Before I picked up Great Expectations, I was excited, because although I’d stopped myself from watching the TV adaptation at Christmas, I’d caught glimpses of grey houses and dreary rooms and thought “that’s right up my street”. I’d imagined something akin to Jane Eyre and Northanger Abbey and I decided that Great Expectations ought to be my first Dickens novel, whenever I finally read him.

Before I picked up Great Expectations I was unsure. This was a Victorian novel, and while I love Victorian novels, I’ve never read one by a man. This one was written by a man. I was apprehensive because I knew the writing style was likely to be different and that the handling of female characters might not be as favourable. In short I was afraid of the male-dominated society.

When I first picked up Great Expectations the first chapter completely threw me, and I wondered if I was too tired to comprehend it, even though it was early morning and I was totally awake. But I got through it and was able to understand it from the second chapter.

When I first picked up Great Expectations I really wasn’t sure I’d made the right choice, either of novel or writer. I looked to the internet for an explanation of the wordy writer, I accepted that perhaps he really would fulfil my assumptions.

When I later picked up Great Expectations I fell in love. Truly the story was rather strange, the sister awful, the lady crazy, and the child sometimes irritating. But I started to appreciate Dickens’s writing, his humour, and his characters.

When I later picked up Great Expectations I never put it down. Like Pip I had never had great expectations, until now.

This year I will be continuing last year’s goal to read more books by Elizabeth Chadwick. I want to read her entire back list because her work really appeals to the historian in me – the historian who is now quickly realising that it is medieval history rather than Tudor that truly rocks her boat (sorry, Henry). The goal has been aided greatly by my family who bought for me seven Chadwick books in total meaning that I won’t have to go shopping when I wish to read one.

Ever continuing my classics reading, I am this year hoping to read older works. I want to read Thomas More’s Utopia as I have learned so much about him through my studies of Henry VIII and I think it’s high time I read fiction from the era. I also hope to read The Epic Of Gilgamesh, which Erin brought to my attention. I have in fact been looking for a copy ever since Erin’s post – where do bookshops place the work of authors unknown? And I want to read Frances Burney, in particular Cecilia. Having had Burney as a plan for the past couple of years, perhaps I might actually get to her this time. And of course there is Mansfield Park and The Professor to read, and if time allows I wouldn’t mind re-reading Pride And Prejudice and Jane Eyre. I will also be making inroads to Anne Brontë; and as I can’t say I’m a true fan of Victorian literature if I’ve only stuck to women writers, I hope to give Dickens a go, as well as Thackeray, whose Vanity Fair keeps tempting me from bookshop shelves.

In summary:

• Elizabeth Chadwick
• Utopia
• The Epic Of Gilgamesh
• Cecelia
• Mansfield Park and The Professor
• Re-reads
• Anne Brontë
• Dickens and Thackeray

It’s quite an extensive plan, but like last year, if I complete just half of it I will be happy.

I thought it might be fun and useful to review the keywords and phrases people have used, so here is a collection of some from September 2010.

Quests For Book Information

• How does book “one day” nichols end – Badly. The changes the film made make it much better.
• is the book delirium better than before i fall – Difficult one. Before I Fall provides more social commentary as it is contemporary, Delirium explains why we can’t let go of basic rights.
• “ginevra fanshawe” movie – A television series in the 1970s, Villette.
• when does elizabeth chadwicks book lords of white castle take place – between 1100s and 1200s.
• 978-0-575-08936-5 – Dead Until Dark.
• books to read during the summer for bookworms – I’ve had success with Pride And Prejudice, and also The Legacy, even if I didn’t enjoy it all that much.
• picador young adult butterfly tattoo difference white mercedes philip pullman – As far as I’m aware the only difference is the title.
• verlaine’s wing tip – This confused me too. Verlaine’s wing tips are his shoes (Angelology).
• at what age should the book angelology be read – It’s pretty much a waste of time at any time of your life. Source: personal experience.
• what is your thought on northanger abbey? – It’s flipping brilliant.

Quests For Miscellaneous Information

• heathcliff sauron – Indeed I support this comparison.
• am i monogamous – I reckon that to be asking this you’re probably not (they got to this post).
• are wormholes real debate – Well this one is, but I assume you’re referring to astronomy. As far as I know, they are.
• claire persephone weekend – Claire’s blog is here.
• xian love? – The Chinese word for love is ai, as is the Japanese.
• “multiple knighthoods” – Many kings had a habit of giving multiple titles, just as people nowadays get many letters after their name. (The search yielded the review of Lords Of The White Castle).

My site was also found by the word “spanking”. My only guess is that I say “brand spanking new” quite a lot…

Yesterday, thanks to Teresa of Lovely Treez Reads, I found out that Elle Newmark has recently died. Author of The Sandalwood Tree, which had only been published in the last few months and which I had the utmost pleasure of reading in March, it would appear that what kept Elle going was her drive to finish the book.

When I was offered The Sandalwood Tree to review, I had to wait a long time for it to arrive, in fact as my deadline drew near and I hadn’t yet received it I emailed the tour host to find out if it had been posted to me. That was when I found out that Elle was very ill, though at the time I had assumed, wrongly, that it was something she would eventually recover from.

That Elle died due to issues arising from a problem in a routine operation, gallbladder surgery, is poignant for me at this time, as my mother is due to undergo the same operation. And it reminds us that the most mundane and usual health complaints can cause fatal problems.

The Sandalwood Tree is one of the offerings of the Transworld Reading Group Challenge. It is wonderful that so many people are likely to be reviewing this fantastic book and it’s a nice tribute to a very talented writer.

My review of the book is linked to on every mention of it’s title in this post. You may also like to read Helen’s review, Teresa’s review, and Erin’s review.

Elle’s last blog post, in which she describes her illness and editing her last book, can be found here.

Somehow I don’t think a written explanation is required.