I've recently read some Bronte & Austen, authors whose works I never thought I'd be interested in, and I'm hooked.  I'm only reading classics (and my TBR list already includes nearly 700 titles!), so I'm hoping someone can suggest some similar authors/works in the classic genre.  Thanks!

I've enjoyed Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Middlemarch by George Eliot,

and The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton.

A big yes to Thomas Hardy, I just love the way he writes.  Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes are good, the first "cozies".  I'm not a big fan of Steinbeck, but love East of Eden.  Anything by Mark Twain, but not the Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn stuff, the later Twain, sarcastic and funny beyond belief.  Voltaire is the same sarcastic and funny.  I liked Eliot, the way she writes is amazing but her books are very pertinent to her time frame and the references are too obscure for me to really enjoy the books.  Truly classic is Plato, The Republic is one of the best books ever written and still relevant today, very thought provoking.

Good reading Jennifer,

Margaret

Jennifer,

If you like the Brontes, try Elizabeth Gaskell.

If you like Austen, try Emily Eden. http://www.amazon.com/Semi-Attached-Couple-Semi-Detached-House/dp/014016233X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0162617-3199645?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182121760&sr=8-1

Don't forget Edith Wharton with Age of Innocence or Nathaniel Hawthorne, Scarlet Letter and Blithdale Romance. 

How about the Little Women books by Louisa May Alcott?  There are three in the series.  The other two are Little Men and Jo's Boys.

Edith Wharton's books are excellent.  I especially liked Custom of the Country

Thackeray's Vanity Fair is excellent as well.

You could also try francis hodgson burnett.one of my favs is the little princess actually it is on my bookshelf

Try Thomas Hardy's THE RETURN of THE NATIVE, JUDE THE OBSCURE, TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES. 

My Antonia was written by Willa Cather, and Rebecca is by Daphne DuMaurier (awesome book and the original movie version's great too).  If you liked the Brontes you should try Wilkie Collins and Henry James' Turn if the Screw.

Wow..so many gerat suggestions!  Since originally posting, I've been filling my bookshelves with nearly every book listed here.  I just picked up a whole set of Alcott, and I'm thinking Edith Wharton may now be one of my favorite authors!  next up: Thomas Hardy.

Thanks everyone!

Someone mentioned Elizabeth Gaskell - I second that! I loved Wives and Daughters, and it reminded me of a good Jane Austen.

Also, if you like Jane Austen you may really like Anthony Trollope.  He wrote about 50 books. I recommend you start with The Warden, or Barchester Towers, both part of the Barset Chronicles series.  I also loved The Small House at Allington - kinda similar to Wives and Daughters - men choosing badly when it comes to the question of marriage, and not noticing the good woman who really loves them.

George MacDonald was another much-loved prolific author of Victorian times - mystery/romance/adventure.

Hope this helps, and that you'll find time to enjoy some of these!

Tina H.

Elizabeth Gaskell.  Well her book "Wives and Daughters"  was a delightful read.  I read it for class last semester and then i sent it off  to my grandmother.  She loved it.  Now I am going to send it to my cousin to read during her pregnancy.

"Belinda" by Maria Edgeworth is a very Austen-like novel. I read it last semester in my Romantics class, and it was easily my favorite book we read

I love Elizabeth Gaskell, my favourite of hers is North and South.  Also I second Trollope (loved the Way We Live Now) and Edith Wharton (favorite of hers is the Age of Innocence)