When we think of the Victorian time period, we think of a time of Decorum, Propriety, and Morals. It was the age of polite society. One didn't live the way we do now. Things we take for granted now were considered scandalous then. They were to be kept secret. No one was to know. No one except that Era's novelists.
Someone once told me that they didn't read anything that wasn't written in the 21st century. They found old books boring. I beg to differ. Below are a few of my favorite novels and their authors that are by no means boring. In fact, they quite the opposite.
Charles Dickens, whose own life reads like a novel, is a world famous novelist whose work is noted for highlighting the social injustice of his day. His work should also be known for it's juicy secrets.
In 'Great Expectations', the mystery of the identity of Pip's benefactor is one of the main drives of this tale. When the identity of the man who attacked Pip's sister is revealed, prepare for a shock. And don't get me started on the big reveal of Estella's parents.
'Bleak House' has blackmail, a murder mystery, a secret marriage, and a woman trying desperately to conceal the truth about her illegitimate child, with fatal consequences. In short, it's drama city here. I adored the 2000s BBC adaptation of this classic.
'Little Dorrit' involves a secret will, a Ponzi scheme, and a long lost inheritance. There is another woman who tries to hide the stain of illegitamacy from a child, her husband's child. The 2007 BBC adaptation was worth the watch. Please avoid the 1970s version. We are trying to forget that it exists.
In 'Our Mutual Friend', a man switchs identities with another in order to test his fianceé. When his double is murdered ( oh yeah, bring on the murder mystery), he is declared dead. Continuing on under an assumed name, he manages to get a job working for the couple who gained his inheritance and get close to his former (?) fianceé. But he can't stay hidden forever. In a subplot, we also have a teacher obsessed with the sister of one of his pupils. The sister, though, is in love with a man far above her in station.
Had Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell lived longer she might've been more widely renounded as Dickens' female counterpart. Every single novel of hers is riddled with secrets. Perhaps being a Pastor's wife gave her writing a certain edge when it to secrets. Fun Side note: She was actually pretty well acquainted with Mr.Dickens . She even published a few pieces in his magazine and he visited with her family often. She was also Charlotte Brontë's BFF who wrote Ms. Brontë's biography when she died.
In 'North and South', Margaret is forced to conceal from her father (for a time) the knowledge that her mother is dying (of what I suspect is cancer). Her greatest challenge may be, by far, hiding her brother from the authorities. If found in the country, her brother faces the hangman's noose for being a part of the mutiny against a tyrannical captain. And hiding that fact from the police almost costs her the love of her life. I read this novel at least once a year as it is a favorite of mine.
'Wives and Daughters' is Mrs. Gaskell's last novel, only chapters away from being done. Molly, the doctor's daughter, is the girl everyone seems to love telling their secrets to. She finds herself helping her stepsister Cynthia get out of an unwanted secret engagement to the misunderstood Mr. Preston. When the local squire's son dies ( yes folks, she knew he was dying), she's the one who has to tell the squire about his French daughter-in-law and grandson.
"Ruth" is a far more gritty story where the title character, lacking guidance, finds herself pregnant, abandoned and taken in by two kind siblings. With their help, she poses as their widowed cousin and gets a job as a governess. As time passes, she becomes moreand more aware that the truth must be told. When the truth does come out, the response is not at all what she hoped for.
"Sylvia's Lover" is a tale of love and deceit. Sylvia's cousin tells her that her fiance died at sea (so not true) and marries his heartbroken little cousin. A year or so later, her lover returns and is more than a little put out to find her married to someone else. Sylvia, seeing her husband's deception, kicks him out and tells him to never come back. Later, Sylvia's husband saves her lover's life during a sea battle. Soon the Lover's wife of several years appears to thank Sylvia for her husband's bravery, shocking a very upset Sylvia.
This is part one of a much longer piece I wrote a while ago. Hopefully I will get around to putting part 2 up some time this year. As always, feel free to leave a comment below.
