# Popular books in 1820's



## NicaNieves (Jun 13, 2017)

In my story, which takes place in 1820-1830s, my character reads an excerpt from a novel. She dislikes every notion of what a decent lady should be and feeds off of novels about adventures, privateers, pirates, etc. I'm trying to find a novel that was popular around that time that would feed a spirit like hers(even if its frowned upon). I thought frankenstein, but I think that's a bit too dark for this character. Any suggestions?


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## Sebald (Jun 13, 2017)

Tricky period for women, as writers or strong characters. Frances Burney might fit the bill, especially her 1814 novel, 'The Wanderer'. Good luck.


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## Darkkin (Jun 13, 2017)

Maria Edgeworth.  Her works have been referenced from Austen to Heyer.  And althought it was written in 1905 _The Scarlet Pimpernel _is one of the best historic spy novels I've read.  Alexandre Dumas also started writing around this time, albeit 1829...And James Fenimoore Cooper.  Sir Walter Scott, too.  George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) came along in about 1850.  Close, but not quite, still good reading.  Robert Lewis Stevenson is of the same period.  But older books were still in play, like the published diaries of Marco Polo.

And in 1834 _Rime of the Ancient Mariner_ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge was published.  Some well grounded fiction encompassing the period.  _Poldark_ published from 1945 to 1953.  As well as Rapheal Sabatini.


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## ppsage (Jun 13, 2017)

Depending on the circumstances of your character, it's just as likely that she would be reading serialized fiction in a periodical, which at that time was an equal source for long fiction with books. I would be tempted to make a work up, as things which were popular or available and things which have stood the test of time are different.


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## Darkkin (Jun 13, 2017)

ppsage said:


> Depending on the circumstances of your character, it's just as likely that she would be reading serialized fiction in a periodical, which at that time was an equal source for long fiction with books. I would be tempted to make a work up, as things which were popular or available and things which have stood the test of time are different.



Many books of that era started as serialised stories in the periodicals.  The were also news stories like the journals of the doomed whaling ship, _The Essex_.  And in 1839 Darwin published _The Voyage of the Beagle_.


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## ppsage (Jun 13, 2017)

Another reason to make up the work is that anything real from the time is going to come with a lot of attached baggage.


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