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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
I first read Middlemarch in a college lit class and then in my thirties for a book club, both times under a deadline for the discussion. This time around I relished the luxury of taking my time with this classic, which I paired with "My Life in Middlemarch." What sly humor and keen insight into human frailties George Eliot has!
Middlemarch is about so many things but, I think, most of all it’s a book about messiness.
Eliot so masterfully captures that messiness, the complexity of life and community, and lays it out flat and neat on the pages for us to examine. Nobody does that quite like her. Eliot’s characters are complicated and nuanced; they have admirable qualities but they’re also selfish, prejudiced and close minded. Their aspirations and ambitions are constantly hampered by either their own choices and self destructiveness, or by factors outside of their control, influenced by both the selfish choices of their neighbours and the wider social situations ensnaring the town. Its plot is driven by choices and by mistakes, examining the consequences of the resulting change and how its characters cope with it.
Love and marriage are given particularly scrutiny - they are idealised but never quite what the idealised hopes for. In the dual marriages of the Cassabauns and the Lydgates, we see they are riddled with contrast and parallels but are both ultimately hurt by lack of communication and a misalignment of expectations and needs. Both men make the selfish decision to marry, wanting adoration and submission, which neither woman can provide. Both women come into the marriage with a romantic notion of what marriage could be, but are ultimately disappointed when their partners don’t quite live up to what they imagined. As both couples struggle to adapt to the changes married life brings, they are further frustrated by death, political upheaval and small town gossip and politicking. Eliot’s way of writing dialogue and internal strife is magnificent - she explores both couples consciousness so deftly, how their mutual desires derailed as neither can quite get on the same track. Mental misaligned plagues all kinds of relationships, inner turmoil holding people back from attaining external comfort.
Dialogue is Eliot’s key to keeping a book of this size and scope running as well as it does - she guides the reader through with wit and irony, her characters never being overly dull or unbelievable, nor are they too hateful or loveable. It’s easy to see parts of yourself in them, so accessible are their minds to slip in to. I particularly loved Fred Vincy and the Garth family - Mary being the perfect foil to Fred, who is desperate to prove himself as respectable and rebuild himself despite some self destructive tenedencies, and Caleb’s supreme competency being held back by his morals and humanity, his desire to help and to see the good in people. It is good deeds, however, which offset the hardships within Middlemarch, the diffusion of individual goodness being the best remedy for whatever misery the messiness of life might inflict.
Middlemarch is a book you are told is great and you accept this, or perhaps scoff at it, but regard it as too much of a challenge to truly test. If you’re thinking of taking it on, please do - Eliot is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, English writers and this is perhaps the greatest English book. It can be a challenge, definitely, but it is a never chore and though it’ll definitely take a while to conquer you’ll always be glad you did.
Eliot so masterfully captures that messiness, the complexity of life and community, and lays it out flat and neat on the pages for us to examine. Nobody does that quite like her. Eliot’s characters are complicated and nuanced; they have admirable qualities but they’re also selfish, prejudiced and close minded. Their aspirations and ambitions are constantly hampered by either their own choices and self destructiveness, or by factors outside of their control, influenced by both the selfish choices of their neighbours and the wider social situations ensnaring the town. Its plot is driven by choices and by mistakes, examining the consequences of the resulting change and how its characters cope with it.
Love and marriage are given particularly scrutiny - they are idealised but never quite what the idealised hopes for. In the dual marriages of the Cassabauns and the Lydgates, we see they are riddled with contrast and parallels but are both ultimately hurt by lack of communication and a misalignment of expectations and needs. Both men make the selfish decision to marry, wanting adoration and submission, which neither woman can provide. Both women come into the marriage with a romantic notion of what marriage could be, but are ultimately disappointed when their partners don’t quite live up to what they imagined. As both couples struggle to adapt to the changes married life brings, they are further frustrated by death, political upheaval and small town gossip and politicking. Eliot’s way of writing dialogue and internal strife is magnificent - she explores both couples consciousness so deftly, how their mutual desires derailed as neither can quite get on the same track. Mental misaligned plagues all kinds of relationships, inner turmoil holding people back from attaining external comfort.
Dialogue is Eliot’s key to keeping a book of this size and scope running as well as it does - she guides the reader through with wit and irony, her characters never being overly dull or unbelievable, nor are they too hateful or loveable. It’s easy to see parts of yourself in them, so accessible are their minds to slip in to. I particularly loved Fred Vincy and the Garth family - Mary being the perfect foil to Fred, who is desperate to prove himself as respectable and rebuild himself despite some self destructive tenedencies, and Caleb’s supreme competency being held back by his morals and humanity, his desire to help and to see the good in people. It is good deeds, however, which offset the hardships within Middlemarch, the diffusion of individual goodness being the best remedy for whatever misery the messiness of life might inflict.
Middlemarch is a book you are told is great and you accept this, or perhaps scoff at it, but regard it as too much of a challenge to truly test. If you’re thinking of taking it on, please do - Eliot is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, English writers and this is perhaps the greatest English book. It can be a challenge, definitely, but it is a never chore and though it’ll definitely take a while to conquer you’ll always be glad you did.
challenging
inspiring
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
This book is simply wonderful. The grasp on the complexity of human nature and relationships is profound and insightful. A book that should be required in marriage counseling to be honest.
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me nearly three months to finish, but it was definitely worth it. I think I may have to reread it again later in life, as I feel some concepts were hard for me to grasp.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A good and quite long novel, possessing each character with particular ideas. The conflicts entailed carry them through their relationships across chapters.
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This has been on my TBR since 2013, and I'm glad I finally read it. However, on the heels of a reread of Anna Karenina it falls a little flat in comparison. The Victorian prudishness is on full display, and in comparison to the big feelings in AK, the issues feel so petty. Maybe that's the point and I'm missing it. Still, it was a very enjoyable read.