Welcome to the What to Read Next Podcast.

So excited to have you back and today we're talking about classics

that are perfect epic love stories.

We have our special guest, Victoria, talking about epic love stories that

are featured in our classics books.

So we got Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and other books that you should

definitely add on to your list.

If you have listed you want to read a classic this year, I think this is

the perfect introduction for romance readers if they wanted to do it.

We got a little Toxic Relation, we got something like Sweeney, and we got The

Ultimate , Love Letter to be exact.

, this episode was originally aired as a Novel hour episode where we talk

about book recommendations every week on YouTube every Thursday at 12

o'clock and on every other Monday we talk about book gossip or book news.

So it's a fun chatty episode.

If you want to get more recommendations I encourage you to sign up to the sub stack.

You can join my sub stack, but also you'll be recommended Victoria's Bibliolifestyle

and Francesca under the cover.

So there's a little bit of everything if you're looking

for new book recommendations.

Now let's get to the episode.

I'm gonna be sharing some classic love stories.

These are love stories I just kind of feel like everyone needs

to read at a certain point.

I do have a video separately on the channel that Where I talk about toxic

love stories, okay Because not all love stories are happy and butterflies and

rainbows and super positive But when it comes to epic love stories, I think

and classics, by the way I think I have to start with pride and prejudice.

You just you have to I kind of think it's required You know elizabeth bennett.

Mr. Darcy.

They're just literary icons.

Their romance is legendary But also I want us to be realistic and just

face facts that this love story almost didn't happen right Elizabeth or it

or heroine is just very sharp witted.

I love that about her fiercely independent And she's not about to fall

in love or get in a relationship with this really snobbish kind of guy mr.

Darcy on the other hand is, you know, just opposite very cold aloof

and just very And let's be real.

He's rude.

I think he's rude You But I think that's also where the

magic of this love story begins.

The fact that they're completely opposite and also just realizing that

sometimes the person that challenges you the most might just be someone

who can understand you the best.

We see Elizabeth misjudging Darcy, but Darcy also misjudges Elizabeth.

So this is more of a slow burn relationship.

Okay.

Using the modern term, slow burn, full of misunderstandings.

And of course, like the title suggests, Pride really getting in the way, but I

think when we boil it down and we see Darcy kind of coming off of his high

horse, really humbling himself and Elizabeth letting go of her again, going

back to the title prejudices, we see a romance that's actually built on mutual

respect, admiration, and of course love.

So if you want a classic that is banter filled tension, but we'll just leave

you with a full heart at the end.

Again, you have to read Pride and Prejudice.

If you haven't already, I do think it's one of those books

you should definitely read.

Alright.

Continuing in the classic canon, of course another book I think you should

read is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

This one isn't just a love story.

I actually feel it's more about self worth and independence and Choosing a

love that really doesn't like what's that word belittle you and diminish

you So we have our main character jane.

She's had a really hard life.

Just really horrible lots of neglect cruelty And you know, she's lonely

and she knows that growing up if she's going to survive in this world

She has to rely on herself Hence, you know, just being super independent.

Now she meets Mr. Rochester.

He is mysterious and full of secrets and all the things.

And look, there is a problem, right?

And this is a bit toxic because that's the thing with classic love stories.

They're not always straightforward.

And if you want to say it's a happily ever after fine.

But he is, He's toxic man, right?

He's already married and you know, the, what do they call it?

The elephant in the room.

That's the analogy I was trying to find.

The elephant in the room is that his wife, right?

Because remember I was saying his wife, was literally locked in the attic.

Now she does something, I don't want to say, Spoil it for y'all, but she

does something it ends up in a death.

And of course you know at the end Jane has a choice and of course, you know,

she decides to get together with mr Rochester, I highly debate this one I

said this was a toxic love story and my sister is constantly debating me

and saying no their relationship is one of mutual respect as well and devotion

and stuff like that I don't know.

