Novels About Working Class England1800S

[Mr Zippy]

Apart from dickens, could you recommend a novel which gives a good picture of life for the working class in the 1800s. I am doing a family tree and would like to better understand living conditions. my family lived in birmingham, but there must be similarities with other cities. Thanks.

[The Builder]

Try Elizabeth Gaskell

[Captain2]

Try 'The Manchester Man' by Isabella Banks - excellent read.

[woofgang]

mrs gaskell is a bit late but there are other suggestions here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_novel

[Tilly2]

Anna of the Five Towns
Clayhanger

Both by Arnold Bennet

[woofgang]

oh maybe shes not too late, i thought you had said 18c

[Buenchico]

You might struggle to find many titles. What was innovative about the work of Dickens is that he chose to centre his works around the poorer members of society, which was almost unknown up until then.

You might get a clearer insight into conditions in the 19th century through the writings of Frederick Engels:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17306/17306-h/17306-h.htm
or, probably best of all, by booking a guided tour of Birmingham Back to Backs:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/birmingham-back-to-backs/
Read the reviews here:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186402-d595860-r175704854-Birmingham_Back_to_Backs-Birmingham_West_Midlands_England.html

[The Builder]

Late? Woofters .............. she died in 1865 ;o)

[Tilly2]

Germinal (set in France) but worth reading. Emile Zola.

[Laelia]

Hi Zippy, if you want proper documented fact about the working class in the 1800s - I would recommend 'Mayhew's London' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Labour_and_the_London_Poor#Mayhew.27s_London

[woofgang]

i know builder but i misread the op as 18c which would have been novels based in the 1700's

[The Builder]

:o)))

[heathfield]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ragged-Trousered_Philanthropists

[The Builder]

My Favourite Heathy. 1914 though :o(

[Tilly2]

He's a bit later but any novel by D.H. Lawrence.

[humbersloop]

beat me to it heathfield

Builder, I'd argue people's general lot didn't change much over those 10/12 years across the two centuries

[horseshoes]

Read about Annie Besant.

[The Builder]

Good point Humbers. I should have considered that. The novel did indeed reflect Tressel's experiences over the late Victorian period.
Probably a very good choice.

[Canary42]

You could try some of Anne Perry's novels - she sets quite a few in Victorian London.

Search Amazon for her Thomas Pitt novels for some examples.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anne+perry+thomas+pitt+series

[heathfield]

TB and Sloopy...My ancestors were Quakers. Amongst them, 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' was looked upon as 'required reading'.

[humbersloop]

our house too H, although from a different tradition :x)