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help me build a reading list for an English Novels book club.


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The idea behind it is that we will read a book and then take a field trip to a site important to the book. For instance, our first book was A Midsummer Night's Dream, and we are going to go and see it performed on Midsummer's Night at midnight at the Globe in London. Living in England, we want to take advantage of the sites that are here. However, none of us have been in a book club before. Some of the ladies are a bit nervous about reading harder works. Our next book is Pride and Prejudice and then we will be taking a fieldtrip here: http://www.chatsworth.org/ I believe that it was used as Pemberly in the newer movie version. Not having read many classic novels, but interested in learning about literary analysis, I'm at a loss to come up with a reading list. Help, please!

 

Thanks in advance,

--Dawn

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Hmm,

I love the Austen book Persuassion. The town of Lyme figures prominently, as does Bath.

Dorothy Sayers' Peter Whimsey books are great. One of the later books, Gaudy Night is set almost entirely in Oxford. Strong Poison revolves around a trial, so you could visit the court area around London (is the Old Bailey still there?)

What about Sherlock Holmes? Could you visit the area where The Hound of the Baskervilles was set?

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Oh...read some Bronte and visit some bleak moors (plus I believe their hose still stands in Haworth or whatever the place is called!)

 

 

Hey - got it correct - it is Haworth!!

 

http://www.bronte.org.uk/

 

And - isn't there a Victorian Museum in London that would go along with some Dickins?

http://www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk/nextgen/ would go with Nickolas Nickleby, I think...

 

Maybe read Brideshead Revisited and tour a National Trust mansion??? (Even perhaps the one used in the tv series?)

 

Of course - go to Hill Top Farm in Sawrey after reading some Beatrix Potter, too! ;-)

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Hmm,

I love the Austen book Persuassion. The town of Lyme figures prominently, as does Bath.

Dorothy Sayers' Peter Whimsey books are great. One of the later books, Gaudy Night is set almost entirely in Oxford. Strong Poison revolves around a trial, so you could visit the court area around London (is the Old Bailey still there?)

What about Sherlock Holmes? Could you visit the area where The Hound of the Baskervilles was set?

 

Ohhh good ideas. I've always wanted to read Sherlock Holmes. We were in Cornwall in the fall and we went on a hike through the Bodmin Moors where the Hound of the Baskervilles is set and had lunch at the Jamaica Cafe where all of the smugglers used to stay. It was very cool.

 

Thanks,

--Dawn

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Oh...read some Bronte and visit some bleak moors (plus I believe their hose still stands in Haworth or whatever the place is called!)

 

 

Hey - got it correct - it is Haworth!!

 

http://www.bronte.org.uk/

 

And - isn't there a Victorian Museum in London that would go along with some Dickins?

http://www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk/nextgen/ would go with Nickolas Nickleby, I think...

 

Maybe read Brideshead Revisited and tour a National Trust mansion??? (Even perhaps the one used in the tv series?)

 

Of course - go to Hill Top Farm in Sawrey after reading some Beatrix Potter, too! ;-)

 

I just checked, (thanks for the link) and Jane Austen's house is less than three hours away! Perfect. Is Nickolas Nickleby a dificult read? One of our members said right up front that she refused to read any Dickens, but if it's not too hard maybe we can convince her!

 

--Dawn

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When London Burned by G A Henty about plague 1665. fire 1666 and the war with the Dutch, multiple locations you could visit. Not everyone like G A Henty , but the is a favorite in our house.

 

The Ravenmaster's Secret by Woodruff (I believe this is the correct author) This is actually a book for young adults , but I love it. Takes place completely in the Tower of London. Oh how I wish I could go there.

 

As already mentioned Jane Auten novels are wonderful.

 

Atonement could be a possibility and visit WW2 sites

 

Also check our Sonlights British Lit course something there may inspire you.

