Hello! I’m Elizabeth. I’m a 30-year-old literature PhD student with an interest in Victorian literature, women writers, fairy tales, portrayals of mental illness, and more. I read a wide range of genres, including fantasy, literary fiction, historical fiction, YA, and horror.
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I'm so glad to hear you and your husband are fine! I hope you'll be both fully recovered soon ❤ I have a question about Trollope's autobiography: have you found many spoilers to his novels in it? I just downloaded the book and I'm looking for his comments on the books I've read but I would not tead spoilers for the ones I haven't! Thanks!
I own "Red Comet" and have been meaning to read it for a while now. Also a fan of Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles." Hope all is well! 😎📚👍
Totally agree that she does not know how to pace!
So far I've only read Middlemarch, which I loved, but now I definitely want to read more by her. Excellent video 😊
This was a great (& funny) GE wrap up & yes i have *very* similar feelings to you re the three ive read; 1. Romola 2. DDeronda 3. Middlemarch (major pacing issues), you're not selling me on MOTFloss (& its the one remaining on my shelf) 😆🧐 I also love the 18th century so i may jump in vicariously (?) with u next year i have a ton of related stuff 🤓Gonna finally watch the DD adaptation this weekend in honour of your completed project 🤗💞☺
Elizabeth, I caught your project somewhere around mid-way, but I am going back occasionally to listen to your older videos. I know how strange it feels to complete a major project like this, so big CONGRATULATIONS on that..!! I also finished my own George Eliot project about 3 months ago, and mine took about 6 1/2 years to read every novel, essay, poem, short story, book review and translation that George Eliot ever published during her lifetime. OK, I confess I only read 2 of her 3 translations - I found her translation of Spinoza's _Ethics_ to be unreadable, but I justify not reading it by the fact that it was not published until about 100 years after her death HAHA. I was not aware that George Henry Lewes hid unfavorable reviews from her, thank you for sharing that trivia, and really I am not surprised - you are right, she seems to have stressed over her novels a great deal. My ranking and yours have a lot of similarities, but a few differences: I did not rank Theophrastus Such as I do not consider it a novel, but I DID include her epic poem The Spanish Gypsy in mine. I split up the three short stories in Scenes of Clerical Life, since they were originally published separately and attributed anonymously ('George Eliot' did not appear as an author until Adam Bede, when the publisher John Blackwood demanded a name, even a pseudonym, from George Henry Lewes). Daniel Deronda was also at the top of my list, and I agree with you also that it is a near masterpiece. Fascinating that Mill on the Floss gets worse on each re-read! I loved that novel, but I had never read any George Eliot before starting my own project. I also agree with you that Middlemarch is not her best novel, in fact I think it is wildly overrated, in fact I think a lot of the people on KZread who claim they love it so much are fakers. Thank you for uploading these videos to this challenging reading project - I really enjoyed hearing the thoughts of another George Eliot fanatic. Since you asked for it, here is my ranking from least to personal favorite: Brother Jacob Mr Gilfil Silas Marner Janet's Repentance The Lifted Veil Middlemarch (yeah this one is low on the list) Amos Barton (my pick for the best short introduction to George Eliot) Romola The Spanish Gypsy Adam Bede Felix Holt the Radical (I agree with you, this novel is surprisingly great) Mill on the Floss Daniel Deronda.
Rereads: Let's not and say we did. I liked Adam Bede. I think I read Daniel Deronda. I know I saw the adaptation. I do want to read Romala. I was singing the name Theophrastis Such''s name in a base voice knowing you were going to mention him first. You have to use humor for the urbane. Looking forward to the 18th century project. I'm reading Maria Edgeworth like that only not in order.
Ohhh I'm excited abt your new project!!
I love that you did this! I've read 3 novels and Scenes. So far Daniel Deronda is my fav with The Mill on the Floss being a close second. I'll be working on a few more later this year. There's definitely something there that I love despite the pacing issues.
