womzilla | 19th century literature update

As you may recall, back in August I solicited opinions on which works of 19th century fiction* I should read to fill the mighty gaps in my puny experience of reading from that century. Among the suggestions, the clear winners were Pride and Prejudice (which I had started as an audiobook back in 2005, but had to abandon because the library CDs were so badly scratched) and Frankenstein, given a particular boost in the standings because of its role as one of the creators of the misfit, shambling, yellow-eyed, sensitive yet raging genre of science fiction. I've managed to read both of those, along with two of Wilde's plays so far. (I really don't read books enough, thanks to the fact that I read so many comics and blogs.)

* (& possibly drama, poetry, and other writings, but mostly fiction)

By a remarkable coincidence, John Kessel has recently written a superb ~~crossover fanfic~~ literary homage to those two novels, the novelette "Pride and Prometheus". It was first published in F&SF, and then reprinted in his third story collection, The Baum Plan for Financial Independence, which you can download in its entirety, no strings attached, in a variety of electronic formats from the publisher, Small Beer Press. Kessel's story has been nominated for both the Nebula and the Hugo for Best Novelette. It's a remarkably good piece of writing; I read it before actually reading either of the works pastiched and was impressed, and then re-read it this month and was floored. Go, read.

On the larger project, I am waffling about which Dickens to read as the next book in the project: several people on my original thread suggested A Tale of Two Cities, which I've long regretted not having read. However, I've had three people spontaneously suggest that I would particularly enjoy Bleak House. I'm probably going to only read one work from any particular author at a time, so I'm somewhat torn. Any opinions from you, my vastly learned readership?

Finally on this topic,

p_straub55 suggested that, of the works of Henry James, The Ambassadors had no false notes in it and was remarkably free of the "twittering" of which James is so often rightfully accused, so I suspect that's the one I'll read when I decide it's time to go Jamesing. (Though technically it's not a nineteenth-century novel, really, I'm talking "Long 19th" here.) Maybe after Dickens, or maybe after Tolstoy. (Anna Karenina or War and Peace? Decisions, decisions.)