Best 19th-century fiction?

[Admiral Yi]

The Jungle Book was cute and light, which I expected. Are most of Kipling's like that?

Yes.

[Malthus]

The Jungle Book was cute and light, which I expected. Are most of Kipling's like that?

Heh, when I read the Jungle Book (I dunno if it is the first or second - anyway, the one with Mowgli in it), I was struck by how un-Disney it was - for example one story was all about how stealing a bit of treasure from a forgotten hoard leads to a trail of betrayal and murder (The King's Ankus). Another, about how Mowgli manages to kill a huge pack of wild dogs by leading them into a trap - an enormous nest of wild bees, which stings the lot of them to a horrible death.

However, if you really want a falvour of 19th century children's literature that is truly not all cute and light, I recommend E. Thompson Seton's Wild Animals I Have Known. Deeply traumatizing, particularly the short story Lobo. But quite good.

[Josephus]

Russian authors would be lovely if I can find the translations.

Most of the great Russian works are easy to find in Penguins classics.. I'm partial to Dostoyevsky myself. Highly recommend Crime and Punishment.

[Barrister]

Would you consider some Russian authors?

When you mentioned "before 1910" for some reason I assumed you were looking for free material for a Kindle or similar e-reader.  Was I right?

Project  Gutenberg appears to have numerous translations available - though not Jo's Crime and Punishment.

Edit: huh - it does.  But the English translation is cateloged under the Russian title.

[Ideologue]

Apocalypse Now.

[Martinus]

Oscar Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

[Josephus]

I didn't realize she was probably looking for "free" material...I'm so old when people say books, i think of...well, you know, books.

[Sheilbh]

I'm looking for good books to read published on or before 1910.

Suggestions?

I'd recommend 'The Pickwick Papers' by Dickens.  It's his first novel and very much a mid-way point between writing a 'novel' and a serialised stories.  So it's rather episodic, but a very enjoyable and fun picaresque story - it's also got one of the best of Dickens's Christmas scenes.

Wilkie Collins was an influence on Dickens's later work, especially the more coherent and controlled plots.  A lot of Collins's books aren't that great but they're mostly fun.  'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone' though are simply superb.  The rest of his books less-so - even the next best two 'No Name' and 'Armadale' aren't that great and are a bit ridiculous.

I love Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair'.  It's really interesting because as well as the humour and poignancy that he manages very well it's got, for my money, the most compelling female character in Victorian literature.  The orphan Becky Sharp who uses all of her natural advantages to get ahead.  Thackeray's rather strait-jacketed by the morality at the time - there's a remarkable chapter where he describes Becky as a sort-of mermaid, beautiful above water but beneath all writhing sea-monster - but you can't shake the feeling that he's more on her side.  I think, generally, the reader is.

I'd second George Eliot.  For my money the single greatest English novelist, I think she's second only to Shakespeare as an English writer.  A really interesting woman too.

Thomas Hardy's great - my family live in the heart of his 'Wessex' they live in 'Weatherbury' of 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and the nearest town is 'Casterbridge' of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'.  I don't think he's heavy-going in terms of writing, it's not that dense, but it takes an emotional toll.  But I think he's a great writer.  'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' is probably a good starting point.

Maybe try some Conrad if you've not before?  'Heart of Darkness' is a great short novel.  'The Secret Agent' is still, for my money, the best novel on terrorism.  Those are the only two of his I've read.

There are a fair few good BBC adaptations too.  I particularly recommend the Barsetshire Chronicles - starring Alan Rickman - and their version of Bleak House.

If you're just into Victoriana I hear the Sarah Waters novels are good and personally enjoyed 'Quincunx' a lot.

[Admiral Yi]

Most of the great Russian works are easy to find in Penguins classics.. I'm partial to Dostoyevsky myself. Highly recommend Crime and Punishment.

I've given up on Penguin cause they print so damn close to the spine.

[Sheilbh]

Oh and on the Russians and French I love Tolstoy and Hugo.  'Les Miserables' is the only book that's made me cry and 'War and Peace' is probably the most all-consuming novel I've ever read.  I also really enjoy Stendhal.  Chekhov's short stories are wonderful too - and, occassionally, magnificently surreal.  Zola's well worth reading too, 'Therese Raquin' and the Rougon-Macquart novels I've read have been great.

