Top Five: Underrated Classics

Everyone has heard of (and many have read) the likes of Dickens, Austen and the Brontes. But there are a lot more amazing classics out there that just don't get the same level of attention. So I've decided to give them a little more. Obviously, this list is limited to my personal reading experience, so if I've missed any (and I'm sure there are many), feel free to rant about it in the comments. 

Meme created by Hyperbole and a Half

1. Anything by Elizabeth Gaskell
If Dickens and Austen’s books had a baby, this would be it. Meshing romance and strong female characters with social commentary and serious issues (even death!), Gaskell’s stories are often heart-wrenching, frequently hilarious and always awesome. Definitely worth a read – and a viewing, if you haven’t already seen the amazing BBC adaptations of North and South, Wives and Daughters and Cranford. 

2. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
OK, I know The Moonstone is his most beloved work, and here I am writing a list of underrated classics without having read that one. Awkward. But I HAVE read The Woman in White, so I’m going to rave about that instead. I originally picked it up after reading the blurb on the back about Dickens mentoring Collins – and I was completely blown away by the contents. It’s a beautifully constructed mystery that was hard to put down (not always the case with the classics!). 

3. Evelina by Frances Burney
Written and published at a time when it was unthinkable for a young woman to read much, let alone write, Burney’s epistolary novel is a charming, funny and touching account of life in 18^th century aristocracy. Evelina gets herself into so many awkward situations, she's easy to relate to - even 200+ years on! Plus, her love interest, Lord Orville, is totes book boyfriend material.
 
4. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
There's been a bunch of adaptations of The Forsyte Saga, so I'm always surprised at the number of people I speak to who haven't read it or even heard of it. Spanning three novels, and multiple decades and generations, Galsworthy's masterpiece both satirises and humanises the British middle-class with the money-obsessed, eccentric Forsytes. There are so many amazing characters to love - and love-to-hate.
 
5. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Thanks to the musical, everybody has heard of The Phantom of the Opera. Plenty have seen it. But not too many seem to have read it. Which is a shame, coz it's an awesome book! And way creepier and more heartbreaking than anything the musical has to offer (and I LOVE the musical).


Which classics do you think get neglected?

Top 5: Books I Want To See On The Big Screen (TGIF!)

This is my first time participating in TGIF, a recap/networking meme hosted by Ginger at GReads. I've seen it bouncing around the blogosphere and thought I'd finally join in this week - especially coz it's such a fun question. Ginger asks: Which books would you love to see made into a TV series or movie? As regular readers of my blog would know, I love me an adaptation, so I couldn't not participate with this question. Here is my top five books, in no particular order, that I want to see adapted for the big (or small) screen (because I love me a list, too):

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I'd love to see this as either a movie or a TV show. The sexual tension between Anna and St. Clair and the development of their relationship would make for a steamy and super-cute teen flick, but there's also some awesome secondary characters that could be fleshed out for an ensemble TV show. The location enough would be enough to make me swoon (though St. Clair ain't bad either).

2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. OK, so the vampire thing has kinda been sucked dry and I'm not gonna lie, I'm getting a bit over the trend myself. But that being said, the Vampire Academy series is a truly great set of teen books, with some awesome characters and plenty of action (of the violent and, er, less violent kind). There's a lot going on which I think would make it perfect for a TV drama series.

3. A Modern Comedy by John Galsworthy. This is the sequel to The Forsyte Saga, which has already been turned into an awesome mini-series in the not-too-distant past. I was so disappointed when they didn't continue the story - I'm still hoping they will one day!

4. Evelina by Frances Burney. This is another classic that I would love to see turned into a mini-series. Evelina's somewhat awkward entrance into society and her relationships with the rakish Sir Clement and the dashing Lord Orville, not to mention her crazy relatives, would make for fun viewing. Plus, it hasn't been done to death like, well, anything by Jane Austen (not that I'm complaining).

5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is one of those books that I'd be really, really excited and at the same time really, really terrified if they decided to make a movie based on it. It's such a wonderful book and I think it could make an amazing film - but only if it's done right. There's a lot of potential to screw it up and I love it so much that I couldn't bear to see it hurt by Hollywood. So, to sum up, I'd like to see this as a movie - but I also really don't want to.

This week on Belle's Bookshelf...
Mag Monday - Lily, Ita and Donald
Pash, Pick or Pass - The Mortal Instruments Edition
My Book Boyfriend - Lord Orville
Young Adult, The Movie
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare Book Review
Bookish Buys - Cute Bookends
Book/Movie Comparison - The Last Unicorn

My Book Boyfriend: Lord Orville

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, all about fictional boys who make us swoon. This week my book boyfriend is very vintage - Lord Orville from Evelina by Frances Burney. He's noble, lively, expressive, kind, caring, affectionate, chivalrous, handsome, rich... y'know, everything a true gentleman should be. He saves Evelina a number of times from iffy situations, and loves her in spite of (or perhaps because of) her often silly actions and social awkwardness. When I read the book a couple of years ago, I pictured Orlando Bloom as Lord Orville.


Swoon-Worthy Quotes

"'My lord,' cried I, endeavoring to disengage my hand, 'pray, let me go!'
'I will,' cried he, to my inexpressible confusion, dropping on one knee, 'if you wish to leave me!'
'Oh, my Lord,' exclaimed I, 'rise, I beseech you, rise! Such a posture to me! Surely your Lordship is not so cruel as to mock me!'
'Mock you!' repeated he earnestly, 'no, I revere you! I esteem and admire you above all human beings! You are the friend to whom my soul is attached as to its better half! You are the most amiable, the most perfect of women! And you are dearer to me than language has the power of telling!'"

"Pressing my hand affectionately to his heart, 'You are now,' (said he, in a low voice) 'all my own! Oh my Evelina, how will my soul find room for its happiness? It seems already bursting!'"