Modern novels set in Victorian-ish era
October 26, 2015 3:08 PM Subscribe
What are the best recent novels that are set between, say, 1800 and WWII? Particularly if they have a female protagonist.
That's a really wide time span. How about anything by A.S. Byatt (especially Possession or The Children's Book), Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace, Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries? Not all recent, but all good.
posted by Miss T.Horn at 3:25 PM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Miss T.Horn at 3:25 PM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Or pretty much anything by Sarah Waters.
posted by matildaben at 3:26 PM on October 26, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by matildaben at 3:26 PM on October 26, 2015 [15 favorites]
If you're open to YA, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and the Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper.
And while Jo Walton's alt-history Farthing trilogy takes place after WWII, it's a chilling and not entirely unbelievable tale that I found quite unnerving.
posted by peripathetic at 3:36 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
And while Jo Walton's alt-history Farthing trilogy takes place after WWII, it's a chilling and not entirely unbelievable tale that I found quite unnerving.
posted by peripathetic at 3:36 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
I was going to suggest The Paying Guests, but will nth it instead.
You might also want to check out Connie Willis' Blackout and All Clear.
posted by brookeb at 4:15 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
You might also want to check out Connie Willis' Blackout and All Clear.
posted by brookeb at 4:15 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm just going to second The Crimson Petal and the White (which had a dynamite BBC miniseries adaptation, if you're into that sort of thing) and everything by Sarah Waters.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:24 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:24 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
All the Light We Cannot See was excellent, and the female protagonist is blind too.
posted by PSB at 4:27 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by PSB at 4:27 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Kate Atkinson's Life After Life is set between 1912 and WWII and is absolutely brilliant. There is a sequel out now, with the intriguing title A God in Ruins.
posted by number9dream at 4:42 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by number9dream at 4:42 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Jo Baker's Longbourn is set in the early 1800s--an account of the events of Pride and Prejudice as seen through the eyes of the Bennet family's servants.
Seconding Life After Life. I found it very moving and it has stayed with me, over a year later.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:00 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding Life After Life. I found it very moving and it has stayed with me, over a year later.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:00 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
The girl you left behind was excellent. The story is based on the occupation of France during WWII. This is one of those novels that I never wanted to end. I truly felt like I lost a friend when I finished it. I also highly recommend Jojo Moyes other novels.
posted by JujuB at 5:07 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by JujuB at 5:07 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding books by Sarah Waters.
posted by forkisbetter at 5:32 PM on October 26, 2015
posted by forkisbetter at 5:32 PM on October 26, 2015
Seconding Blackout!
Connie Willis also has a more lighthearted time travel book set in Victorian Oxford called "To Say Nothing of the Dog".
If you're looking for something downright fluffy, I enjoyed Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mystery novels.
posted by dotparker at 5:44 PM on October 26, 2015
Connie Willis also has a more lighthearted time travel book set in Victorian Oxford called "To Say Nothing of the Dog".
If you're looking for something downright fluffy, I enjoyed Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mystery novels.
posted by dotparker at 5:44 PM on October 26, 2015
I recently really liked The Outlander by Gil Adamson - set in 1903 Western Canada/United States.
posted by hiker U. at 5:56 PM on October 26, 2015
posted by hiker U. at 5:56 PM on October 26, 2015
The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue
Valentine Grey - Sandi Toksvig
The Visitors - Rebecca Mascull
The Summer Before the War - Helen Simonson
Nthing the Sarah Waters, Margaret Atwood & Elizabeth Wein works mentioned.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 5:56 PM on October 26, 2015
Valentine Grey - Sandi Toksvig
The Visitors - Rebecca Mascull
The Summer Before the War - Helen Simonson
Nthing the Sarah Waters, Margaret Atwood & Elizabeth Wein works mentioned.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 5:56 PM on October 26, 2015
A S Byatt's Possession ( don't bother with the movie).
posted by brujita at 6:42 PM on October 26, 2015
posted by brujita at 6:42 PM on October 26, 2015
I love Marge Piercy's historical novels, all of which follow a number of different characters through an exciting period of history. Sex Wars mostly closely matches the period you're interested in - it follows several women during the period after the Civil War (the "first wave" of feminism) - suffragettes, a birth control advocate, and a Jewish immigrant factory worker. Really interesting. Gone to Soldiers takes place during WWII but is similar and also really good.
