There are many beautifully written pieces – tragic stories of love, of thoughtful societal critiques – that are readily left out of the discussion, eclipsed by the fame of their more well-known counterparts. Too often we read wonderful books written by some of literature’s most loved authors, but we barely scrape the surface of their narrative worlds. There are so many hidden gems out there, and it’s time we shed a light on more of them! I’ve started you off with a few here.
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the gothic classic Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier but my personal favourite by her is not nearly talked about enough. It sports 22,384 ratings on Goodread – a small value compared to Rebecca’s 676,624. Frenchman’s Creek was ahead of its time in terms of storytelling and entertainment capacity. A deeply entertaining and compelling read from cover to cover, it explores Lady Dona St Columb, who yearns to escape her life of normalcy and monotony at Court. The story involves pirates- yes pirates- love, adventure and scandal. If you loved Rebecca, or even if you hated it, you must add Frenchman’s Creek to your shelf.
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Perhaps I am not most apt to speak on this one, as I haven’t actually yet read it myself, but when thinking of literature’s greats, I had to look more into Dickens’ bibliography. Our Mutual Friend is his last published book and one that I hadn’t heard of until a few days ago (that might just be on me!) The narrative follows the inheritance of dust-heap after the sudden death of its expected heir. As his latest work, it supposedly combines his much loved earlier Dickensian themes into one to create an insightful critique of Victorian society.
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
I couldn’t write this article without mentioning the work of one third of my personal favourite literature trio. Villette is Brontë’s final novel and arguably the most maturely written of all her fiction. If you like a gothic novel, this is perhaps even more gothic than Jane Eyre. We follow the character of Lucy Snowe, who flees to the French town of Villette, escaping her English life full of tragedy. The story poignantly explores her feelings of heartache and unrequited love. Any fans of the Brontës in general will thoroughly enjoy this one as the novel reads like a memoir at some points, reflecting Charlotte’s own experiences as a governess and at boarding school.
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