Recommend some books to me

[womzilla]

Assume that I have read no novel published in the 19th century, in any language--I'm embarrassed by the degree this is almost completely true. (I will probably list the few I have read in a comment to this post.)

What are the first 20 or 30 novels I should read to close this chasm of ignorance? And where should I look for other recommendations? I've found a couple of "great novels of the 19th century" lists, but not many.

Oh, it probably doesn't make sense to recommend more than two novels by the same author. And for these purposes, "novel" can include "single, outstanding collection of short fiction and/or drama".

Edited to add: Lots of great stuff recommended so far, though unsurprisingly heavy on English-language works, though French and Russian have shown up. I'm haven't seen any recommendations for anything originally in Italian, German, or Spanish--is there really no one noteworthy in German literature between Goethe and Mann? Or Spanish between Cervantes and Borges?

Comments

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

I honestly can't remember if I've read "Goblin Market" in its entirety--I have difficulty reading poetry--but last year I saw an excellent staged reading of it which I think included the entire text.

And yes, given my passions, interests, and position in the Science Fiction Active Reserves, the one 19th century work that it is most actively disgraceful that I have not read is Frankenstein. I should probably start there.

(The one work of literature that I consider it most actively disgraceful to have not read is either King Lear or Gravity's Rainbow. I've never actually read Hamlet, but I've seen two excellent productions of it, one lightly abridged and one complete.)

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

I'm seeing Lear tomorrow afternoon at the Globe.