Virago Modern Classics discussion

Write here which book you would like to read in August. It would be nice if you could write a few words about why you are nominating a particular book. It is not necessary, but it may help others make a decision.
The full list of VMC books you can find on our to-read shelf.

For the sake of diversity, please don't nominate books from the previous poll, that is:
China Court by Rumer Godden
Walking Naked by Nina Bawden
The Caravaners by Elizabeth von Arnim
You will be able to nominate them again after a month.

Take also a look at our buddy-reads in 2025. Please, do not nominate these books, too. You can read them with us as a buddy-read.

You can nominate 1 or 2 books. The rest of the rules you can find here.

I’d like to nominate The Children by Edith Wharton and William by E.H Young.
No real reason other than I picked them both up recently! Although I have never read anything by Edith Wharton yet and I feel that I really should do so.

Hi - I would like to nominate - Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, 1987 by Barbara Comyns. I have a copy.

I've read a few by Comyns - the best so far was Our Spoons Came from Woolworths, 1950 but I got stuck with A Touch of Mistletoe 1967 - I found her style there quite odd, very naive.
The Juniper Tree, 1985 is much later - and I really enjoyed it.
I also have The Vet's Daughter - 1959, on my shelf but I'll nominate that in another month.

Petra wrote: "I’d like to nominate The Children by Edith Wharton and William by E.H Young.
No real reason other than I picked them both up recently! Although I have never read anything by Edith Wharton yet and ..."

I have read a few novels by Wharton and Young, and some of them I found brilliant, some not so great. But I haven't read those too yet.

Laura wrote: "Hi - I would like to nominate - Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, 1987 by Barbara Comyns. I have a copy.

I've read a few by Comyns - the best so far was [book:Our Spoons Came from W..."

I have read so far only "Our Spoons Came from Woolworths" by Comyns. I loved it, and I have a few of her other books on my list to read. Not "Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead" because I am not a fan of horror stories.

Hi Mela - I can change my nomination to - The Vet's Daughter? I have a copy.

Laura wrote: "Hi Mela - I can change my nomination to - The Vet's Daughter? I have a copy."

Sure.

So far we have:
The Children by Edith Wharton
William by E.H. Young
The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns

Thanks Mela.

I nominate Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether.

I remember reading an extract from - Daddy Was A Number Runner in The Virago Book of Wanderlust & Dreams - and out of the 20+ selections - this is one that didn't work for me. I found the writing flat.

Marilyn wrote: "I nominate Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether."

I've been meaning to read this for ages, thanks for the reminder!

@ Alwynne I just bought that on eBay and and The Street. I've been circling them for a while after reading some of the "southern" novels

Cphe wrote: "@ Alwynne I just bought that on eBay and and The Street. I've been circling them for a while after reading some of the "southern" novels"

Great! I have secondhand copies too.

Two days left. So far we have:

The Children by Edith Wharton
William by E.H. Young
The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns
Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether

Mela wrote: "Two days left. So far we have:

The Children by Edith Wharton
William by E.H. Young
The Vet's Daughter by Barbara Comyns
[book:Daddy Was a Number Runne..."

Thanks Mela!

I purchased Daddy Was a Number Runner on eBay.

I presume it is coming from the UK (better check I suppose) and will arrive before August - so it would have my vote provided it is actually in my hands by then.