The Alienist is another great modern novel set in Victorian NYC, though not with a female protagonist.
And if you still haven't had enough of New York during that period, there's Rivington Street and Union Square by Meredith Tax which follows a Jewish family from fleeing pogroms in Russia at the turn of the century to becoming middle class by the Great Depression.
posted by lunasol at 6:46 PM on October 26, 2015
The Alienist is another great modern novel set in Victorian NYC, though not with a female protagonist.
And if you still haven't had enough of New York during that period, there's Rivington Street and Union Square by Meredith Tax which follows a Jewish family from fleeing pogroms in Russia at the turn of the century to becoming middle class by the Great Depression.
posted by lunasol at 6:46 PM on October 26, 2015
Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day (1989)
posted by kirkaracha at 6:46 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by kirkaracha at 6:46 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey
Frog Music - Emma Donoghue
Misfortune - Wesley Stace
Life Class, Toby's Room & Noonday (trilogy) - Pat Barker
The Peachgrowers' Almanac [a.k.a. A Proper Education for Girls] & Bleakly Hall - Elaine di Rollo
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 6:54 PM on October 26, 2015
Frog Music - Emma Donoghue
Misfortune - Wesley Stace
Life Class, Toby's Room & Noonday (trilogy) - Pat Barker
The Peachgrowers' Almanac [a.k.a. A Proper Education for Girls] & Bleakly Hall - Elaine di Rollo
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 6:54 PM on October 26, 2015
Everything by Deanna Raybourn. She has a series set in Victorian England, a few one-offs set in the post-WWI era, and just started another series set in Victorian England.
Simone St. James writes amazing gothicy ghost stories set immediately post-WWI.
Lauren Willig's The Other Daughter is set in the 1920s. Willig has an awesome series set in the Napoleonic era, too early to be Victorian, but it is early 1800s. I didn't care for the first book in the series, but her writing style and voice became much more natural in the second book, and the whole series is a delight.
Amanda DeWees has a few gothic Victorian books that are really good.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 2:53 AM on October 27, 2015
Simone St. James writes amazing gothicy ghost stories set immediately post-WWI.
Lauren Willig's The Other Daughter is set in the 1920s. Willig has an awesome series set in the Napoleonic era, too early to be Victorian, but it is early 1800s. I didn't care for the first book in the series, but her writing style and voice became much more natural in the second book, and the whole series is a delight.
Amanda DeWees has a few gothic Victorian books that are really good.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 2:53 AM on October 27, 2015
Seconding Margaret Atwood, though I would pick The Blind Assassin (which takes place mostly in the early 20th century) over Alias Grace.
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:36 AM on October 27, 2015
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:36 AM on October 27, 2015
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is one of my favorites. Not female protagonists, but still enjoyable as hell!!
posted by Piedmont_Americana at 4:44 AM on October 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Piedmont_Americana at 4:44 AM on October 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately no female protagonist, but I really enjoyed Regeneration by Pat Barker as well as the other two follow up books, The Eye in the Door and Ghost Road. It's set during World War I, and the story revolves around a psychiatrist who works at a hospital for sufferers of shell shock (aka PTSD). Many of the characters are based on real people, including several World War I poets, such as Siegfried Sassoon. It's a very engaging and interesting read. I don't always like "historical fiction" type stuff, but this is really incredibly well done.
There's also Atonement by Ian McEwan which is primarily set during WWII.
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:57 PM on October 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
There's also Atonement by Ian McEwan which is primarily set during WWII.
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:57 PM on October 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by frumiousb at 3:21 PM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]