What should I read next?

[Aurora Ariel]

If you like Jane Austen I would suggest you read Pride and Prejudice or Mansfield Park or even Emma.Out of all of her books I enjoy the first two best and found the characters to be really interesting.MP I only read earlier this year,but found it to be utterly absorbing and thought-provoking.Also I would suggest the novels of the great early 20th century writer Virginia Wolf, whoose novel "The Waves" I am actually reading myself right now, along with a few other works by other writers.Also try Dumas for great adventure stories with romantic edges.If you choose to go gothic consider authors such as Mary Shelley(The Modern Prometheus or "Frankenstein") and Anne Radcliff, who wrote "The Mysteries of Udolpho" which is considered to be one of the prime examples of early gothic literature.Charles Dickens is also a great author for young readers and I've enjoyed reading many of his works myself! I would recommend "A Tale of Two Cities" and especially "Great Expectations" which I read a few years ago, when I was younger, and it is one of my all-time favourites and a Dickens story standout for me.

[Aurora Ariel]

....I just read a few more of the above posts and I would also agree with a few here.I love "I Capture the Castle" and also the book "Snow Falling on Cedars" and last year I also read "Madame Bovary" for the first time.This is such a unique book which should be read be many book-worms.After reading Flaubert's most famous novel I came to admire him as a writer and I would include him also on my list of favourites(I actually forgot to list him earlier-I think with a few others also).Another great book I read at the start of this year was called "The Shadow of the Wind" by international author Carlos Ruiz Zafron and I would give it five massive stars!It was such an exceptional book in its theme and intensity as it created a vivid atmosphere and predicament for the protagonist Daniel Sempere, who is taken to the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" by his father as a child, and selects a book to "adopt".That is the start of an almost obsessive connection with the author who wrote the chosen book and what results is a strange state of searching for possiblities and answers-the truth behind the elusive being and his origin and mysterious fate-while dealing with his own evolving situation.This is a book which has memorable characters and a shocking turn in plot-I was surprised and almost horrified by some of the twists-which has drawn inspiration from the very best of gothic literature and Romantic intrigue.The whole story is wrapped in this one author,his young admirer and the events which will collide into something more.While been very thrilling and exciting-it's a love song as well.It is true that it is quite an escapist novel in many ways, but a very good one while at it.There's a sense of universality in the story so it can be read by a book lover of any age!Bye

[Pensive]

I don't claim to be a genius in literature, although I do love to read. If I give you my favourite five books of all time, then perhaps you could suggest the next thing I should read.

My favourites are:

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
3. Persuasion by Jane Austen
4. The book was called Constance but I don't remember the author.
5. I capture the castle by Dodie Smith.

I'm 14 and I usually like old books, but I'm willing to give pretty much everything apart from sci-fi and religious books a try.

I love Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. If you like Jane Eyre then in my experience you should like 'Rebecca' by Daphne Du Maurier. It is a great novel. You should read it.

[Mark F.]

Forget what you said about Sci-Fi and read 1984, Brave New World, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Dune.

[Lady19thC]

I would recommend:

Northanger Abbey-Jane Austen
Cranford-Elizabeth Gaskell
Mill on the Floss-George Eliot
Tess of the D'Urbervilles-Thomas Hardy
Far from the Madding Crowd-Thomas Hardy
Great Expectations-Charles Dickens
The Old Curiosity Shop-Charles Dickens
Lark Rise to Candleford-Flora Thompson

Enjoy!!!

[rodanho]

If you like Persuasion, then you may read Austen's other novels, such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility,Emma,etc. But i think two or three of her novels may be enough, since her style in her novels is quite unvaried. And then, as Wuthering Heights is a classic Gothic novel, another paragon of the genre, Frankenstein, may also be your choice. As to my own taste, I strongly recommend Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, two of my favourite authors. Oliver Twist,or Tess, is really something that you must read!

[Nightshade]

I was thinking recently if you dont live in a country where its still copyrighted then The Blue Castle by L.M montgomry is a romanticish old book mind you its much more modern than everything I recognise on the list barring I capture the castle.

Oh and The Shuttle by Frances Hodgeson Burnett (spelling??) is I book I read about once a year as well a bit melodramatic in places as she had a tendancy to be but one of my all time fav. books

[avid_reader]

Thomas Hardy is my personal fav.
'The Return of the Native', 'Tess of dUrbervilles', 'Far from the madding crowd'.. well any Hardy is a great read.
Other books'd be
A tale of two cities(charles dickens)
Wuthering Heights(emily bronte)
Pride and Prejudice(jane austen)
The king's General(daphne duMaurier)
Adam Bede , mill on the floss(george eliot)

[Pensive]

George Eliot's 'Mill on the Floss' is great. You should read it. You will probably like it.

[gumption]

how about you try the time machine by hg wells or harry potter

[Kaltrina]

I've read Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte), Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte), all were lovely, and now I'm planning to start reading Tess of the D'Ubervilles (Thomas Hardy).

[adilyoussef]

... and now I'm planning to start reading Tess of the D'Ubervilles (Thomas Hardy).

A good one. I have it but don't know when going to read it. I have other novels to read. Now I'm rereading A Portait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Also planning to read Waves by Woolf, and others... Don't really know which to start first.

[Kaltrina]

Yes Joyce's Portait of the Artist is on my list to and I've read some parts of it in a book and I really liked it so I can't wait to read it.
I have a large list also. hehehehe

[Sarah's_Chanson]

Thanks to this post I have a large list also!

I've read every jane Austen book except Pride and prejudice, but I've seen the Colin Firth movie and plan to see the Keira Knightly version.

I also don't mind books published between when books started being published to last month as long as they have a good storyline, interesting characters and are a good read.

I also am not reserved to just romantic stories, despite my list consisting of them!

[subterranean]

I saw the movie version of David Copperfield and I like the story alot. So I'm planning to read this book. Other movies that I have seen and interested in reading the novels too are: Tom Jones, Scarlett Letter, and Last of The Mohicans.