Monday, February 02, 2015

Our Next Book

Susan asked me to propose some titles for the next Slaves read-a-long, and I’m happy to oblige.

I chose books I haven’t read in a genre I don’t know well but want to know better: short 19th Century novels. (Here’s hoping Rohan hasn’t read them all…) These books are all about 200 pages and represent five different European languages. Like almost all novels of the period, it seems, they are primarily about the predicament of women at the time.

Vote for your choice in the comments, let’s say by Valentine’s Day. We’ll aim to discuss the book starting April 1st, no foolin’.

Honoré de Balzac—Eugénie Grandet (1833)

“Who is going to marry Eugénie Grandet?” That’s the question at the heart of this novel, one of the first in the sprawling canvas of Balzac’s Comédie humaine. Eugénie’s father, a wealthy miser, has his own answer to the question. But when Eugénie’s orphaned and penniless cousin arrives, she counters with a different one, such that the father’s cunning is matched against the daughter’s determination.

Anne Bronte—Agnes Grey (1847)

Agnes Grey eagerly takes up her post as governess, only to be disabused of that confidence by her unmanageable charges. The novel promises to be about work, though romance is present too, when Agnes meets the local curate.

Theodor Fontane—Irretrievable (1892) (Also translated into English as No Way Back)

Set in Holstein about thirty years before its date of publication when the area still belonged to Denmark, Irretrievable tells the story of a mismatched couple who have been married for 23 years—Count Helmuth Holk is fun loving; his wife Christine is solemn. The two slowly drift apart, a movement exacerbated when the Count is called away to the court. As the copy of one of two recent editions into English puts it, the couple “find themselves in a situation which is nothing they ever wished for but from which they cannot go back.”

Benito Pérez Galdós—Tristana (1892)

Don Lope pays off a friend’s debts, at the same time assuming responsibility for the friend’s orphaned daughter, Tristana. He takes her into his home—and into his bed. Tristana accepts the arrangement willingly enough, at least until she meets a handsome young painter. Soon she surpasses the Don in defiance of convention.

Ivan Turgenev—Home of the Gentry (1859)

“Another’s heart is like a dark forest,” we learn in this novel about a man named Lavretsky who returns to his native Russia after his marriage falls to pieces in Europe. Unsure what to do with himself, Lavretsky visits the estate of his widowed cousin and her two small children. Regret, indecision, and, as the passage about the wilderness of the heart suggests, heartbreak ensue.

12 comments:

Alex in Leeds said...

My vote is for the Turgenev, closely followed by the Balzac. I love the fact you've chosen five from different cultures to give a real range to choose from!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy these round table discussions and I'd like to participate but I don't have a blog. Is that possible? If so, I'd vote for the Turgenev or the Galdos. Thanks!

SFP said...

Yes, it's possible to participate even without a blog. Send me an email and we'll get the details worked out so that you can post your thoughts in April.

Rohan said...

My vote goes to the Balzac, since I've shockingly never read any! Great list, though: wouldn't be sorry with any of them (though I have read Agnes Grey and frankly found it a bit dull...)

Teresa said...

These are great options! I've already read Agnes Grey and agree with Rohan that it's rather dull. But I'd be pleased to read any of the others. My vote goes to the Balzac.

Amateur Reader (Tom) said...

For what it's worth, I do not think that is actually the question at the heart of Eugénie Grandet.

dorian stuber said...

Tom, that is what comes of cribbing from the jacket copy of books I haven't read...

Amateur Reader (Tom) said...

Luckily, I believe you will find the actual question to be quite a lot more interesting.

dorian stuber said...

So is Balzac your recommendation? I bet you have read all these twice.

Amateur Reader (Tom) said...

The Tristana translation is too new for me to have read once, and Agnes Grey is too drab to have read twice.

SFP said...

I agree that once is enough where Agnes Grey is concerned. I'll be happy to read any of the others, but I'm voting for the Fontane simply because I already own it.

Rebecca H. said...

I ... don't know. They all look good! I own Agnes Grey, but the consensus seems to be that's not the best choice, which is fine by me. So, I'll vote for Balzac, but the Turgenev looks great too.