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Guest Lorna

I would certainly combine Jane Austen with a visit to Bath. Many of her novels feature the pump rooms. They are so beautiful. You can take the waters there drinking from the same tap. There is often a string quartet playing. The is also a Jane Austen museum. Her house in Wiltshire is interesting but somehow it doesn't capture the spirit of her books. It is a very humble house it a rather modern looking neighbourhood. In Bath you really feel you are in one of her novels.

 

A wonderful day trip out is Kenilworth Castle (English Heritage) and, of course, there is Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott to go with it. we visited Kenilworth last year and dd also enjoyed the book. There are a few pictures and a post about it here on my blog: Kenilworth Castle.

 

I love anything by E M Forster, perhaps you could visit the Uccello at the National Gallery in London, if I remember rightly that is where Lucy Honeychurch meets the Emersons again in A Room With A View

 

Have fun! Let us know what you do.

 

Best wishes,

Lorna

 

PS. For Brideshead Revisited, which is a fabulous book, the Oxford scenes were largely filmed at Waugh's alma mater, Hertford College, Wadham College and Christ Church. The location for Brideshead, the fictional manor, was Castle Howard in Yorkshire.

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For instance, our first book was A Midsummer Night's Dream, and we are going to go and see it performed on Midsummer's Night at midnight at the Globe in London.--Dawn

 

I want to be in your group!!!

 

Rarely an I actually jealous of anyone, but you, my dear, have me turning green with envy. :D

 

What a brilliant, brilliant idea!

 

I would help think of books, but I am too filled with envy to think of anything else.

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When London Burned by G A Henty about plague 1665. fire 1666 and the war with the Dutch, multiple locations you could visit. Not everyone like G A Henty , but the is a favorite in our house.

 

The Ravenmaster's Secret by Woodruff (I believe this is the correct author) This is actually a book for young adults , but I love it. Takes place completely in the Tower of London. Oh how I wish I could go there.

 

As already mentioned Jane Auten novels are wonderful.

 

Atonement could be a possibility and visit WW2 sites

 

Also check our Sonlights British Lit course something there may inspire you.

 

Thank for the great ideas, I'll add them to the list!

 

--Dawn

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I would certainly combine Jane Austen with a visit to Bath. Many of her novels feature the pump rooms. They are so beautiful. You can take the waters there drinking from the same tap. There is often a string quartet playing. The is also a Jane Austen museum. Her house in Wiltshire is interesting but somehow it doesn't capture the spirit of her books. It is a very humble house it a rather modern looking neighbourhood. In Bath you really feel you are in one of her novels.

 

A wonderful day trip out is Kenilworth Castle (English Heritage) and, of course, there is Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott to go with it. we visited Kenilworth last year and dd also enjoyed the book. There are a few pictures and a post about it here on my blog: Kenilworth Castle.

 

I love anything by E M Forster, perhaps you could visit the Uccello at the National Gallery in London, if I remember rightly that is where Lucy Honeychurch meets the Emersons again in A Room With A View

 

Have fun! Let us know what you do.

 

Best wishes,

Lorna

 

PS. For Brideshead Revisited, which is a fabulous book, the Oxford scenes were largely filmed at Waugh's alma mater, Hertford College, Wadham College and Christ Church. The location for Brideshead, the fictional manor, was Castle Howard in Yorkshire.

 

These are great suggestions, thanks! I didn't know that Brideshead Revisited was filmed at Howard Castle. My mom and daughter went there last year--I'll have to tell her!

 

--Dawn

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What about Dickens? His home is in England.

 

I've never read any Dickens, and I tried to suggest this already, but one of our memebers has said that she will read absolutely no Dickens. She said that he made her head hurt. I think I'll have to do that one on my own, but I do mean to. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

--Dawn

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I want to be in your group!!!

 

Rarely an I actually jealous of anyone, but you, my dear, have me turning green with envy. :D

 

What a brilliant, brilliant idea!

 

I would help think of books, but I am too filled with envy to think of anything else.

 

 

Thanks, you are kind, I thought that it was a good idea too, but I've had so much trouble convincing others to read them with me. We have have a good core of five members, and they are great, but I'm still working hard to convince others. If you think of any book suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

 

Thanks,

--Dawn

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