Dover edition of Sonnets From The Portuguese and Other Poems.
Your approach to David Copperfield is good--that's how I try to read. I'm ju..."

Thanks, Lisa. My default reading style is close reading and analysis while eagerly leaning forward. I also like realism, so Dickens' style is different for me.

The Brownings' letters, edited by their son, are a great read. I also plan to read Sonnets from the Portuguese and The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Happy reading!

You're welcome, Lorri. And thank you for the info about the Browning's letters. I've got a couple of copies of Robert Browning's letters and when I watched Downton Abbey and saw Highclere, I was all "Browning stayed there!" :). My English Major brain goes to close reading and analysis some, even when I'm reading for fun, but usually I'm character focused. Tho' I do notice cultural stuff some too, like food and clothes.