What Next?

Published on by Margaret

Thanks to all of you who commented on Wednesday’s post What’s Sitting On the Shelf?  I was wondering whether to start reading one of the many books sitting on my shelves and several people recommended I should read these from the list on my post:

  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame – suggested by Josette and Lezlie. Oh dear, I will read this one day but not for a while as I’m still reading Les Miserables and I don’t think I could cope with reading two books by Victor Hugo at the same time.
  • David Copperfield – this was suggested by Gautami Tripathy, Katherine, Babara H (it’s one of her all time favourites), and Kat (who’s read a children’s adaptation – sounds like a good idea). Gautami has promised to read Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder (one of her books sitting on the shelf!) if I promise to read David Copperfield soon – I’m very tempted to take you up on that promise Gautami, because I loved Sophie’s World.
  • The Mill on the Floss from Katherine, Lisa and Carol. I did enjoy Middlemarch, so this is a possibility soon.
  • Cider With Rosie suggested by Nan. I did pick this up and looked at it after reading Nan’s suggestion. It looks great and I’m very tempted to read it next.
  • King Solomon’s Mines from Robin. I’m not sure I’m in the mood for an adventure story just now.
  • Barchester Towers from Matt and Ann – but Ann says only if I’ve read The Warden first, which I haven’t.
  • Pickwick Papers – Joanne enjoyed that one. Mmm this is tempting too.
  • Ti suggested Great Expectations if I hadn’t already read it. I have but it was many years ago. I would like to re-read it one day, but not right now!

From your comments it looks as though Dickens sells well, but sits on the shelves unread by quite a few of us. Well, I’ve decided – I’ve made my decision (as they say on the X Factor); it’s been very hard because all the contestants are good but for me the book with the most appeal at the moment, and the one that I have chosen is …

Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee

 So I’ve let you off the hook, Gautami, but I still think you’d like Sophie’s World and if I pick up David Copperfield soon I’ll let you know.

However, I’m not going to start it properly yet (OK I have read the first two chapters – I couldn’t resist it once I’d opened the book) until I’ve at least finished Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer. This book has taken me by surprise as when I read the first few pages I thought it wasn’t for me and it’s full of words and phrases that were presumably current in Regency England, that I’ve not come across before. I’ve started to make a list as I read. I think I understand them from the context, but for example just what was a “Tiger” (not a big wild cat), what does “laying out your blunt ” really mean and what was a “daffy” (obviously not a flower)? Having said that it is really fast reading, and very amusing.

8 thoughts on “What Next?”

  1. Hey, if you want, let me know when you plan to read it in earnest and I’ll read it along with you, Margaret. We could email back and forth about it- again, only if you’d like to. I’d happily drop whatever I’m reading for a while to pick this one up.

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  3. Nan, I’d like that. I’ll let you know when I’m going to start it properly. One reason I’m keen on reading it is that last year I visited Slad, the village he wrote about and had a drink in the Woolpack Inn, where he used to go.

    Gautami, that’s great.

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  4. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that doesn’t get those obscure phrases. I always assumed it was because I’m American and not British.

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  6. Margaret, there’s a list of some Heyer’s cant/slang usage at http://www.heyerlist.org/slang.html – by no means everything but worth a look if you can’t work it out (I’m always impressed that she introduces terms so that you can, generally) and there are lots of links to Regency and Heyer sites (mostly US, I think, for the benefit of writers of modern Regency novels). Tigers were usually small boys who rode at the back of a phaeton or curricle – they could walk the horses up and down while they were waiting (you couldn’t have your high-stepping matched pairs getting chilled!) and had the advantage of being light, but they could probably help with balance as well (thought you might be amused by all of that…)

    Hope you enjoy Cider with Rosie.

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  8. I read David Copperfield last year and liked it (though it seemed to take me forever to get through it!). I haven’t heard of Cider with Rosie–I like the title–another one to check out.

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