# Recommend me some good English lit - copyright expired **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914 "2009-06-16T05:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914/21 "2009-06-18T01:58:22Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > CMy favorite Bronte novel is not _Jane Eyre_ but _Villette_. I like her snarky observations on the character of the Belgians. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914/22 "2009-06-18T09:39:26Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Most of these sound lovely (except Dreiser, too preachy for me). > > Thanks. Not sure **Walloon** ’s done you any favours recommending _The Ambassadors_ - absolute ball-breaking novel, found it a v difficult read. YMMV, though - I find James really tough but others get to grips with him no probs. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914/23 "2009-06-18T10:33:16Z")
What you need my friend is an adventure book. My favourite ones meeting your limitations: [The Prisioner of Zenda](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/95) and [Rupert of Hentzau](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1145) by Anthony Hope. [Lorna Doone](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17460)by R.D. Blackmore. [King Solomon’s mine](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2166) by H.R. Haggard. [Captain Courageous](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2225) by Rudyard Kipling. [The Scarlet Pimpernel](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60) by Baroness Orcsy. [Michael Strogoff](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18857), [Journey to the center of the earth](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18857), [From Earth to moon](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/83), [Five weeks on a balloon](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3526) and [Around the world in 80 days](http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/103), by Julio Verne ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914/24 "2009-06-18T16:31:35Z")
Hey, **Walloon** , no offense. I don’t _agree_ with her observations. It’s just that her perspective as a strait-laced English preacher’s daughter, finding herself on the Continent in the heart of a very Catholic Belgian girls’ school, is an education in culture clash. Also, we Dopers are always open to snark. I also like Louisa May Alcott’s thorniness as she attacks sexism, dietary habits, health issues, politics and other subjects of her day. But she also wasn’t immune to prejudice; as a Protestant New Englander, she could give hell to Irish immigrants. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914/25 "2009-06-18T16:41:53Z")
No problem, my angry face (in combination with my user name) was meant as a sight gag. I wasn’t really angry. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-english-lit-copyright-expired/499914.md?page=1)