This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about books that exceeded or did not quite meet expectations. I feel like I’ve read quite a few of those, especially recently, so here goes!
1. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
A surprisingly good read (but don’t forget the tissues).
2. The Club of Queer Trades – G. K. Chesterton
This book is a hilarious Sherlock Holmes parody. I enjoyed it more than I would have thought. 😉
3. Shirley – Charlotte Brontë
Though it’s been a while since I read this, I just remember finding it a lot better than I anticipated. It’s a great historical fiction set in the Regency era, and the romance is completely Brontë. Any Brontë fans who have not read this one should really give it a try.
4. Dracula – Bram Stoker
This is one of my favorite Victorian novels now. It has a few flaws, but overall I was really swept up in the story and characters, beyond my expectations.
5. Under Western Eyes – Joseph Conrad
I don’t think I had any particular hopes for this novel, yet I found in it an emotional epic in the vein of Russian authors (Conrad was Polish). Razumov, the main character, is one you’re not likely to forget. Should be considered one of Conrad’s masterpieces.
Oh dear, this is the book that makes you wonder if the speculations are true – that maybe Lee didn’t want it published. Regardless, I was very disappointed.
Classics Considered 
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