This one is up for debate.

I really would love to hear your opinion.

So again, let me know your thoughts in the comments.

But again, I said what I said, I think to some degree, it's very.

Toxic, but anyway, it's an epic love story.

The next epic love story.

I wanted to share with you All is what I consider to be the og rom com And the og

rom com for me is much ado about nothing by william shakespeare So I know we tend

to focus on shakespeare They're writing lots of tragic love stories and let you

know, the reality is he has written just that's all, you know, lots of tragedy.

However, I do think this is the OG rom com.

We meet Beatrice and Benedict and I think they are the OG rom com couple.

Beatrice is very sharp tongued, you know, she's not going to be tied down by a man.

But Benedict is also equally witty, but he's also stubborn.

And he's swearing often.

being married at all.

So it's really interesting seeing what happens when two people who

claim to hate each other keep finding themselves drawn to got drawn together.

Sorry.

So in a way, I kind of feel like this is another OG enemies to lovers romance.

Because we see their friends having to trick them into realizing,

hey, you're not actually in love.

That's really what this is.

So there's lots of banter in this one, lots of misunderstandings,

lots of drama, tension and all that.

But I think again, I love the enemies to lovers.

Element, but we also see lots of just partnership And growing respect for

each other and that they're not going to change themselves for each other You

know, they just admit that hey, you know us being different can actually make

life more fun and interesting and playful So anyway, this one is very playful.

I think you know, this is one of those shakespearean works that does give

you light and playful to some degree.

We do get that happy ending.

And again, OG rom com, OG enemies to lovers is what to do about

nothing by William Shakespeare.

Okay.

Then I'm going back to Jane Austen because yeah, Jane Austen is

essentially the mom of romance.

The one book I don't talk about often enough, because I think I talk a lot

about Emma because I do love Emma.

I also love North Anger Abbey, but I want to throw persuasion into the mix because

I feel that some love stories aren't about falling in love for the first time.

They're about finding your way back to the one that got away, right?

So that's kind of essentially the theme in this one, the one that got away.

So we meet and in this one, And Captain Wentworth, you know, they

were young, they were in love and ready to spend their lives together.

But Anne was persuaded to turn him down, you know, because

he wasn't wealthy enough.

He wasn't, you know, what do you call it, successful, have the right social

standing and status kind of thing.

And she was just convinced that, Hey, she had to be really practical

about who she's going to marry.

So anyway, fast forward to, I don't remember how many years later, I'm just

go on a limb and say maybe eight to 10.

He's now successful.

Wentworth very successful, very confident.

And he's actually very much not over Anne.

Now Anne is filled with lots of regrets and she's realizing

that, Hey, you know what?

She never really stopped loving the guy.

But this isn't a story cause I know some classics tend to be this way.

This isn't the story about just wallowing in the past.

It really is about second chances.

So, yeah, essentially it's proving that, you know what maybe time changes

things and time sometimes makes things better And in this one I have

to say one of the things that stands out very much in persuasion to me Is

i'm just going to call it the letter because if you've read this book and

you've read the letter, you know what?

Wentworth's declaration of love I feel is a really Grand gesture, you know,

it's just one of the most romantic moments I feel in classic literature

anyway So if you want something, you know, like second chances and people

coming back together I think this is one of the ultimate second chance

romances And the last book I'm going to share with you is a personal favorite.

It's a comfort read of mine.

I do revisit this one more often than I think most of the books

I've shared so far is actually a room with a view by E. M. Forster.

Now.

I love the setting in this one.

So let me just first say that I think The armchair traveling is wonderful and I love

just kind of being drawn back to this one But as it relates to the love story i'm

gonna say this one focuses on Love isn't just about Who you fall in love with?

If that makes sense, it's more about if you are brave enough to step outside

your comfort zone, step outside of society's standards, and be brave enough

to actually choose the person you love.

Because it's one thing to love a person, but not act on it.

