Exploring – and, sometimes, unearthing – the literature of Victorian Christians for today’s Christian reader seeking intelligence, Biblical and theological substance, a little bit of drama and a lot of wit.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane only achieves happiness by acting in accordance with both the law of God and the Spirit of God – by walking in both obedience and love.
Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The question especially close to Barrett Browning’s heart in Aurora Leigh is the role of the artist – the contemplator of God, his creation and the people he populated it with. How productive is art, and by extension, faith, in a hungry and starving world?
The Fisherman’s Lady by George MacDonald
The mystery of Malcolm’s birth and the intrigue of the horrific “wizard’s chamber” make this tale a thoroughly enjoyable, unputdownable read, brimming with potential for a great Christian movie, if anyone’s listening.
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
Whoever originated the writerly advice, “Show, don’t tell,” a commonly touted golden rule of fiction writing, apparently never read a Victorian novel. The Victorians are master story tellers, and the intense, psychological study of character is one of the defining features of Victorian novels.
Lady Susan by Jane Austen
Lady Susan (1871), one of Jane Austen’s lesser known writings, was one of only two works by Austen (along with The Watsons) to reach publication during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901). Lady Susan’s pretenses fail and her daughter Frederica’s innocent humility succeeds because of the higher moral order that Austen believes in, where bad is punished and good rewarded.
Nature Reveals the Glory of God in Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore
For John, the world is a gift from a joyful creator, a gift sometimes incomprehensible but evidencing vestiges of a creator who, in his omniscience, does comprehend all things, and who, through his good gifts, displays his trustworthiness.
Christian Victorian Literature 