I think I read Dostoyevsky too late to get the most out of him, but I still enjoyed him a lot.  I've no idea on Balzac, Flaubert or Dumas though I want to read all of them at some point.  If you do let me know how you find them.

[The Brain]

Balzac??!?

[mongers]

I'm looking for good books to read published on or before 1910.

Suggestions?

.....
Thomas Hardy's great - my family live in the heart of his 'Wessex' they live in 'Weatherbury' of 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and the nearest town is 'Casterbridge' of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'.  I don't think he's heavy-going in terms of writing, it's not that dense, but it takes an emotional toll.  But I think he's a great writer.  'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' is probably a good starting point.
.....

Seconded, though it helps to know the landscape; spending a day in January or February travelling over the downs really brings to life some of the scenes of destitution and plain hard work some of the characters experienced.

[Queequeg]

Almost anything translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky is worth reading.  Gogol's wrote some of my favorite short stories of all time, and the Vintage Classics edition is really, really worth it. 

Melville is the greatest novelist in the English Language, and Moby-Dick is up there with Hamlet for greatest work of fiction in English.  No substitutes. 

[merithyn]

When you mentioned "before 1910" for some reason I assumed you were looking for free material for a Kindle or similar e-reader.  Was I right?

Project  Gutenberg appears to have numerous translations available - though not Jo's Crime and Punishment.

Edit: huh - it does.  But the English translation is cateloged under the Russian title.

Actually, no. I listen to books on tape while at work. librivox.org has a ton of public domain books read by volunteers on their website that I can tap into while at the office. I figured this was a great way for me to catch up on a number of the older classics that I missed, and I knew several of you would have great suggestions. Not all of the books mentioned will be there, but enough are to make it worth asking.

Oscar Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

Read that last year, actually.

Apocalypse Now.

I'm looking for good books to read published on or before 1910.

Suggestions?

I'd recommend 'The Pickwick Papers' by Dickens.  It's his first novel and very much a mid-way point between writing a 'novel' and a serialised stories.  So it's rather episodic, but a very enjoyable and fun picaresque story - it's also got one of the best of Dickens's Christmas scenes.

Wilkie Collins was an influence on Dickens's later work, especially the more coherent and controlled plots.  A lot of Collins's books aren't that great but they're mostly fun.  'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone' though are simply superb.  The rest of his books less-so - even the next best two 'No Name' and 'Armadale' aren't that great and are a bit ridiculous.

I love Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair'.  It's really interesting because as well as the humour and poignancy that he manages very well it's got, for my money, the most compelling female character in Victorian literature.  The orphan Becky Sharp who uses all of her natural advantages to get ahead.  Thackeray's rather strait-jacketed by the morality at the time - there's a remarkable chapter where he describes Becky as a sort-of mermaid, beautiful above water but beneath all writhing sea-monster - but you can't shake the feeling that he's more on her side.  I think, generally, the reader is.

I'd second George Eliot.  For my money the single greatest English novelist, I think she's second only to Shakespeare as an English writer.  A really interesting woman too.

Thomas Hardy's great - my family live in the heart of his 'Wessex' they live in 'Weatherbury' of 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and the nearest town is 'Casterbridge' of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'.  I don't think he's heavy-going in terms of writing, it's not that dense, but it takes an emotional toll.  But I think he's a great writer.  'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' is probably a good starting point.

Maybe try some Conrad if you've not before?  'Heart of Darkness' is a great short novel.  'The Secret Agent' is still, for my money, the best novel on terrorism.  Those are the only two of his I've read.

There are a fair few good BBC adaptations too.  I particularly recommend the Barsetshire Chronicles - starring Alan Rickman - and their version of Bleak House.

If you're just into Victoriana I hear the Sarah Waters novels are good and personally enjoyed 'Quincunx' a lot.

Great suggestions! Thank you.

[Ideologue]

Heart of Darkness was written in 1903.  It's a fine book.