Do keep popping over to Darlene’s review and the discussion of William – it’s here, and kicked off a bit early to compensate for all our differing timezones.
And over here, it’s time for a giveaway: I picked up a copy of William while in Edinburgh, and thought I’d pop it in the post to someone who hadn’t had luck in tracking it down. If you’ve been intrigued by the various reviews popping up, then just put your name in the comments (open worldwide). Actually, that’s too easy – I want to know your favourite book with a person’s name for its title! Let me know that, and a random entrant will be picked sometime next week.
Mine – don’t know if you’ve heard it mentioned – is Miss Hargreaves…
Phineas Finn, by Anthony Trollope! Lisa in Houston
I have found the discussion far too interesting not to throw my hat in! My favourite book with a person's name…easy! Jane Eyre!
Love your blog
Tess of the D'urbervilles is one of my favourites
Just to add to the mix – Emma!
Please throw my name in the hat!
If "favorite" comes down to loved for the longest time and reread the most number of times, it has to be Anne of Green Gables. I bought my first copy in Foyles bookstore when I had the great good fortune to be living in England as a Yank air force brat, many years ago. (I still think the stork dropped me in the wrong country.) That reminds me–Mary Plain books–still love them, although I only have two and they are certainly out of fashion now. Kate in Oregon
Eben Holden, although not really for literary reasons.
Ethan Frome. So tragic but I still love it. But I love Jane Eyre too . . . am I allowed to have two favorites? And thanks for holding the giveaway!
Oh I've been lent a copy, but haven't finished it yet. Great discussion though. Hmm difficult to choose my favourite – depends on my mood. In the classics, Emma without doubt or for a comfort read either Masha or Marianna. I too love Mary Plain and the wonderful John and Mary series (now long gone too).
I love Mrs Dalloway, by Viginia Woolf and Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami! Am I allowed two? Katie in Dorset.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Such a wonderful novel!
Another one for Jane Eyre!
Emma for me too. A recent find that I've enjoyed though is The Other Miss Perkin by Lorna Hill. And what about Jo of the Chalet School.
Oh, such a gorgeous shade of blue…someone will be a very lucky recipient!
Thank you so much for suggesting the read-along, Simon. I really enjoyed it and only wish we could have all been sitting in the same room with a pot of tea and some cake!
Olive Kitterage by Elizabeth Strout
I'm tempted to join the Jane Eyre club…but I would feel remiss not mentioning Orlando, by Virginia Woolf, or, of course, Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. There are others, too…It's much too difficult to pick just one favorite! Though I think I must go with Jude for the time being.
I see someone else has mentioned Olive Kitteridge, but it was one of best books I read last year.
But mustn't forget Rebecca.
Oh, I'd love a copy of "William"! After reading your post yesterday, I checked my library but they don't have it. Fun game too – one of my favorite books w/a name in the title is "The Life and Times of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" by Laurence Sterne! So, so funny. And of course that brings to mind E.T.A. Hoffmann's wonderful "The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr!"
Evelina by Frances Burney. I only discovered this a few years ago – I have a friend whom I call Evielena so this book jumped out at me at a Secondhand Bookshop. I can't believe it took me 38 years to read it!
David Copperfield – Chuck Dickens.
Liz in Texas where it's 75 degrees and blue blue blue sky… :-)
My favourite is Therese Raquin.Not sure how to put accents on the e's though.I'm a fan of Mary Plain.I've got three MP books!
Thanks for the recommendation of Miss Mole. Looking forward to deepening my acquaintance with EHY. Excellent chat on William wasn't it?
I was looking for this book and my library doesn't have a copy! All the books coming to mind are children's books which I loved, including Anne of Green Gables, Jane of Lantern Hill, Matilda, Caddie Woodlawn, the Harry Potter books – I could go on and on. Does it seem as though books for children are more likely to include people's names?
Lolita by Nabokov.
Yes please, I'd like to get my hands on William.
Robinson Crusoe!
Pls include me in the draw :)
There are many … but high on the list is Lucy Brown's Schooldays, by Dorothy Vicary. Another friend has also been recommending Young recently, so please add me in to the draw!
When I was in my 20s I loved Amanda and the Eleven Million Mile High Dancer by Carol Hill. It's still on my shelf though I haven't read it for years. My lifetime (so far) favourite is probably Emma.
Joanne
I think I have to go with Emma but was tempted by Miss Mole – & by Maisie Dobbs for a detective story with some fascinating info about the First World War.
I found William on line and he is on his way to me. Rebecca is my favorite as I fell in love with Daphne DuMaurier when I was 13. My first time in England I stayed for a bit in Fowey opposite her first home there.
Any and all Lucias….
somehow this didn't post before.
Sally
Your review (and the others it links to) make William sound like a wonderful book. My book is Roxanna Slade, a novel, by Reynolds Price. Mr. Price may not be well known to British readers? He wrote credibly, beautifully, the voice of Roxanna Slade.
I have to go back many many years.
But I recall going to the library and reading the whole series of the Betsy books (Maud Hart Lovelace). The teenagers nowadays would probably find them boring but I loved them and my oldest girl loved them also.
Barbara
Oliver Twist.
Can't decide between Emma, Anna Karenina, and Kristen Lavransdottir… do I still get to enter for the prize? ;-)
Mrs. Dalloway
And, Shush! Liz!! Not a title ;-)
Since I just bought it, how about Mr Skeffington by Elizabeth von Arnim.