Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of… the 1880's, pt.2 (1885-1889)

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It's fine to vote for the comic novel, or indeed the Victorian adventure novel if there's any Haggard fans in the house.

Although Hemso is not the best example, he is an amazing novelist/prose writer.

Should read something of his besides that pamphlet where he basically reiterates what Marx said and adds "BTW IT IS ALL THE WOMEN'S FAULT, INCELS OF THE WORLD UNITE".

am now intrigued by Os Maias

Its author, Eça de Queirós, is Portugal's biggest contribution to the realist/naturalist movement and our biggest pre 20th century novelist period. Early on he attracted quite a lot of controversy for anti-clerical positions. This is his late masterpiece, an epic about the upper classes in Lisbon dragging their way from ball to ball, bullfight to bullfight. It's very much shaped by Queirós' vision of 19th century Portugal as a nation in decline and decadence (kind of anticipates the post WWI malaise in European fiction in this); it's also often very funny. I find the ending very moving.

Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 09:35 (three years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link

"Should read something of his besides that pamphlet where he basically reiterates what Marx said and adds "BTW IT IS ALL THE WOMEN'S FAULT, INCELS OF THE WORLD UNITE"."

What was it btw? Yeah its a very unbalanced worldview to say the least ..

xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 10:27 (three years ago) link

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Thursday, 18 June 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link

Poor showing if only two of the three men in the boat turn up to vote :(

Scampidocio (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 18 June 2020 07:02 (three years ago) link

and their dog

koogs, Thursday, 18 June 2020 08:48 (three years ago) link

The Bostonians is a masterly novel.

Not masterly enough for people to vote for, apparently.

Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 18 June 2020 11:24 (three years ago) link

Damn, missed this one. Would have been between casterbridge (my favourite hardy), germinal and three men in a boat so, I’m not sure I’d have lived the needle.

American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Thursday, 18 June 2020 12:02 (three years ago) link

Pretty poor showing on this one.

A Study In Scarlet is such an odd book, the massive section in the middle where suddenly this is a story about Mormon settlers in the wild west, and no clue as to why for an age. This is on balance a good thing though. It's much better than The Sign of the Four, which is one of the most racist novels I've ever read.

Anti-Cop Ponceortium (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 18 June 2020 12:33 (three years ago) link

Fans of Three Men On A Boat, I would recommend the sequel, Three Men on the Bummel, if you haven't read it already.

Anti-Cop Ponceortium (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 18 June 2020 12:38 (three years ago) link


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