VICTOBER 2025 discussion

This is a thread for an unofficial buddy read for Agnes Grey, since it fits several of this year's prompts and multiple members are planning to read the book.




Useful links:
Free recording on LibriVox: https://librivox.org/agnes-grey-versi...
Free e-book on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/767

😊
Thanks Jassmine.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "😊
Thanks Jassmine."

No problem! 😊 I'm really excited to finally read this one!

Thanks, Jassmine!

Are there any rules for a BR? Do we define a reading schedule? How exciting :)

I say either way is okay for me. We can do schedule or just pick a date to have it done and then discuss. What do you all want to do?

Hello everyone,

I am happy to go with whatever suits everyone else.
Is it a long book? Perhaps a chapter or two a day. 🤔

It's around 200 pages in most editions, so fairly short.

Usually, when I BR with people we just agree on when we want to start (and then start close to each other, but sometimes that doesn't work out and that's fine) and then we just share our thoughts as we go, using spoiler tags for spoilery thoughts. Or some people just like to share their thoughts once they are finished with the book. It really depends on what works for each person.
I'm not that good with sticking to precise schedules (I really read depending on how much time I have each day). But we can make a schedule if you want to. If I'm not mistaken, the book has 25 Chapters, so we can do... 2 chapters a day or 4 chapters a day? Depending on whether we want to read it one week or two... If most editions have 200 pages, it means that a chapter should have 10 pages or less...
Thoughts? I probably will be doing the audio, so I'll probably be reading it fairly quickly...

Hello everyone,
I would love to join!

Jassmine wrote: "Usually, when I BR with people we just agree on when we want to start (and then start close to each other, but sometimes that doesn't work out and that's fine) and then we just share our thoughts a..."

That sounds good to me Jassmine.

I am happy to keep it simple, too, everybody at their own pace and sharing thoughts with spoiler warnings whenever they want. I expect to read this fairly quickly and probably right at the beginning of the month.

Laura wrote: "Hello everyone,
I would love to join!"

Welcome Laura, have you read AG before or is it new to you?

Hi everyone, I read Agnes Grey a few months ago and would love to participate in a discussion. 😊

I am very interested in this! I have never read anything by Agnes Gray.

oops misspelled her name

thats the title of the book! ha ha I went to look it up and I figured out my mistake.

Anyway, never heard if this title. I had no idea that Anne Bronte wrote this. Im interested!

Well, I think I count maybe 7 now so I think it will be a fun Victober with this BR of Ag. GR. I will check back with you guys later in month to see what the plan is. Maybe we will have more by then. Betty, that was funny. 😂

Yes. Looking forward to this. Work is busy so this is a great distraction.

Hi, I also plan to read Agnes Grey this Victober and would be interested in joining a buddy read. (25 chapters) I suggest reading 5 chapters every three days, which gives a little more flexibility in time. We could post discussion on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th and wrap up on the 15th or some similar schedule. Or 5 chapters every two days, wrap up in ten days. I have never BR before so open to any loose schedule that works.

Theresa wrote: "Laura wrote: "Hello everyone,
I would love to join!"

Welcome Laura, have you read AG before or is it new to you?"

No, I haven't, but it's on my TBRs. Also The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

This is looking like a good group.
I look forward to all the discussions.

I’m in! Thanks for organizing, Jassmine!

I only just saw this post! (Where are my notifications, Goodreads??) Please count me in!

Am I the only one doing this as a reread? I really love this book and am so excited to be reading with all of you.

Theresa wrote: "Am I the only one doing this as a reread? I really love this book and am so excited to be reading with all of you."

No, you are not alone in that. It will be my second time reading this book. But it's been some time... I only remember that Anne started out as my favourite Brontë sister.

Lindenblatt wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Am I the only one doing this as a reread? I really love this book and am so excited to be reading with all of you."

No, you are not alone in that. It will be my second time reading..."
I think I read it in 2018. All I remember is finishing it in the bath and crying. I don't even remember why. I am looking forward to finding out.

I haven't read Agnes Grey yet, I found a second hand copy online yesterday which is great.

Hi, everyone! I'm glad so many people are interested to read this book. I predict that this will be amazingly busy BR 😁
I'm now left with the dilema of whether I should purchase a physical copy of this one or not. It seems a bit wasteful since I think I will be listening to the audio and will have the e-book handy, but... you know, physical copy! 🙈 I have to make up my mind quickly or it won't come in time...

Lindenblatt wrote: "I expect to read this fairly quickly and probably right at the beginning of the month."

Yes, me too. I think I'll read it in the first week of October, because I have a BR of not-Victober related book for the second week so I would like to get to this one first...

Betty wrote: "oops misspelled her name"

It happened to me too. When I searched for the book on Gutenberg, my brain scrambled and combined together the book's name and author's name and it took me a bit to untangle the confusion 🤭

Nicole wrote: "I only just saw this post! (Where are my notifications, Goodreads??) Please count me in!"

The GR notifications are reliably unreliable 🤭 I'm glad you found the thread in time!

Theresa wrote: "I think I read it in 2018. All I remember is finishing it in the bath and crying. I don't even remember why."

Haha, I'm a bit worried now... I'm making note to keep tissues handy toward the ending 🤭

I’m interested in joining this BR (never done one before), but I’m still confused about the start date and appropriate dates to post comments or questions. Has a start date been decided?

