I am no bird; and no net ensnares me.
my all time favorite classics by women + tbr of the one's that I haven't read yet!
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf, 1929
When, however, one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, or even of a very remarkable man who had a mother, then I think we are on the track of a lost novelist, a suppressed poet, of some mute and inglorious Jane Austen, some Emily Brontë who dashed her brains out on the moor or mopped and mowed about the highways crazed with the torture that her gift had put her to. Indeed, I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman.
Classic. Iconic. A must.
This book had on me the effect that it was supposed to have, it made me interested in the female side of literature, made me investigate and research to discover more women writers of the past and ultimately led me to some of my favorite reads I’ve ever done.
Maybe it’s not so relevant anymore in some of its parts, but it’s always a good reminder of where we were and how much progress we made so far.
Plus, it’s full of inspiring quotes.
I read it for the first time when I was at the end of my teenage years and entering womanhood, so for me, it was a formative read.
Recommend. Recommend.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, 1847
I am not an angel,' I asserted; 'and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me - for you will not get it, any more than I shall get it of you: which I do not at all anticipate.
The tension between these two. The longing. The witty conversations they have…almost a perfect love story.
But, as per usual, it is not that simple.
There’s intrigue, mystery, tragedy, and a little skeleton in his closet…still quite alive actually.
All wonderful ingredients for an iconic story, that sucks you in - maybe not from the very first pages - but as you go on, and she meets Mr. Rochester…oh, yeah…you cannot escape it anymore. And you would not want to.
Ah, and get ready for some Rochester “roasting”, especially on a second read!
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, 1818
There is love in me the likes of which you've never seen. There is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. If I am not satisfied in the one, I will indulge the other.
How can someone write such a masterpiece at the age of 18, I still cannot comprehend!?
Beautifully crafted, dreamy writing, haunting atmosphere, powerful insights on human nature.
The novel focuses on themes of loss, guilt, sinful ambition and the consequences of defying nature and the work of God.
Also, it makes you think on the importance of inclusion and acceptance of otherness, to embrace and not destroy something or someone just because it's “different” from what you are or already know.
One of the most profound and heavy ones, but so quintessential for its value.
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, 1923.
How passionately she longed to be important to somebody again - not important on platforms, not important as an asset in an organisation, but privately important, just to one other person, quite privately, nobody else to know or notice. It didn't seem much to ask in a world so crowded with people, just to have one of them, only one out of all the millions to oneself. Somebody who needed one, who thought of one, who was eager to come to one - oh, oh how dreadfully one wanted to be precious.
Just discovered this last month and I’m almost finished reading it. And, I can confidently say that is now one of my favorites.
I love Von Arnim's writing style, her use of sarcasm, and how she perfectly sketched her characters.
I wish I could be with them on this one-month escape from society and family expectations to indulge in silence, self-discovery and resting, without all the drama, gossiping and constant noise of other people…oh, yeah, the perfect esca-
…only to realize that it’s not going according to plan, not entirely.
It’s also so quotable and full of great insights into human nature: the need to escape gossiping, expectations, the constant search for our true selves, the inevitable need for connection, love, and friendship (even though sometimes one really needs some rest from people, eh eh).
How much I’m giggling…insane!
Pick it up, please!
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, 1959
Journeys end in lovers meeting; I have spent an all but sleepless night, I have told lies and made a fool of myself, and the very air tastes like wine. I have been frightened half out of my foolish wits, but I have somehow earned this joy; I have been waiting for it for so long.
If you want to read a light horror tale with great insights into human behavior, interesting characters, and delicious - gorgeously delicious - writing…this one is for you!
Atmospheric, intriguing, and best to read in one sitting because once you are into the story, you cannot escape it and the gothic vibes, haunting description of its surroundings and characters will trap you as if you were really within Hill House.
It has one of the best opening lines in literature, in my humble opinion, and not just the opening ones!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, 1817
The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.
A mockery of the gothic genre, but also a love letter to all the readers who once they pick up a book imagine themself in it - breathing the same air as their fictional soulmate, crying for his departure, longing for this love so profound and wishing to receive gorgeously written letters by him every four months, to feel his undying and immortal love - after just two small and rapid encounters.
I’m kidding, but not entirely.
Regardless, a highly enjoyable novel that deviates from the usual Jane Austen style, which may not be to everyone's taste.
I would give it a go if you happen to be an Austen “hater”, maybe this will be more up your alley.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, 1938
If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again.
