The Librarything Virago Group – has another exciting reading project on the horizon. In 2012 we read Elizabeth Taylor novels for her centenary, this year we have been reading Barbara Pym novels for her centenary. 2014 is the centenary of the start of World War 1. There have been so many wonderful novels written about the Great War, and someone came up with the brilliant idea of a Great War theme read in honour of the anniversary. I wanted to let you all know about it – as I thought some of you might want to join in.
As this is a reading project undertaken by members of a Virago group, the books we have chosen are all either Virago books (or have been published by Virago at some point) Persephone books, or books which have been published by other small publishers with a similar ethos, or are available from project Gutenberg.
The theme read is divided up into five categories – with a sixth free choice category – see below. Each category has a main read – with other books listed as alternatives. I realise there are masses of other books available that would suit this project brilliantly – and maybe some of you will choose to read those. However there are some fantastic books listed here – I have already read two of the main books – so will be exploring some of the alternative titles.
The Beginning of the War (January and February)
Main Book: William an Englishman by Cecily Hamilton (Persephone)
Other possibilities:
Golden Miles by Kathleeen Susannah Pritchard (Virago)
Mr Britling Sees it Through by H G Wells (Project Gutenberg)
The Setons by O Douglas (Project Gutenberg)
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman
________________________________________
Fighting on the frontline and the homefront (March and April)
Main Book: One of Ours by Willa Cather (Virago)
Other possibilities:
Aleta Day by Francis Marion Benyon (Virago)
The War Workers by E M Delafield (Project Gutenberg)
What Not by Rose Macaulay (Project Gutenberg)
________________________________________
Dealing with the human cost: Nurses and others who cared(May and June)
Main Book: Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
Other possibilities:
The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker
Diary Without Dates by Enid Bagnold (Project Gutenberg)
The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally
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Ambulance Drivers, pacifists & conscientious objectors(July and August)
Main Book: Not So Quiet by Helen Zenna Smith (Virago)
Other possibilities:
The Happy Foreigner by Enid Bagnold (Virago)
Eunice Fleet by Lily Tobias (Honno)
Non Combatants and Others by Rose Macaulay (Capuchin Classics)
________________________________________
The Consequences of War(September and October)
Main Book: The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West (Virago)
Other possibilities:
Home Fires in France by Dorothy Canfield (Project Gutenberg)
Fighting France by Edith Wharton (Project Gutenberg)
In the Mountains by Elizabeth von Arnim (Project Gutenberg)
________________________________________
Free choice books/books you missed (November and December)
One suggestion might be:
At Break of Day by Elizabeth Speller (Virago 2013)
another possibility – We were Young by Irene Rathborne (virago)
I would love it if some of you joined in with us – many of the books are available free from Project Gutenberg – or can be bought second hand/borrowed from libraries – a good chance to explore books we might otherwise not read.
Please tweet/blog about this challenge and make it a really successful reading project – tweeters please use hashtag #GreatWarVirago – I am very excited about reading these books – I may well read more than one every two months – although at the moment I don’t actually own any of the titles I’ve not read.
Such an amazing coincidence. I was reading today a travel piece about commemoration events to mark start of the war and thought about a reading challenge to go along with it. Then I opened your blog!
Well I hope you will think about joining in with us then.
I will certainly give it some thought… I was planning to make 2014 a year without new challenges. but this is so tempting:)
Lovely post Ali. Looking forward to this very much – I shall do a little post linking to yours!
🙂 Thanks – I think you can probably tell I’m looking forward to it too.
Oh goodness I want to read everything. Absolutely everything.
😀 me too – and I’m thinking of trying o do all of Dance to the Music of time in 2014 too – if I don’t collapse under the strain my bookcases will.
I am trying to be at least slightly realistic. I have Wilkie in Winter and then I will be hosting an Iris Murdoch month in March. Also, a librarian I work with is going to start reading through all the Booker winners with me. Then there are my mountains of shelves and my Kindle and the fact that I work in a library. Oh yes, and three kids and a full-time job. Sigh. So many books, so little time. I cannot resist this reading group and I’m at least adding the titles to my TBR pile. I, too, want to read Dance to the Music of Time.
so many books so little time, the agonised cry of every reader 🙂
Ooh, an Iris Murdoch month? Where can I find out more?
We’ll do an “official” announcement in February. I’ll keep you posted!
Hi Ali. What a good idea! I’ll definitely be joining in. I’d already planned to do some WW1 reading next year – this has really whetted my appetite! Caroline
Fantastic, glad you will be with us.
Sounds interesting. The only one that I have read before is William an Englishman which was excellent. I think that I will give the challenge a try.
Brilliant 🙂
If I can, I will.
Excellent 🙂 would be lovely having you on board.
This is one of my favorite periods to read about and even though I’ve read some of these books, I look forward to the others I have not. Count me in.
Excellent, yes there are plenty of alternatives that look excellent, and more titles could get added to the list as we go on.
[…] sure and join in with us if you like, and check out HeavenAli’s introductory post here – it should be a wonderful […]
Lovely graphic, btw, and I hope you don’t mind me using it for my post!
oh no I hoped other people would use it.
I think this is an excellent idea, I’ll be joining in with a re-read of Testament of Youth in July in my Month of Re-Reading. With All Virago / All August, two Months of Re-Reading and finishing the Hardy project, I’m taking a slight break from projects next year, but not a total one!
I’m looking forward to Testament of Youth 🙂
I haven’t read it since about 1998!
I’ve never read it.
I think I’ll re-read it also. I haven’t read it since the seventies and it was wonderful. I must read all of her books someday.
Can’t wait to get my Vera Britten off the shelf finally!
Excellent – I have been meaning to read it for years – and yet I don’t even have a copy – yet 🙂
I picked up the anniversary copy from Guardian Books after reading an excellent article about it a few months ago, they offer free postage. 🙂
oooh!! 🙂
Actually I think I’m wrong, it’s that they don’t charge extra postage for additional books! Oops 🙂 But they do great deals and are worth keeping an eye on.
A fascinating book challenge! Unfortunately, I cannot participate but I wish you all a great reading year.
Thank you 🙂
[…] am planning to join Ali’s Great War readalong in 2014 of books relating to The Great War for its centenary in 2014. Love the fact that you can […]
Great to hear you will be joining in, but I really can’t take any credit, someone in the LT virago group came up with the idea
I am really looking forward to this! I was talking to my daughter (age 15) this morning and she’s planning to read some of the titles as well in preparation for a trip to the western front with her school. Thanks to all who organised it!
Fantastic, glad you will be joining us. I am sure your daughter’s trip will be a fantastic experience.
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[…] doing this and read some books I wouldn’t have got round to for years. There’s a First World War readalong going on in the LibraryThing Virago Group and on Ali’s blog, but I am not hugely keen on war […]
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