Nancy wrote: "I’m interested in joining this BR (never done one before), but I’m still confused about the start date and appropriate dates to post comments or questions. Has a start date been decided?"

Hi! It seems that few of us are planning to start reading at the beginning of October, but if that doesn't work for you, you are welcome to start whenever it suits you! You can post comments and questions whenever you like, I would only ask you that since most of us are reading the book for the first time you use spoiler tags while doing that if you are referring to something of more spoilery nature 😉

If you don't know how to use spoiler tags there is a guide at the top of the add comment box (where you are writing) that says "(some html is ok)", if you click on it it will show you how do add them, but basically it looks like:
(spoiler)spoilery text (/spoiler) only replace these () with the sharp ones < >
So it will look like this when done properly (view spoiler)[spoilery text (hide spoiler)]
If you can't make it work that's fine too, just put in big letters at the beginning of the comment something like SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER XY AHEAD

I also noticed that there are some people who would prefer more organised schedule. And I mean if you can agree on one no one is stopping you to do that, it's just that I'm terrible at sticking to more rigid schedule so I don't engage more in the discussion on that front. I'll add the schedule into the first comment for you though if you come to some sort of conclusion 😊 There is no reason why we couldn't have both...


I kind of used this comment to also reply to some earlier questions, I hope this is alright with you. I would like to add that even though I set up the thread, but I'm just a reader like the rest of you, so if I say something you disagree with you are more than free to object and suggest different solution!

I am okay if someone wants a schedule but like you I kind of read at my own pace. Lets set a dead line and then if they want a schedule, that can also be set up. I would like a date to be done by like Oct. 22 and then after that people can feel free to post whatever they want and not worry about spoilers. It can be a different date if choose. I was just giving an example.

Thanks for the info, Jasmine. I do plan on joining you, and this is a first read for me.

Theresa wrote: "Let's set a dead line and then if they want a schedule, that can also be set up. ... and then after that people can feel free to post whatever they want and not worry about spoilers."

This is also a good idea!

Hi everyone,

I am open to whatever anyone else wishes to do.
The book has been spoiled for me already in the description on a book buying website. 🙄😂

Michelle Hyland wrote: "The book has been spoiled for me already in the description on a book buying website. 🙄😂"

Omg, I'm so sorry this happened to you! The way some people treat classics as un-spoilable is horrendous...

Hi Jassmine,

It's grand.

I will try to act surprised at the end. 😂😂

Michelle Hyland wrote: "I will try to act surprised at the end. 😂😂"

😂😂😂😂😂


Also, I just cracked and bought a physical copy... 🙈 (Didn't read any blurbs while doing so!)

Hi Jassmine,

I cannot read classics on my Kindle. I like to read them in a physical copy.

You were lucky not to have it spoiled for you.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "I cannot read classics on my Kindle. I like to read them in a physical copy."

I used to vastly prefer reading physically too, but lately having books in my phone is so convenient that I sometimes end up reading e-books even of books I actually own...

Good morning Jassmine,

I totally understand.

Some classics can be very awkward to carry.

It can handy for travel or night time to use e books rather than physical copies.

Hello everyone,

I have my copy of Agnes Grey which includes a memoir of her sisters by Charlotte Bronte.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "I have my copy of Agnes Grey which includes a memoir of her sisters by Charlotte Bronte."

Sounds amazing! You'll have to tell us how that was too 😊
My copy still isn't here, but... I suspect it will come only after I finish listening to the book 😂

Hi Jassmine,

I will indeed.
Hopefully you will receive your copy before Victober.
I have started reading "North and South" which is slightly cheating but it seemed like the right time of the year to read it.
It is a reread and I am enjoying it so much.

Michelle Hyland wrote: "Hopefully you will receive your copy before Victober."

I think I'll be listening to the audio, so it doesn't matter so much.
I have been itching to start ahead of time too, but managed to contain myself so far 🤭 North and South is amazing, enjoy your re-read!

Hi Jassmine,

Great idea.
You have more self control than I have.
John Thornton.😍

Michelle Hyland wrote: "You have more self control than I have."

Haha, not really, I just have some BRs that I needed to catch on in September, so my October isn't as rushed and over-filled with great books I need to get to. It's pretty successful so far!

Hi Jassmine,

That is a good idea. You will have more time to read Victorian books during Victober.

Hi all! Are we doing a schedule or a dead line for this group read? If not we can just comment as we wish. I have read it so I am not too worried about spoilers but I know others will not like it. I still would like an end date like the 22nd or even 17th or something like that. I will start it tomorrow. Looking forward to hearing all your thoughts.

I believe that we agreed to not have a schedule, but a deadline after which everybody can post as they like without spoiler warning. Before that deadline, the chapter(s) you are referring to should be mention at the beginning. As for the deadline itself, 17th sounds good to me as well. I started yesterday evening 😊 Let's see what others say.

I started this morning! I'm two chapters and a little bit in and I love it! (view spoiler)[The little boy is the worst. I... have no words. I feel so bad for Agnes at this point. (hide spoiler)]
I'm really liking the narration too (the one linked from LibriVox) though I have to say that the narrator isn't great at using microphone so the volume fluctuates a little. It's still fine though.


To the technicalities, yes. I mean, if you can use spoiler tags use them, if not put SPOILERS and chapter number at the beginning of the comment and we can have the deadline... 17th works for me, I already started and I don't think that it'll take me more than three days, the book really isn't long...