Friday, April 15, 2016

Free for Kindle - Vintage Fiction

Last summer I wrote a post blasting poorly written romance novels. But I often enjoy light-hearted stories in between heavier ones, so where do I look? Below is a list  of authors of "light novels" who have stood the test of time and who write beautifully. ("Vintage" is a label I give to writers who are post-Victorian and pre-modern. Be forewarned. Some of their books are sappier than others.) I've listed the titles I've enjoyed below.

Authors available for free on Kindle:


Gene Stratton Porter (Girl of the Limberlost, and others)
French mystery writer Maurice LeBlanc (Arsene Lupin and others)
Kathleen Thompson Norris (The Rich Mrs. Burgoyne and others)
Joseph Crosby Lincoln (Cape Cod Stories, etc.)
Harold Bell Wright (The Calling of Dan Matthews,etc.)
James Oliver Curwood (The Courage of Marge O'Doone, etc.)
Grace Richmond (The Brown Study, etc.)
O. Douglas (Penny Plain, etc)
Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden, etc.)

Vintage authors with less flowery language (whose books cost money)

Elizabeth Goudge (The Dean's Watch is my favorite.)
D.E. Stevenson (Miss Buncle's Book is a good place to start.)
Miss Read (The Fairacre Series)

Do you have any suggestions? Any opinions on the authors listed? My friend, Carol, reads classic children's lit for her light reading, which is another great way to rest your mind, while still avoiding drivel.

4 comments:

Becky said...

I'm currently reading (and thoroughly enjoying) He Fell In Love With His Wife by E.P. Roe. I think this book would fall in to this category. I plan to look for more titles by him soon!

hopeinbrazil said...

Becky, my grandmother had a dozen E.P. Roe novels and I read them in high school (many moons ago). Never thought to look for them on Kindle. It intrigues me that the author was a Methodist minister.

Carol in Oregon said...

Oh, just reading these author's names takes me back. My sister-in-law got me hooked on vintage fiction. I read all of Gene Stratton Porter, most of Harold Bell Wright and James Oliver Curwood. J'adore O. Douglas, E. Goudge, D.E. Stevenson and Miss Read.

I have so many hardbound copies of books by these authors and I'm not sure what to do with them. I used to buy O. Douglas books online (kind of spendy) and picked up several in England, but it's delightful to have them free on Kindle!

Now I'm going to look up E.P. Roe! Thanks, friend!

Barbara H. said...

I've enjoyed discovering Elizabeth Gaskell over the last few years, especially her Wives and Daughters and North and South.