Ha im looking fwd to Riddell what's your dissertation topic/ discussion? (apologies if you've already talked about this).. if not could be a fun video 🤷♀🤓 I finished Jude (the controversy / FOMO got me) 😆 In the end i had to concede it was actually pretty damn good despite being completely over the top. Then i watched the film..💘(British adaptations of that era are generally my jam)👌 FFTMCrowd & The Woodlanders next yr! 😊
Lol. Your rant about Far From the Madding Crowd is spot on. 😅 i loved it but do agree on all your points. The Woodlanders was better,imo. And Hardy is relentlessly killing animals in bizarre ways in at least 5 of his novels I can think of. 😢
I cried at the end of the Woodlanders. You see a man go through desperate measures. It doesn't get any better.
Jeez Hardy, why you do you have to be killing the animals?! I remember a pig being slaughtered in Jude the Obscure, which was horrific.
@@denisadellinger4543 Definitely a sad one. But again, what else are we to expect from Hardy? 😆
The Night Watch is fantastic and definitely an unusual WWII novel, and I think you’d like it!
Oh good, glad to hear it! I think an unusual WWII novel is probably what I need to enjoy the genre.
Thank you! So fun that you wrote a paper on Jill!
Thank you for the recommendation! I'll be talking more about the Jill paper in a video on my feminist theory class sometime soon.
I found this so interesting, because this is my favourite George Eliot, too, but I had little interest in Gwendoline. I could have cut her happily and would have loved the novel more if it had just been about Daniel and Mirah.
It's so funny how it seems people love one half of the story or the other!
I know you said you have not read George Eliot's poetry, but if you really want to read all of her fiction, I highly highly HIGHLY recommend reading her epic poem The Spanish Gypsy. It is definitely more of a story than Theophrastus Such and gives much more of an insight into her interest in the Jewish Diaspora. I was very intimidated by the length of the poetry, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. Much of it is meant to be chanted to get the cadence right - much like portions of the Bible. It is literally epic in scope, and sadly forgotten to a modern audience.
I'd considered The Spanish Gypsy but decided not to include it since it's poetry. But you've piqued my interest about it! I'll probably not pick it up this year, but maybe sometime soon.
Well, I AM a George Eliot 'completionist', and I did finish my own George Eliot project with Impressions of Theophrastus Such about two months ago. I uploaded my own review video of Theophrastus Such which you can listen to if you are interested. I am with you - it was very difficult to dredge any meaning out of it, and I agree with the reviewer who said it is a lot of individual character sketches mixed in with a smattering of essays. Framing her essays as the opinions of a fictional character did not really bother me as much as it did for you: 1) the Theophrastus character disappeared after about the 3rd essay, 2) she had done this kind of thing before, in fact she began her career with a collection of essays behind a fictional character in something she called From the Notebook of an Eccentric, which she published in 1847, so ending her career in the same way is kind of cool (see also her Saccharissa Essays, again hiding opinions behind a fictional character) and 3) her husband and literary agent, George Henry Lewes, intended to have this collection of essays to be the first part of a series that would possibly have formed more of a character, but he died a week after submission and George Eliot had to delay publication and I suspect she padded it out with older unpublished essays (including Modern Hep Hep Hep) that had nothing to do with Theophrastus, because she knew it was the end of her literary career. Crazy and abrupt end to a career, something which I discussed quite a bit in my own review video. Thank you for your project - I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
I'll definitely be checking out your video! And that's a great point about her maybe using old essays to pad it!
Funnily enough I was looking for the Harriet Martineau biography on eBay the other day as she sounds such an interesting person but didn’t end up finding it- or it was too expensive 🤔 I read and really enjoyed The Night Watch and enjoyed The Essex Serpent too so those would be my recommendations if you needed any!
I found my edition pretty cheap on Abe Books, if you're thinking of getting it!
I'm wondering, why that name? Theophrastus Such? I know Victorian English names are weird and old, but this is just a little too strange. Did she know this was her last novel so she just let it all go? She just put a lot of absurdities together? You have made it curious to read some of the book. Now you can move on to another project. Use something out of Theo's book for your dissertation. Don't let it go to waste. I've been considering moving to the gilded age and Edith Wharton. I've read a lot of her books and love her. She is what I call a heavy weight. You know you are reading extraordinary in the first chapter. When you are done with your doctorate, go to her. Age of Innocence and Custom of the Country with Ondine Spragg will keep you in awe. Once you are in one period of literature, to me, it's hard to switch. But the New York Rich of the turn of the century is a lot like British lit.
