New Woman Fiction

December 27, 2011

I must confess to having rather neglected my blog during 2011, mainly through spending a great deal of time with a semi-naked Prussian. Although there has been a dearth of reviews here, I have popped up in a couple of other places. My piece on New Woman Fiction has just gone live on the Review [...]

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Life According to Literature

December 16, 2011

It’s that time of year again when I suddenly wish I’d read books with titles containing verbs. There are still a few weeks left in 2011, but I shall be devoting those to my much-neglected thesis. Anyway, here’s the idea: Using only books you have read this year (2011), answer these questions. Try not to [...]

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The Landleaguers by Anthony Trollope

December 15, 2011

It’s hard to read The Landleaguers (1883) without a lump in the throat, as it was to be Trollope’s final novel. My sentimentality quickly vapourised, however, as it’s not one of his finer moments. The eponymous Landleaguers were Irish farmers who resisted eviction and strove to control their own land. Their tactics ranged from withholding [...]

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Magnificent Obsession by Helen Rappaport

December 14, 2011

One hundred and fifty years ago today, Queen Victoria and her subjects were plunged into mourning following the untimely demise of the Prince Consort. Albert’s death threw an enormous wet blanket over the social season, with the cancellation of balls, concerts and soirees. For appearances’ sake, Charles Dickens was obliged to postpone a lucrative series [...]

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Shiny new Trollopes

September 11, 2011

I’m nearing the end of my Trollope Challenge (only one to go) and now want to read them all over again, thanks to these stunning new editions from OUP. They’ve just published completely revised editions of five Palliser novels, with Can You Forgive Her? to follow early next year. The covers are beautiful, and will [...]

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Let the Flowers Go: A Life of Mary Cholmondeley by Carolyn Oulton

September 4, 2011

My poor blog is feeling unloved at the moment. In mitigation, have been spending a lot of time on Victorian Secrets, and will be publishing some exciting books over the next few months. I have started a Contemporary Voices series, and will be extending our remit to include living authors writing on nineteenth-century subjects. Early [...]

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Sex, Courtship and Marriage in Victorian Popular Culture – Conference

June 24, 2011

It’s not too late to register for the Victorian Popular Fiction Association’s annual conference. There’s a cracking programme this year, and previous events have been hugely enjoyable. If you’re interested in only a particular session or paper, then discounted rates can be organised on the day. Just turn up, and we’ll accommodate your needs. The [...]

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A Mummer’s Wife by George Moore

June 11, 2011

A Mummer’s Wife (1885) was my first introduction to George Moore, and I found myself captivated by this intriguing literary figure, who attracted praise and censure in equal measure.  W B Yeats found the novel so shocking that he forbade his sister to read it, and the conservative press were almost unanimous in condemning its [...]

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Nina Balakta by Anthony Trollope

April 4, 2011

Most people don’t like change, and Trollope readers really hate it. Nina Balakta (1867) was an attempt to try something different, and Trollope published it anonymously in order to mark the departure from his familiar style. Reviewers quickly saw through his disguise, and the reading public were unimpressed. The original serialisation in Blackwood’s Magazine flopped, [...]

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Notable Women Authors of the Day

April 1, 2011

Researching the lives of 30 Victorian women writers was no small undertaking, and possibly one of my madder ideas.  I’m very pleased to announce, over a year later, that Notable Women Authors of the Day is now published. This project has involved reading more than 50 novels, scanning countless newspaper articles, and grubbing  extensively in [...]

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