Dickensians! discussion

GHOSTS, GHOULS AND GOTHIC

We all know how Charles Dickens loved takes of ghosts and sprites, and dotted them around all his fiction. So for our theme this year, we will read some pieces he wrote, some he loved reading himself as a youngster, from earlier times, and some written by his contemporaries. Also some lesser known authors whose work he nurtured by publishing them in his own magazine: “All the Year Round”. Plus of course our Big Read which will be of arguably his most gothic novel.

I think this will be a thrilling year. Just look at the line-up in the next comment …

JANUARY
16th - 31st - The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins (novel hosted by Lori - start)

FEBRUARY
1st - 28th - The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins (novel hosted by Lori - conclusion)

MARCH
1st - 4th - Nurse's Stories by Charles Dickens (autobiographical essay - hosted by Sam)

5th - 30th - Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe (hosted by Sam)

details:
5th - 8th - The Bells (poem)
9th - 12th - The Fall of the House of Usher
13th - 16th - William Wilson
17th - 20th - The Man of the Crowd
21st - 24th - The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales
25th - 28th - The Raven (poem)

APRIL
1st - 14th - Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu(novella - hosted by Erich)

15th - 18th - A Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins (hosted by Erich)

19th - 30th - Selected Stories by Amelia B. Edwards (hosted by Erich - start)

MAY
1st - 14th - Selected Stories by Amelia B. Edwards (hosted by Erich - conclusion)

details:

15th - 31st - Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell (6 tales hosted by Plateresca - start)

JUNE
1st - 30th - Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell (6 tales hosted by Plateresca - middle)

JULY
1st - 31st - Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell (6 tales hosted by Plateresca - end)

details:

AUGUST
1st - 7th - The Vampyre by John William Polidori (hosted by Shirley)

8th - 30th - Fantasmagoriana: Tales of The Dead - told to Byron, ed. Eric J. Guignard (a selection hosted by Shirley)

SEPTEMBER
1st - 21st Tales by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (hosted by Peter)

details:
1st - 7th - The Cold Embrace
8th - 15th - The Shadow in the Corner
16th - 21st - At Crighton Abbey from At Chrighton Abbey and Other Horror Stories (Paperback) - Common

22nd - 30th - Green Tea by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (hosted by John)

OCTOBER
1st - 30th - The Big Read (hosted by Jean - start)

NOVEMBER
1st - 13th - The Big Read (hosted by Jean - conclusion)

14th - 18th - After-Read (hosted by various members)

19th - c. 30th - The Phantom Coach by Amelia B. Edwards (hosted by Cindy)
My Friend's Story by Catherine Crowe (hosted by Cindy)

DECEMBER
c. 1st - 2nd - The Last House in C-- Street by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (hosted by Cindy)

3rd - 8th - The Haunted and the Haunters by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (hosted by Werner)

9th - 12th - The Lawyer and the Ghost by Charles Dickens (hosted by Werner)

13th - 16th - The Story of the Bagman's Uncle by Charles Dickens (hosted by Werner)

17th - 22nd - The Room in the Tower - by E.F. Benson - our one later author; this story dates from 1912 and the 2026 annual BBC Christmas ghost story dramatisation of it links us to the near present (hosted by Peter)

23rd - 31st - Our End-of-Year Read - The Haunted House: by Charles Dickens and others - 8 stories (hosted by Petra)

to mid-JANUARY 2027

****

Our side read this year 2026 lasts from February to August, and is hosted. It is:

The Violent Effigy: A Study of Dickens' Imagination by John Carey (hosted by John)

Please note …

- details of individual stories may be added later
- where not specified, the work is a short story
- our themes run from mid-January to mid-January, to mirror the time scheme of Charles Dickens’s “Bumper Double Issues” of his monthly “All the Year Round” Christmas issues for December and January.

Well what do you think? I’m really excited about this, and think we have negotiated some fantastic reads here. Thanks so much to all our hosts, whose imaginations and knowledge led to such a splendid selection.

Outstanding. And looks like fun, too.

Looks really good, Jean. I may drop in and out as usual but I’m very interested in your list. Should be fascinating reading.

There was so much we could have included - this one could have gone on twice as long LOL! But I hope there's something for everyone there, with some favourites, and some stories people have been "meaning to read" 😁

Oh I must add the side read, John!

Nice, looks like a fun lineup upcoming. I really liked The Dead Secret. I'll try to find my copy and join in.

What’s amazing about this list is I haven’t read any (except for The Dead Secret, of course) so that makes this very tempting and I like that it’s a huge amount of stories! Looks great Jean! I’m still curious to know what the big read will be.

This is terrific! I have several on my TBR, and hopefully I can join a few to knock them off my TBR.

This is such an impressive list, and most of the stories are new to me!