1862 (Victorian)

These are from http://gnupooh.org/vbs.html :

1. The Doctor's Family by Margaret Oliphant. 15 on LT as Touchstoned ('with other stories') plus 67 bound with her novel, The Rector.

2. The Last of the Mortimers by Margaret Oliphant. 0 on LT

3. Ravenshoe by Henry Kingsley. 11

4. Held in Bondage by Ouida (who must be Maria Louise Rame). 3

5. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddons. 895

6. A Strange Story by Edward Bulwer Lytton. 19

7. The Lord Mayor of London by (William) Harrison Ainsworth. 5. (author link: http://www.librarything.com/author/ainsworthwilliamharr ).

8. Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope. 251

9. No Name by Wilkie Collins. 505

How interesting! I read Orley Farm in January, finished No Name and The Rector two days ago and started The Doctor's Family yesterday. And Lady Audley is a good book. Looks like I better read the rest of these :)

I know that Lady Audley's Secret is available as a free download for the Kindle. Unfortunately, I have not ever heard of the majority of titles on that list.

I never even heard of most of these writers! I did read one book by Trollope, and I think I have a book by Bulwer Lytton downstairs, but that's it.

Apparently Bulwer-Lytton was very popular in his day. Among other things, he wrote the famous opening line, "It was a dark and stormy night".

Indeed it was that opening line that inspired the annual Bulwer-Lytton Prize for the most over-the-top opening line.

It inspired Snoopy, too.

Robert