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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
I'm about one fifth of the way into this (enormous) book, and thus far I would give it 4.5 stars if I could, or even 4.75--the deduction being related to the fact that I can't forgive Eliot describing a child's legs as "in their natural clothing of epidermis." Really??? Other than that, I'm loving it.
-update-
Some parts of this book got VERY draggy, and it is one of the longest books I think I've read. It was rough going in the middle with all the philosophy, but in general it is a beautiful book. Some passages are breathtaking. It seemed to wrap up rather quickly, but the ending was more satisfying than I thought it would be.
-update-
Some parts of this book got VERY draggy, and it is one of the longest books I think I've read. It was rough going in the middle with all the philosophy, but in general it is a beautiful book. Some passages are breathtaking. It seemed to wrap up rather quickly, but the ending was more satisfying than I thought it would be.
Niet gedacht dat dit moment zou komen.
(Soms wel beetje diagonaal gelezen.) (Soms.)
(Soms wel beetje diagonaal gelezen.) (Soms.)
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3191747.html
I was inspired to get this by reading F.R. Leavis' The Great Tradition, in which Leavis says that half of Daniel Deronda is really good, however it's not the half with Daniel Deronda but the other half, about the novel's heroine Gwendolen. To be honest I disagree. I thought that both stories were pretty good. Gwendolen, like several other George Eliot characters, marries the wrong man for reason that seem to her right at the time (and that the reader can clearly understand) but which are obviously doomed to failure. It's a story told well, but I actually found the Middlemarch version more compelling. (I guess because Dorothea is a nicer person than Gwendolen.) Meanwhile Daniel Deronda finds himself on a quest for his own roots, and ends up as an early Zionist having started the book unaware that he was even Jewish. I found that absolutely fascinating; Zionism in the 1870s was obviously a very different phenomenon from its later permutations. Deronda's awakening does depend on a coulpe of lucky coincidences, but great stories are often told about unlikely events. I'll give a shout out for the three mothers in the books as well - Deronda's mother, who makes a late but spectacular appearance; Gwendolen's mother, who is smarter than her children realise; and Mrs Glasher, the mother of Gwendolen's husband's children, who we see from several different perspectives. (Mrs Glasher is also Irish, though this is stated only once and obliquely.) Both halves of it are a great book, if a long one.
I was inspired to get this by reading F.R. Leavis' The Great Tradition, in which Leavis says that half of Daniel Deronda is really good, however it's not the half with Daniel Deronda but the other half, about the novel's heroine Gwendolen. To be honest I disagree. I thought that both stories were pretty good. Gwendolen, like several other George Eliot characters, marries the wrong man for reason that seem to her right at the time (and that the reader can clearly understand) but which are obviously doomed to failure. It's a story told well, but I actually found the Middlemarch version more compelling. (I guess because Dorothea is a nicer person than Gwendolen.) Meanwhile Daniel Deronda finds himself on a quest for his own roots, and ends up as an early Zionist having started the book unaware that he was even Jewish. I found that absolutely fascinating; Zionism in the 1870s was obviously a very different phenomenon from its later permutations. Deronda's awakening does depend on a coulpe of lucky coincidences, but great stories are often told about unlikely events. I'll give a shout out for the three mothers in the books as well - Deronda's mother, who makes a late but spectacular appearance; Gwendolen's mother, who is smarter than her children realise; and Mrs Glasher, the mother of Gwendolen's husband's children, who we see from several different perspectives. (Mrs Glasher is also Irish, though this is stated only once and obliquely.) Both halves of it are a great book, if a long one.
Reading any George Eliot book is the opportunity to spend time with and hear the musings of a genius. Daniel Deronda has characters who are realised in depth and with honesty and compassion. The plot is complex, fascinating, engaging and is set alongside discussion if religion, politics, psychology, society and the role of chance in life.
The book is extremely modern in it’s realism and psychological insights and also in it’s questions about the difficulties of life for women.
I’m left wishing to re-read it and read the rest of George Eliot’s writing and to work on a deeper understanding of her writing and ideas.
The book is extremely modern in it’s realism and psychological insights and also in it’s questions about the difficulties of life for women.
I’m left wishing to re-read it and read the rest of George Eliot’s writing and to work on a deeper understanding of her writing and ideas.
4 stars ??
This rating could change once I have more Eliot to compare it to. All I know is I was not expecting to cry twice at the end of this book. Eliot has a way with words. She uses a lot of them, so it’s tempting to skim, but then you’ll get to a sentence that you feel in your most vulnerable parts. There were two of those in this ending for me. She made me laugh expectedly and cry unexpectedly.
However, there’s certain portrayals of Jewish people that are in parts radical and stereotypical. I found Daniel a bit too perfect to love, and his story was injected with a lot of political theory at times which I felt dragged it down. Daniel denies being saintlike, and yet the narration portrays him as more angel than human. Gwendolen’s plot interested me more, but at a certain point, things stop happening and we hit a stasis. Scholarship has seen this plot as “better” but truly Gwendolen’s part is overshadowed by Daniel’s in the latter half of this book.
I really did enjoy this though, and the ending has grown on me, especially with Gwendolen’s ending. I can see Eliot’s genius and goals in this book very clearly
This rating could change once I have more Eliot to compare it to. All I know is I was not expecting to cry twice at the end of this book. Eliot has a way with words. She uses a lot of them, so it’s tempting to skim, but then you’ll get to a sentence that you feel in your most vulnerable parts. There were two of those in this ending for me. She made me laugh expectedly and cry unexpectedly.
However, there’s certain portrayals of Jewish people that are in parts radical and stereotypical. I found Daniel a bit too perfect to love, and his story was injected with a lot of political theory at times which I felt dragged it down. Daniel denies being saintlike, and yet the narration portrays him as more angel than human. Gwendolen’s plot interested me more, but at a certain point, things stop happening and we hit a stasis. Scholarship has seen this plot as “better” but truly Gwendolen’s part is overshadowed by Daniel’s in the latter half of this book.
I really did enjoy this though, and the ending has grown on me, especially with Gwendolen’s ending. I can see Eliot’s genius and goals in this book very clearly
Though Eliot has a tendency to be verbose, I really liked her even-handed treatment of all of the (main) characters. It felt very balanced and panoramic to focus on numerous characters in turns. The story was fairly dramatic and pulled me along, even through the descriptive parts. It took me a lot less time than I thought it would to read the 900 or so pages in the edition I have.
challenging
reflective
sad
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finally got through all 811 pages of this even though I turned in my paper for it three days ago lol. What a wild ride this book was! I can't even review it because so much happened. So much setup for an intricate plot. So many characters. So many important details.