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3.69k reviews for:
Middlemarch: (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions) (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics)
George Eliot
4.06 AVERAGE
3.69k reviews for:
Middlemarch: (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions) (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics)
George Eliot
4.06 AVERAGE
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” -Henry David Thoreau
“And I’m gonna tell you about that quiet desperation for 800 pages.” -George Eliot
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I’m amending my review which I don’t think I’ve ever done because a year after finishing Middlemarch it has stayed with me. I gave it 5 stars. I would up it to 6 now.
Middlemarch was published in 1872. I met all of these characters in real life 100 years later. I even married one.
This book has the insight of age and experience but, unfortunately, it was one I didn’t pick up until I made the mistakes on my own. George Eliot understands and portrays the human condition better than most poets, philosophers and psychiatrists that I have read.
Going on my Top 10 list and maybe to the very top.
“And I’m gonna tell you about that quiet desperation for 800 pages.” -George Eliot
————————
I’m amending my review which I don’t think I’ve ever done because a year after finishing Middlemarch it has stayed with me. I gave it 5 stars. I would up it to 6 now.
Middlemarch was published in 1872. I met all of these characters in real life 100 years later. I even married one.
This book has the insight of age and experience but, unfortunately, it was one I didn’t pick up until I made the mistakes on my own. George Eliot understands and portrays the human condition better than most poets, philosophers and psychiatrists that I have read.
Going on my Top 10 list and maybe to the very top.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I remember finishing Jane Eyre (I read it in college) and thinking that another reading experience would pale in comparison to reading Bronte. I was pleasantly surprised when I read Middlemarch. This book really is the quintessential Victorian novel. It has a compelling storyline, interesting characters and powerful social commentary. Don't let the sheer size of the novel deter you. It has all of the elements that makes Bronte and even Austen, so compelling. The only issue is that I read this on my kindle and this particular version is not well formatted. Even so, it did not deter me from enjoying this novel.
Slow start, so I was very skeptical about liking it. However, about a third of the way in, I was hooked, and in the end, I loved it.
I was not expecting this book to be a "page turner". A very insightful book.
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, I can't believe I've finally finished this! I started reading this at the beginning of the year with the aim to read a part a month and this style of reading really worked to keep me looking forward to coming back to these characters and not be bogged down. Yes, this was probably overly long with many plot points feeling like they were treading water for the majority of the book. But, this type of ensemble story was still quite unique for the time and George Eliot handles it masterfully.
There were some characters (Fred and Mary!) who I loved and couldn't wait to get back to. Others (Rosamund and Will!) tried my patience but each were unique and I was invested in their stories. There were also some great moments of intrigue and twists that I didn't expect. I love how the fate of each of the characters were so entwined through various marriages and agreements and the plot was just overall very smart and engaging.
However, what I really missed from this was more of a sense of context. This is, after all, a Historical Fiction novel being set around 40 years before it was written. I was hoping to learn more about the Reform Act which in the end didn't really end up affecting the characters that much. Some of that wider context would have just elevated this novel in addition to all the great character work. I am glad that I have read this classic and I think it is one that will stay with me.
There were some characters (Fred and Mary!) who I loved and couldn't wait to get back to. Others (Rosamund and Will!) tried my patience but each were unique and I was invested in their stories. There were also some great moments of intrigue and twists that I didn't expect. I love how the fate of each of the characters were so entwined through various marriages and agreements and the plot was just overall very smart and engaging.
However, what I really missed from this was more of a sense of context. This is, after all, a Historical Fiction novel being set around 40 years before it was written. I was hoping to learn more about the Reform Act which in the end didn't really end up affecting the characters that much. Some of that wider context would have just elevated this novel in addition to all the great character work. I am glad that I have read this classic and I think it is one that will stay with me.
Un capolavoro, per la storia, per com'è scritto, per quello che aggiunge ad ogni situazione che per l'autrice diventa uno specchio dei tempi oltre che delle sue opinioni. In assoluto uno dei libri più belli che abbia mai letto.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There’s so much about this book to love that I don’t really feel qualified to write a review that could do it justice. It’s got an incredible comfortable quality that is very easy to sink into with its witty narration, slice of life quality, and characters real enough to feel familiar despite the separation of time.
The fascinating background of political history and social commentary puts the lives of the people depicted into rich context and fleshes them out in such a way that even the most trivial of their trials are deeply felt. It’s just so very human.
The fascinating background of political history and social commentary puts the lives of the people depicted into rich context and fleshes them out in such a way that even the most trivial of their trials are deeply felt. It’s just so very human.