Loved the concept, and picked it up immediately. Devouired it. Then, watched all the movie adaptations. Loved those, too.
It has reminiscences of Jane Eyre, but it’s also very different.
A naive young woman (there she is in her 20s not knowing what to do with herself) encounters a rich Englishman in his 40s (oh, wow…it doesn’t happen that often) and marries him in a hurry (as one does, because he is English, rich and in his 40s, come on!) and goes to live in his mansion (I’m already envisioning her living the dream…).
All is fun and good until she discovers that he and his household, especially its governess, are crystallized in the memory of his first wife, Rebecca. (Oh no, the ghost of the first wife!).
They still worship her and she - as one would be - becomes haunted by the constant comparison and lack of "everything” that Rebecca was and starts to spiral into “madness”, haunted by the ghost of Rebecca, until…
Oh, no…I won’t spoil you.
Remarkable idea and execution, amazing writing (as per usual, but it’s one element that needs to exist for me to love a book!), unlikeable characters, gorgeous setting, and I don’t know what else to say…why have you still not read it?!
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892
It is the strangest yellow, that wallpaper! It makes me think of all the yellow things I ever saw - not beautiful ones like buttercups, but old foul, bad yellow things.
Short, yet so profound and impactful. How a woman who suffers from "temporary nervous depression" (aka postpartum depression) descends into madness after being confined into a room (not just any room…but an upstairs nursery) with no other occupations to dedicate herself to - because she needs to rest - other than obsessively observing and analyzing the yellow wallpaper that surrounds her.
Brilliant. I have nothing else to say. I will recommend it till the end of time!
The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie, 1961
She looked at nobody, but just before she went out, she raised her eyes and took a speedy glance at me. There was something in that looks that startled me - though it was difficult to describe why. There was malice in it, and a curious intimate knowledge. I felt that, without effort, and almost without curiosity, she had known exactly what thoughts were in my mind.
THIS! PLEASE READ THIS AT ALL COST!
Not the usual Agatha Christie, there is no Poirot or Miss Marple here, and it’s the one I loved the most (I will apologize to these two another time).
As soon as I sensed witchy vibes, I was aware that this book was for me and would devour it as soon as I started reading it. And that was the case, read in one sitting and soon after watched the mini-series adaptation with none other than my love, Rufus Sewell (such a great actor!), and loved the series as well. It’s a little different, especially the ending, but it is well-executed and gorgeously interpreted, so I didn’t mind.
Back to the book: it’s atmospheric, with an intriguing and great central focus - black magic - that it is handled in a splendidly sinister way.
Goblin Market and other poems by Christina Rossetti, 1862
One face looks out from all his canvases,
One selfsame figure sits or walks or leans:
We found her hidden just behind those screens,
That mirror gave back all her loveliness.
A queen in opal or in ruby dress,
A nameless girl in freshest summer-greens,
A saint, an angel — every canvas means
The same one meaning, neither more or less.
He feeds upon her face by day and night,
And she with true kind eyes looks back on him,
Fair as the moon and joyful as the light:
Not wan with waiting, not with sorrow dim;
Not as she is, but was when hope shone bright;
Not as she is, but as she fills his dream.
― In an Artist’s studio
She was in the circle of the Pre-Raphaelites and was the sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and that was enough for me to become invested. I’ve been in love with Pre-Raphaelite’s art since high school, and when I discovered that some of their muses were also masters themselves, I needed to dig deep.
She explores so many themes in her poems, many of them also concerns the role of a model in art and the role of a woman at large, expectations from society and so on.
However she is best known for her “religious” poetry, but I'm not too interested in that at the moment, so I explored the poems that concerned other themes, and they are great.
Some of them are quite “simple” to understand yet so profound, others are more obscure, but fascinating nonetheless. I love the rhythm and sound of her poems. Old school, but truly beautiful.
I wanted to include at least one poetry suggestion (but I will do a dedicated article on poetry recommendations if you would like, let me know!)
TBR time! These are the classics that I'm most fascinated by atm and want to read asap.
The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette (1678)
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (1790)
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (1966)
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (1951)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948)
Save me the waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald (1932)
All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West (1931)
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1854)
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (1848)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon (990s-1000s)
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (1905)
I hope you enjoyed these recommendations - accompanied by my musings on why I loved every single one of them.
Wishing you a great rest of the week!
Nicole.
I love this list! So many of my favorites are on here! Rebecca will always be my favorite books hands down.
One of my goals this year is to read more classics, so I've definitely found a few from your list to add to my TBR 🤎