So anyways, in this one, we meet our main character, Lucy love Lucy Daly.

Lucy is young.

She's very well mannered and she's engaged to a man who makes

sense by societal standards.

And you know, on paper, you know, he checks the boxes of all the things, but

then she meets this man called George.

Now, George is a more free spirited kind of person and George challenges

everything she knows about life herself.

And even.

You know, what is expected of her as a woman.

So just everything she's ever been told about how a woman should

live and what she should do.

You know, he challenges that.

However, she gets really afraid.

She's really afraid of what will people say?

First off, if she calls off her engagement, but more importantly goes off

with a man like George, I don't want to spoil it by getting too much into George,

but trust me, there is stuff about George.

Now she tries to deny her feelings and she just, she's trying to focus

on the fact that, Hey, Being secure in a marriage is more important.

And, you know, instead of just following her feelings, but of course it doesn't go

away even though she tries to ignore it.

And then finally she lets herself just say, Hey, I'm going to choose the life

that makes me happy and feel more alive.

And just, you know, Breaking free from all expectations.

So anyway, this one is about choosing your happiness and your joy over what society

stays and you know what your family and everyone else has an opinion on and You

know your duty to your family because that also comes up as well and it's just

really beautiful So those are my classic books that I feel like you should visit

at least once a year Once in your lifetime as it relates to love stories, you know,

if you're looking for love stories, I think These are top of the list.

I would love to hear what you'll think So let me know in the comments if you're

watching live Let me know if you felt some of these were toxic like the one

I said my sister and I were debating Very recently because she watched

my toxic love story toxic couples.

I'm just like, it's not toxic.

So I'm like, listen, man, that is toxic as hell.

The elephant in the room is the man's wife locked up in the room.

But I love to hear what are some of your favorite classic love stories as well.

Of course, we have to shout out Erin before I even asked

Fran and Laura as well.

Also thank you.

Yes.

It was a big win to have all the books fit on the shelf Even though like I said

my husband just chucked them on there, but we will sort them out eventually you

love that cover of pride and prejudice.

Yes.

It's actually my favorite.

I sought out that cover to share with you all today I gifted myself that edition

this past Christmas, but I also love the fact that you are mentioning that

you used to teach that novel as well I think I know that plain and gray one.

You're also talking about thank you for co signing.

Mr. Rochester, Okay, but I do agree.

We would take him over Heathcliff

Much Ado is definitely, in my opinion the OG rom com.

It's just so funny.

So funny.

So funny.

And oh my gosh, that letter.

Yes.

Everyone, if you want an epic love story letter, you have

to go and read Persuasion.

You have to.

I feel there is no other declaration.

There is none in classic literature.

I feel that measure of if you feel there is a letter out there that measures

up I mean do tell because I can't think of anything else So my opinion

and clearly Erin agrees with me too.

So see I have company What did y'all think though I have to co

sign your toxic relationship though with Jane Eyre I actually have

never heard somebody question that.

So your sister's take is interesting.

Yes.

Yes.

Like, well, well, I said, look, I'll include it because it's toxic.

So, and look, here's a reality.

Not all relationships are straightforward.

We have some toxic people walking around in these streets.

So it's worth the mention.

They're just as epic.

Just to have a toxic relationship is just as epic as a healthy, low angsty rom com.

Like we're equal opportunity.

We need, we live in different worlds.

Life is not black and white.

Life is not black and white.

Don't ask me to pick a side because I'm going to justify some other stuff.

And then I'm like, wait, I see it.

You know, I see that side, but I see that side too.

Yeah.

But anyways, if you are just joining us, welcome.

We are talking about some epic love stories in literature.

I just shared my five their classics

Thanks for joining me on this episode of The Watcherinex Podcast.

If you enjoy our bookish conversations and want more recommendations, don't forget

to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Also, head on over to The Watcherinex blog for a list of

books mentioned in today's show.

Happy reading!