I have no idea what's up with the name. All of the character names are kind of weird. I love The Age of Innocence, and I need to get to reading The Custom of the Country and Ethan Frome. That would be a great project for after the phd. Thanks for the suggestion!
Ok; im voting for Bitter Orange because i have always been curious & nearly hauled it a few times! Secondly; The Essex Serpent as its been on my shelves ummmm.... 5 yrs... read the books you buy Melissa!!😆 I promised myself to get to those 4-5 yr old tbr's this yr.. & you've inspired me to pick up The Whispering Muse (Laura Purcell) somewhat languishing.. or maybe The Crimson Petal & The White (5 yrs & counting ) help me choose lol! 🤷♀🤓Btw you always make me laugh Elizabeth i love your sense of humour 🥰
Aw thanks. I'm glad you enjoy my humor. I always worry I'm the only one that thinks I'm funny. 😆 And The Whispering Muse sounds so good. I'm voting for that one!
I enjoyed Deerbrook. I think Trollope's novel "The Three Clerks" has the most autobiographical elements, so that might be a good one to choose. A few years ago I read a paper "Margaret Oliphant's Carlingford series" by Birgit Kamper (Peter Lang Publisher 2001), which I think was a dissertation or paper for a degree. The author organized it by topics (class, church, gender) and how Oliphant used these in the series. Very illuminating on Oliphant's views on social issues.
I'm reading his Autobiography right now and he just mentioned The Three Clerks and how he used incidents in his life to write it! I'll be checking out the piece by Kamper. Thanks for the recommendation!
I love Victorian literature and I'm so pleased I found your channel. I hope you carry on making content for a long time ❤😊
Welcome and thank you for watching! ❤
I have Deerbrook. I am wanting to get to it. I think all the books I read are historical fiction. Its so funny how Victorian authors like Trollope and Dickens use silly weird names. Bideawile and Slow are lawyers in Trollope. I know you have your outline of how you want to proceed on your paper. I would find it hard to boil things down to a manageable premise. I have trouble deciding what to read next or deciding what to watch on amazon or Netflix. I spend 30 minutes trying to decide and by the time I decide, I'm tired. Cover three to five authors and let it go. Just start writing. It will come. I go to the library to work. It is quiet and a place to concentrate. I cannot work at home.
I got Deerbrook out of the library hoping that it will actually make me read it this year. 😆 I'm with you on not being able to work from home. I just get distracted with chores or my cats or napping on the couch. I've been going to my university library, which is a great work space. And even better now that it's summer and there are very few people around!
Only 11 of my 70 TBR list have less than 800 pages, the rest are over 800 and up to 1450 pages. Unfortunately this month I missed reading altogether due to not feeling well so it is very unlikely that my 2024 TBR will be achievable 😥 No matter.....trying to get to re-read Madame Bovary but in a slow manner....a few pages a day. Regards from 🇬🇧
Wow! What are some of the books you have on your tbr? I need to give Madame Bovary a reread. I wasn't a big fan the first time around.
I am just gobsmacked! Thank you so much for mentioning me. I love your channel. I only read books over a hundred years old except for regency romance. And even reading those, gave me a challenge to read the real regency writers and Jane Austen introduced me to a whole new world. She changed my life. You are like me in the classics realm. I love your reviews and views on authors and their books. I have gotten a couple you have talked about. I love hearing about your academic journey and your classes. I have not read the Outsiders but saw the movie. I loved it. Stay Gold has a special meaning to me. I have read some middle grade books but need to read more. This one needs to be on my list. I am an early childhood educator so I own a whole garage full of children's books. Keep on staying gold!
