Showing results for "fiction" in Victorian

The only novel written by Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights was originally published under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and at first was thought to be the work of Emily's sister, Charlotte, the author of the classic, Jane Eyre. Wuthering Heights tells the tale of Heathcliff, a young orphaned gypsy boy, who is brought to the windswept moors of Yorkshire by Mr. Earnshaw, the master of Wuthering Heights.

Following Jane from her childhood as an orphan in Northern England through her experience as a governess at Thornfield Hall, Charlotte Brontë's Gothic classic is an early exploration of women's independence in the mid-19th century and the pervasive societal challenges women had to endure. At Thornfield, Jane meets the complex and mysterious Mr. Rochester, with whom she shares a complicated relationship that ultimately forces her to reconcile the conflicting passions of romantic love and religious piety.

Written at the request of Charles Dickens, North and South is a book about rebellion that poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience. Gaskell expertly blends individual feeling with social concern and her heroine, Margaret Hale, is one of the most original creations of Victorian literature. When Margaret Hale's father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience she is forced to leave her comfortable home in the tranquil countryside of Hampshire....

The story of a woman's struggle for independence from an abusive husband. Helen 'Graham' has returned to Wildfell Hall in flight from a disastrous marriage and to protect her young son from the influence of his father. Exiled to the desolate moorland mansion, she adopts an assumed name and earns her living as a painter. Gilbert Markham, a local man intrigued by the beautiful young 'widow' offers his friendship but becomes distrustful when her reclusive behaviour sparks rumours and speculation.

The work tells the story of Jane's early life, her experience at Lowood School and as a governess. Her refusal to accept Rochester's love on any but her own strictly moral terms is a passionate cry for independence.

Can You Forgive Her? is the first of the six in the Palliser series. Trollope inextricably binds together the issues of parliamentary election and marriage, of politics and privacy. The values and aspirations of the governing stratum of Victorian society are ruthlessly examined, and none remains unscathed. But above all Trollope focuses on the predicament of women. 'What should a woman do with her life?' asks Alice Vavasor of herself, and this theme is echoed by every other woman in the audiobook.

1890. Alice is the sole bread-winner for her family, working at the local cotton mill. But when she suddenly begins to attract the wrong attention, her life begins to spiral out of control . . . 2018. For Ally, one bad decision after another has left her feeling that her life hasn't quite turned out the way it should have. But when her aunt is suddenly injured and in need of help baking and running her beloved café, Ally knows a trip to Yorkshire is just the escape she needs.

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and to seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her cousin Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. Thomas Hardy’s timeless masterpiece is brought to life in this new recording by Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless, His Dark Materials).

 Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian England, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. 

Gabriel makes his first mistake when he falls in love with his predecessor's beautiful young widow, Lady Emma Crompton. He faces a second hurdle—he is slowly being poisoned with arsenic. A double mystery unfolds when it comes to light Lady Emma's deceased husband was also suffering from arsenic poisoning. Is there a curse on the Earls of Farnworth or are there other forces at work that will rob Gabe and Emma of their chance to find true love?

She never imagined securing her future would require delving into the past. The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds...

“Feed this directly into my veins.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author From the bestselling author of Hungerstone, an intoxicating and chilling gothic horror novel that reimagines Hamlet with a seductive sapphic twist—and where the only thing more dangerous than a...

Five sons of an English duke, all raised in the Rocky Mountains… She agreed to a safe, sensible marriage. He agreed because she already holds his heart. Clara McKinney came west as a mail-order bride—only to watch her sister marry the intended groom instead. Now recovered from an illness...

Briggs Brigman has been burned once before, and the last thing he needs is a beautiful wife who will spend hours in front of the mirror, primping herself. He knows how hard the prairie can be on a woman, and all he wants is a stalwart bride who won't complain about hauling water from the creek....

In the dead of night, a young woman is found on the doorstep of the House of Help for Friendless Girls. . . Winter 1887. Matron Hetty Barlow suspects Hope is lying when she claims to be suffering from amnesia. The girl is taken in, but it isn't long before her pregnancy is discovered, which could put the future of the house - a new experiment in dealing with destitute women - in jeopardy. They named her Hope, but Emma Hyde knows she can't keep up her deception forever. She's hundreds of miles away from home, but her well-to-do parents will be searching for her.

Entre la France et la Sicile, XIXe siècle. Madeline et Mélanie Meilox, deux soeurs originaires de Laval, vont voir leur destin bouleversé par une toile. Un nu. Sublime, sensuel et vrai. Le Rolla d'Henri Gervex. La première pour avoir été reconnue comme la muse qui a inspiré l'artiste, l'autre pour l'avoir réellement été. Dans un 19ème encore puritain, le scandale éclate. De la butte Montmartre aux collines de la Sicile de Garibaldi, des chuchotements les suivent et la révolution des cœurs gronde.

Set in 1845 England, Honora Langstone's life takes an unexpected twist when her aristocratic uncle arranges her marriage to the enigmatic and powerful Duke of Tynemouth. Thrust into a whirlwind of royal intrigue and societal expectations, Honora must navigate a world of opulence, secrets and unforeseen emotions. As she confronts the challenges of duty and her own dreams, Honora discovers the strength to shape her destiny.

London’s East End. Life for Hope Daniels in the public house run by her parents is not as it seems. Pa drinks and gambles, brother John longs for a place of his own, sister Violet dreams of a life on stage and little Alfie is being bullied at school. Silas Quirk, the charismatic owner of a local gentlemen’s club and disreputable gambling den her father frequents, has his own plans for Hope. When disaster strikes, the family lose everything and the future they planned is snatched away from them. Secrets are revealed that make Hope question all she’s ever believed in.

Sense and Sensibility fu il primo romanzo pubblicato nel 1811, in tre volumi, la cui autrice rimaneva anonima (By a Lady). Il romanzo ha per tema il contrasto tra la ragione di Elinor e l'emotività di Marianne, due sorelle,. Per una gran parte del romanzo la narrazione, che segue Elinor, prende chiaramente la difesa della razionalità e dell’assennatezza, ma questo poi diviene meno scontato e la srittrice si interroga sinceramente fra i due atteggiamenti nell’affrontare le delusioni della vita. Pertanto il libro è tuttora attuale, come lo è questo tipo di contrasto nella mente umana.

"Il professore" fu il primo romanzo di Charlotte Brontë (pubblicato con lo pseudonimo di Currer Bell); fu però pubblicato dal marito dopo la sua morte, ritenendolo un materiale interessante e autonomo, anche se molto del suo contenuto era stato utilizzato dalla scrittrice nel suo ultimo romanzo, Villette. Infatti in entrambi questi romanzi l'autrice attinge alla sua esperienza di istitutrice in Belgio, in cui, ventiseienne, visse una storia d'amore con un suo professore. "Il professore" fu rifiutato dall'editore.