I'm not sure whether it is the nice cool fall weather or what, but I've been very much in the mood to read Victorian literature (or books set in that period). I decided to pick up Wilkie Collins's The Law and the Lady as my last R.I.P. read, which I am enjoying immensely! I was afraid it was a little too long and I wouldn't finish before the end of the month, but I can see that shouldn't be a problem as I am whizzing through it and have already finished the first section. It may not be quite as good as his other famous works, but I still find myself wanting to pick it up to read more than any of the other books I have on my pile currently. It's a detective story of sorts. A young woman marries and find that her husband has a tragic mystery in his past that he tried to keep secret from her. The only way their love can move forward is for her to try and sort things out. That sounds a little sentimental, but it's really not (well, perhaps only the tiniest bit--this is Victorian lit). Anyway, Eustace is a little on the wishy-washy side (or as Valeria calls him, "misguided"), but Valeria is a most excellent heroine, quite independent and feisty. It renews my desire to read more of his work!
Keeping on with the Victorian theme I think I've decided to read Bleak House by Charles Dickens later this fall. I'm not going to try and finish it before the end of the year, but read it at a leisurely pace over the winter months. I've wanted to read it ever since I saw the BBC production of it a year or two ago (which I thought was really well done). I'll of course need to finish Hugo's Les Misérables first. As soon as I complete Fanny Fern's Ruth Hall (maybe today or tomorrow) I am going to only read the Hugo. If I can read 50-60 pages every day I can get finish it in about six days. So starting Monday it's all Les Misérables all the time! I'm not sure what I'll post about next week (maybe a week's worth of posts on Jean Valjean, Cosette, Marius, and the rest?...or maybe not...maybe a week's worth of cat pictures?...I'll think of something), but it is going to be my only approved reading. I make it sound like I'm going to be suffering, don't I? That sounds terrible! Actually I have a feeling I will really get absorbed back into the story and fly through the rest. I think we're all going to be very happy when I finish it!
And now a question. I'd like to read something by Anthony Trollope. He's written a slew of books and many of them are part of his Barsetshire Chronicles. I'm not quite sure where to start? I have a feeling I would like his work very much, but I am picky about not reading a series of books out of order. Should I pick the first Barsetshire book, or something else? Suggestions appreciated.