Thank you for always watching and commenting! I'm so glad you enjoy my videos, and I hope you like the books I recommended! ❤
Looks like you had a great April! I’d never heard of The Biographer’s Tale, and the premise sounds like something I’d enjoy…or maybe not, based on your review 😅. I’m glad I came across your channel, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching! I thoroughly believe that people who are into poststructuralism might like The Biographer's Tale. I'm just not those people haha. I will say, Byatt's writing is always a delight even if I'm not enjoying the actual story!
I love this book so much!! I agree with most everything you said! ❤
Thank you for sharing ❤ I lost my brother in 2017 to suicide and it is so hard! I will be checking out this book, for sure. I also find that writing helps me process everything.
Thank you. ❤ I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family are doing well and finding ways to heal.
I have a retelling/homage to fairy tales that you may be interested in! I'd be happy to provide a free review copy if you're interested. I really enjoy your take on examining this as a retelling and exploring the fairy tale it's based on!
I'd definitely be interested! Shoot me an email and we can arrange it! (The email should be visible in my about page, but let me know if it's not.)
Ouch! I *was* planning on reading this one as my first Eliot 🤦🏼♀️😅. I haven't read this one yet but I loved listening to your review anyways, I don't mind spoilers if I'm not currently reading the book 🙂
I mean, it wouldn't be the end of the world to start with it. I just know I would have found it really difficult if I'd never read any Eliot before. I usually recommend The Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner to start.
I can't remember whether I read this or just watched the miniseries. For a Jewish perspective, read Harrington by Maria Edgeworth. Let us know how you like it and how it turned out, in your opinion. There was a lot of antisemitism in regency England. They are portrayed badly in a lot of literature.
I need to watch the miniseries. Hugh Dancy as Daniel AND Romola Garai? Sounds like perfection to me! Thanks for the recommendation of Harrington. I'll keep it in mind!
Subscribed 💌
Thank you! ❤
I’m so glad that the grief book is helping you Elizabeth and I hope more healing comes from it. I think you may have put paid to any George Eliot completionist ideas I may have had though, I laughed out loud when you said you hated Theophrastus Such and really don’t feel the need to read it myself 😉
Just wait until you see the full video! I filmed it today and was just ranting. I think I scared my husband. 😂 I'm glad I can save you the time and pain of reading it.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing that with us, I think it takes lots of courage to be that open about it and it could be trully helpful for someone going through the same pain. I send you a big hugh.
Thank you. ❤
Thanks for mentioning me. I find paperbacks are really sensitive they rip and bend. I'm finding that in trying to find books by authors like Maria Edgeworth, without having to buy several volumes, I find ebay has complete editions in the antique hardback editions. I think these may be the best investment. Some are reasonably priced.
That's actually good to know. Thank you! I might be able to get some of my more unknown Victorian authors from there and save myself the annoyance of reading a scanned copy from my laptop.
I’m sending you a virtual hug. Thank you for sharing. Sorry to hear about your brother. I read a book H is for hawk but that’s about a woman who dealt with death of her father by getting and training a hawk. I think it’s very brave of you that you shared it with us. I love your videos regardless if they’re on a happy or sad note 🫶🤗🤗
Thank you. ❤ I actually read H is for Hawk during a memoir course and loved it!
@@elizabethaliteraryprincess 🫶🫶
I thought Dorothea was a pompous nitwit as well. I did not find her a noble figure as so many readers do. I wonder if Eliot herself was hinting at Dorothea’s naïveté by calling her DoDo through Cecilia. I guess we would have to research the origins of the term DoDo to find out!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who dislikes her! I'm always hearing everyone go on about how great she is, and I'm just over here thinking she's obnoxious. 😆
I’m so happy to know you joined in and enjoyed Picture This. I’m fascinated by the Caryatid book as I have spent a lot of time studying the acropolis during my degree. So nice that you’ve managed to find and read some childhood picture books! Some absolutely stunning illustrations as well. Thank you for sharing these books! 💛💛💛
Sounds like your TBR Tackle was very successful bar the Byatt Elizabeth. I’m the same with animal cruelty, can’t handle it so totally understand your decision. I’m hoping that when I reread Daniel Deronda I will like it more, if it just been about Gwendolyn I would have loved it 😉
The Byatt was a definite disappointment. But ah well. And that's how I felt about Daniel Deronda the first time too. And the introduction to my edition addresses that because apparently that came up when it was published as well. I'll be talking more about it in the full video.
