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libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a good long while to get into Middlemarch. I'm not sure if it was just the mushy condition of my brain at the time or what, but I struggled a lot with some of the speeches in the first quarter of the book. I read them, and the point just seemed to fly over my head. But then, about halfway through, the book hit its stride. Or maybe it was me that finally it my stride. Either way, I was hooked.
The real appeal of this book for me was its utter humanity. It is daunting in size because it portrays so many different characters and different stories, but they all contain evocative grains of truth. The overused quote that Middlemarch is the only real "grownup" novel slides over certain aspects, but it is true that this book confronts certain situations that other novels shy away from (all the while retaining its Victorian decorum, of course). So many novels end with the grand wedding and stop there, but George Eliot daringly sheds full light on the humdrum and sometimes messy results when two people decide to join their lives together. The disillusionment is not glossed over. And I think perhaps I learned some good lessons that might serve me well if I am ever in the position to be married. Middlemarch is not just about marriage. It is also very much about the tangled details of a community. By portraying characters from different places in the social sphere, you get to see how they all interact and bounce off each other.
It is really impossible to summarize Middlemarch in just a few sentences, it encompasses SO much! Their are so many clever quotes, characters, and details of all different kinds that I think almost anyone could fall in love with it. I certainly did and hope to return to it again someday to sift through its riches and find more gems.
The real appeal of this book for me was its utter humanity. It is daunting in size because it portrays so many different characters and different stories, but they all contain evocative grains of truth. The overused quote that Middlemarch is the only real "grownup" novel slides over certain aspects, but it is true that this book confronts certain situations that other novels shy away from (all the while retaining its Victorian decorum, of course). So many novels end with the grand wedding and stop there, but George Eliot daringly sheds full light on the humdrum and sometimes messy results when two people decide to join their lives together. The disillusionment is not glossed over. And I think perhaps I learned some good lessons that might serve me well if I am ever in the position to be married. Middlemarch is not just about marriage. It is also very much about the tangled details of a community. By portraying characters from different places in the social sphere, you get to see how they all interact and bounce off each other.
It is really impossible to summarize Middlemarch in just a few sentences, it encompasses SO much! Their are so many clever quotes, characters, and details of all different kinds that I think almost anyone could fall in love with it. I certainly did and hope to return to it again someday to sift through its riches and find more gems.
stellareadsandwrites's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
It's been a while since I read a hefty classic like this one and it was certainly a challenge! It took me well over 100 pages to get into the story and when I finally finished, it felt like I'd been reading it for years š
That being said, I did enjoy this book. Once I was invested in the characters and intertwined storylines, I was more motivated to read, and I really loved the "Finale" chapter - a satisfying end to the various plots and relationships.
Eliot's prose is truly admirable; her attention to detail and ability to write about anything and everything is something few writers achieve. I was especially struck by her descriptions of each character's emotions, and often she would flick seamlessly back and forth between two or more characters in a single scene.
I feel a little ridiculous critiquing authors in The Canonā¢ļø but I think this book was just too long, at least for me. The writing style didn't quite connect with me in the way that other classic authors have, and I don't feel compelled to read any more of Eliot's work. But it taught me a lot about that period in history and I certainly feel accomplished having read it now!
That being said, I did enjoy this book. Once I was invested in the characters and intertwined storylines, I was more motivated to read, and I really loved the "Finale" chapter - a satisfying end to the various plots and relationships.
Eliot's prose is truly admirable; her attention to detail and ability to write about anything and everything is something few writers achieve. I was especially struck by her descriptions of each character's emotions, and often she would flick seamlessly back and forth between two or more characters in a single scene.
I feel a little ridiculous critiquing authors in The Canonā¢ļø but I think this book was just too long, at least for me. The writing style didn't quite connect with me in the way that other classic authors have, and I don't feel compelled to read any more of Eliot's work. But it taught me a lot about that period in history and I certainly feel accomplished having read it now!
caitlin_rose98's review
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
constancepoplos's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
At times the story is slow moving, and I truly think there were too many characters that didnāt have enough background. I frequently was confused having to look up who was who. BUT the story itself is charming, and I found myself rooting for everyone by the end. Truly goes to show that even back then rumors and opinions dictated peopleās lives.
teatoto's review against another edition
5.0
Purtroppo non posso assegnare a questa lettura piĆ¹ di 5 stelline, ma ne metterei 500 o 5000. Ć stata una lettura che mi ha sorpresa in positivo. Non pensavo di trovare una cosƬ grande finezza e ricercatezza nella scrittura allāinterno di questo libro, non pensavo di affezionarmi ad alcuni personaggi cosƬ tanto e di indignarmi tanto per altri, che mi sono risultati poco simpatici, non mi aspettavo di trovare in Dorothea Brooke la mia eroina preferita della letteratura inglese (fra le letture fatte fino ad ora), non mi aspettavo di commuovermi, di stare con il fiato sospeso e di non riuscire a mettere giĆ¹ il libro, non mi aspettavo di ridere tanto leggendo certi passaggi.
Anche se a volte le descrizioni sono prolisse, ognuna delle 800 e passa pagine di Middlemarch vale la lettura. Bellissimo. ā¤ļø
Anche se a volte le descrizioni sono prolisse, ognuna delle 800 e passa pagine di Middlemarch vale la lettura. Bellissimo. ā¤ļø
pcrthos's review against another edition
5.0
thank you so much for that George Eliot !! This is a funny, smart, witty, political, historically significant, educating, romantic, beautifully written !!!!
It is worth each and every one of its 904 pages and i would have kept reading far more! Women are so amazing. You have to keep up after the first 100 pages after that, it's just amazing stories and growing up characters
It is worth each and every one of its 904 pages and i would have kept reading far more! Women are so amazing. You have to keep up after the first 100 pages after that, it's just amazing stories and growing up characters
beth_shepherd's review against another edition
5.0
"I may never get through the list of great books I want to read. Forget about bad ones, or even moderately good ones. With Middlemarch and Pilgrim at Tinker Creek in the world, a person should squander her reading time on fashionably ironic books about nothing much? I am almost out of minutes!" --Barbara Kingsolver
I haven't read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but I agree so wholeheartedly with this sentiment toward Middlemarch, that I will immediately put it at the top of my list. I found myself underlining passages while on the train, something I never do, regardless of how much I like a book. Going into it with such high praise heaped upon it from another author I love, I felt bound for disapointment. Rather, I was exceedingly pleasantly surprised.
Middlemarch will leave me ruminating on the affect of a good person on the world, the deep imprint of guilt on a soul, the bitterness of high hopes that end in disappointment, community, fidelity, and independence. I recommend reading it immediately if you, like me, somehow managed to graduate high school and college without reading it.
I haven't read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but I agree so wholeheartedly with this sentiment toward Middlemarch, that I will immediately put it at the top of my list. I found myself underlining passages while on the train, something I never do, regardless of how much I like a book. Going into it with such high praise heaped upon it from another author I love, I felt bound for disapointment. Rather, I was exceedingly pleasantly surprised.
Middlemarch will leave me ruminating on the affect of a good person on the world, the deep imprint of guilt on a soul, the bitterness of high hopes that end in disappointment, community, fidelity, and independence. I recommend reading it immediately if you, like me, somehow managed to graduate high school and college without reading it.
alexalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I finally finished reading this classic! The way I described my reading experience to other people was that it felt like I was being made privy to the lives of the inhabitants of Middlemarch; it was almost like being nosy enough to want to know what was going on with these people you knew of by reputation alone. Overall mixed feelings for me, given that there were definitely plots and characters I enjoyed more than others, but Iām glad I read it.