Sunday 21 September 2008

Sunday night reading

I do like Victorian novels so I was pleased when my reading group selected Shirley by Charlotte Bronte for October. I'm about fifty pages in and getting absorbed in the story. Industrial, political and male-dominated, this is a very different novel to Jane Eyre and Bronte makes that clear from the start:
Something real, cool, and solid, lies before you; something unromantic as Monday morning, when all who have work wake with the consciousness that they must rise and betake themselves thereto.

Talking of Monday morning, it's getting late now and I must betake myself to work tomorrow so I'll sign off and read a few more pages ...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my, another lovely edition from Everyman!

Simon at http://stuck-in-a-book.blogspot.com/ had a quiz the other day where we had to identify opening lines to a list of books. I *loved* the opening line of what turned out to be Shirley, and I have put it on my reading list (preferably in this edition). :)

Tara said...

I really liked Shirley and am impressed that your bookgroup chose it. I'll be interested to hear what they think.

Vintage Reading said...

lethe - I'll check out Simon's quiz. This edition includes The Professor as well which I haven't read either.

Tara - a couple of years ago I studied for an English degree and I made several friends on the course. After we'd graduated we formed a reading group and because we studied a module in Victorian literature we do tend to pick a lot of Victorian novels. I'll let you know what everyone thought!

Saz said...

hi!
Ive just discovered your blog and l'm soo pleased....lots of recommendations they are the best kind..l love to read, love books, used to work in a book shop and l write reviews for a readers mag...among other things!!
l'll be back soon

Vintage Reading said...

Hi, thank you so much for dropping by. I'll check out your blog, too! Nicola