Call it read. Yes. Do. No animal torture for me.
I'm so glad you enjoyed discovery of witches! book 2 is my favourite for the historical aspects! Totally agree he is similar to Edward with the creep factor 😂The tv series is pretty good as well (but I havent watched S3 yet) 15:30 I feel its very important to have a few books on hand that are "not good" and totally bananas for mental health reasons 😂 Also I really like your top!
I'm so excited for the historical aspects! I definitely want to watch the show, but I'm not sure if I should read all the books first. And thank you! It's actually a dress! It's one of my favorites. Both cute and comfy. 😁
I'm the same when it comes to animal cruelty in books and movies. I can read about the most horrible things being done to people, but animals!! No, thank you! I haven't been able to read Cujo yet, I know it isn't about animal cruelty, but the dog suffers so much, and I'm not sure if I can take it 😜 Good to know this about this novella.
I was surprisingly okay with Cujo. It's upsetting, of course, and I definitely cried. But maybe because it wasn't people being deliberately cruel to a defenseless animal, it wasn't quite as bad for me. Apt Pupil is definitely the worst I've come across in King's work. Although there's a scene in IT that I have to skip, and that's truly just unnecessary.
Great video!! Angel in the library is a perfect way to sum up Dorothea 😅
Thank you! And yes, when my professor said that term, I immediately adopted it.
Gorgeous books 🤓😊
Nope not participating in Mental Health May- but i am participating in Misery May (lol) which ironically of course means that by the end of May my mental health may be of flat out questionable / of unhinged proportions 😵💫🤕 But really you've helped me choose (i have 'readers block); A Struggle For Fame / Jude The Obscure (what am i letting myself in for..)??? & The Wings Of The Dove or The Tennant Of Wildfell Hall.. do u think the mood to heavy?😅🤔 Maybe throw in Gissings The Whirlppol for good measure... 🙅♀☺
Oh god Jude the Obscure...it definitely qualifies as miserable! It's an excellent book, but I don't think I could ever reread it.
A very nice book collection. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Thanks for watching!
I have antique copies of Eliot’s books and love them! They’re beautiful but not reading copies. 😊
Which ones do you have copies of? I have an antique three volume set of Middlemarch that a client at my old work gave me when I started my degree. So sweet! But definitely not for reading haha.
@@elizabethaliteraryprincess everything except Middlemarch! I haven’t found an antique copy in good enough condition.
Reading books for fun is definitely self care!!! 😊 I’m so happy you’re participating! I read Girl Interrupted last year. Phenomenal memoir.
Oh good to hear! Thank you for hosting the event!
Ohhh thank you for introducing me to mental health may!!!! I will definitely be trying to participate as best i can! I really jave enjoyed reading nonfic books that focus on mental health, but also theres fantastic fiction recs in this video as well! Great tbr!!! ❤
Glad to have introduced you to it! ❤
I’m reading Janet Frank’s Faces in the Water for MH May, looks like it might be on the same line as Girl Interrupted. I’ve now read Far From the Madding Crowd a couple of times and although I don’t love it, I still really enjoy it. I must admit I’ve put off reading Theophrastus Such for the same reasons 😬
I'm glad I'm not the only one put off by Theophrastus (honestly just the name puts me off haha). The concept of it is just so strange to me. But I guess we'll see... And thank you for reminding me that Faces in the Water is on my TBR!
Hello Elizabeth, thank you for participating in Mental Health May, Kim and I are hosting this to encourage a conversation about mental health. I also Have not read, Girl Interrupted or watched the movie. My daughter told me that Angelina Jolie also was in the movie. I’m glad I found your channel. Aloha
Thank you for hosting such a wonderful event! Open discussion is so important for breaking the stigma around mental health.
@@elizabethaliteraryprincess Yes, the stigma is always there and it's a big part of why people are afraid to talk about mental illness. Aloha friend.