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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The greatest novel I've read, for me, in my 67 years. Not for everyone: complex writing, complex characters, moral ambiguity. Still, it's passionate, romantic, and deeply poignant, to my mind. All while being quite realistic. It reminded me of a Jane Austen novel, except better, and Austen is my favorite author overall.
Funny but too dense for my brain right now
It's a bit of a chunk to read and I had to make a character map but it's really really worth it and I found myself fond of many character by the end. It's so impressive to have been written in 1800s with so much still so relevant. I really enjoyed the familial (Fred's parents telling him off then doting on him when he's poorly) and gender dynamics (Dorothea's determination). I found some characters funny and endearing and many relatable. It's a non-bonnet-y classic - the best kind.
Lots of fantastic lines plenty of folded pages!
"....Gout, a disease with a great deal of wealth on its side".
"When the vicar began again there was a change in his tone like the encouraging transition to a major key".
Lots of fantastic lines plenty of folded pages!
"....Gout, a disease with a great deal of wealth on its side".
"When the vicar began again there was a change in his tone like the encouraging transition to a major key".
It is everything my English professor promised it would be. I made the promise to myself to read it before I graduated and I have been thoroughly rewarded for keeping that promise. It is a beautiful study of the life and loves and follies of human beings living amongst themselves.
challenging
slow-paced
reflective
relaxing
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
A solid but long classic. I read it as part of a group read slowly so it has taken me some time.
Eliot takes three main characters from the town of Middlemarch - two siblings and one other - and we get to see their romantic happenings over a three year period. There are a few secondary characters who appear throughout the book both as romantic rivals and also as friends and associates.
The book is set with the background of the 1832 reform bill and it deals with the lives of the rising middles classes mainly. The characters are vicars, doctors and the sons and daughters of industry figures. There is only one member of the aristocracy (a knight) who has a small role.
Dorothea starts as a young 18 year old and makes the wrong decision about who to marry. She develops as the book goes on and survives widowhood to find happiness with her second husband. She is portrayed as a benevolent soul and isn't motivated by money - in fact she takes quite a lot of time figuring out how to get rid of it ! She is well rounded and ahead of her time.
Rosamund, however, comes across as a spoilt entitled girl who again married the wrong person. I definitely had more sympathy for her husband who seems to try his best. They get a reasonably happy ending after facing bankruptcy and scandal.
The third couple are Fred and Mary who get the smallest roles but are the ones you end up rooting for. Theirs is a story of development and change for Fred as he struggles to be someone Mary will marry. Very glad to see their story wrapped up at the end
Her writing style is verbose in many places and she inserts her opinion as narrator often. At times this is welcome and at times you wish for an editor to chop lots of it out. Overall a satisfying read and I was glad for the glimpses into Midlands Country town life from that period.
Eliot takes three main characters from the town of Middlemarch - two siblings and one other - and we get to see their romantic happenings over a three year period. There are a few secondary characters who appear throughout the book both as romantic rivals and also as friends and associates.
The book is set with the background of the 1832 reform bill and it deals with the lives of the rising middles classes mainly. The characters are vicars, doctors and the sons and daughters of industry figures. There is only one member of the aristocracy (a knight) who has a small role.
Dorothea starts as a young 18 year old and makes the wrong decision about who to marry. She develops as the book goes on and survives widowhood to find happiness with her second husband. She is portrayed as a benevolent soul and isn't motivated by money - in fact she takes quite a lot of time figuring out how to get rid of it ! She is well rounded and ahead of her time.
Rosamund, however, comes across as a spoilt entitled girl who again married the wrong person. I definitely had more sympathy for her husband who seems to try his best. They get a reasonably happy ending after facing bankruptcy and scandal.
The third couple are Fred and Mary who get the smallest roles but are the ones you end up rooting for. Theirs is a story of development and change for Fred as he struggles to be someone Mary will marry. Very glad to see their story wrapped up at the end
Her writing style is verbose in many places and she inserts her opinion as narrator often. At times this is welcome and at times you wish for an editor to chop lots of it out. Overall a satisfying read and I was glad for the glimpses into Midlands Country town life from that period.