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3.67k reviews for:
Middlemarch: (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions) (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics)
George Eliot
4.06 AVERAGE
3.67k reviews for:
Middlemarch: (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions) (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics)
George Eliot
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What is funny is that I read this in the middle of March, back in college. I spent a week on the couch during spring break, making sure I read the whole 800 page novel. I think making the book part of my routine was necessary for my enjoyment of it, and though I loved it, I doubt if I would pick it up now if I hadn't been told to (by Barbara Black, no less).
I tried reading this book a couple of years ago and never got very far. The story was fine, the writing was good, but it just wasn’t grabbing me, so I inched along, and then languished and then put it down all together and moved on to other things. In the couple of years that followed, I kept stumbling across references to Middlemarch in things I read with various sources going so far as to claim it was the “greatest English novel.” Sheesh. Greatest English novel?! So my pride and curiosity demanded that I give it another shot.
For my second attempt, I decided that I would let Julia Stevenson read it to me (she narrates an Audible version). That decision made all the difference. Stevenson’s voice is fantastic. Her tone, inflections, pauses, etc., bring the book’s characters to life. She doesn’t just read; she acts. The depth of what she does is impressive because she only has her voice to do it. Stevenson does voices for stodgy, old British men better than anyone, including stodgy, old British men (and this book has its fair share). After listening to Stevenson for more than 35 hours, I don’t know if I can say it is the greatest English novel of all time, but then again, I don’t think I am equipped to judge that. What I can say, is that I am so glad I gave it a second shot because it is an incredible book, and I would have missed so much had I walked away and never returned.
Without giving away too much or going into much detail about the plot and characters, I just want to say a few things. For my friends who are particularly captivated by love triangles (you know who you are) there are lots of them, and some of them even overlap (does that make them Venn diagrams rather than triangles?) Also, the book is astonishingly modern given that it was written in 1871-72. When I say modern, I mean psychologically as well as socially. Eliot is adept at laying out the inner thoughts and dialogue of her characters and contrasting that with reality. In doing this she shows how people are really more influenced by their own expectations, interpretations, and desires than they are by what is actually happening. Eliot illustrates how this can have disastrous consequences in love and marriage when the person is more in love with her idea of another person and what that person can do for her than with the actual person. All this is so impressive if you consider the history of psychology. To give some context, Freud had yet to publish any of his work when this book was written. The book is also socially modern in that it recognizes that women have the same ambitions and desire for work and purpose that men have, but that social mores and restrictions often stifle these things leaving talents untapped and general feelings of frustration and malaise.
The book’s plot is engaging even if it gets off to a slow start. Eliot takes her time introducing her characters (and there are many), but it is worth the wait. Because she takes her time, the reader is witness to deep and moving changes that are worked on some of the characters over the course of the book, bringing increased self-awareness and personal growth. As the book proceeds, the plot builds tension and speed until it is racing along with several last minute twists and turns leaving the reader guessing and hoping for a satisfying end.
For my second attempt, I decided that I would let Julia Stevenson read it to me (she narrates an Audible version). That decision made all the difference. Stevenson’s voice is fantastic. Her tone, inflections, pauses, etc., bring the book’s characters to life. She doesn’t just read; she acts. The depth of what she does is impressive because she only has her voice to do it. Stevenson does voices for stodgy, old British men better than anyone, including stodgy, old British men (and this book has its fair share). After listening to Stevenson for more than 35 hours, I don’t know if I can say it is the greatest English novel of all time, but then again, I don’t think I am equipped to judge that. What I can say, is that I am so glad I gave it a second shot because it is an incredible book, and I would have missed so much had I walked away and never returned.
Without giving away too much or going into much detail about the plot and characters, I just want to say a few things. For my friends who are particularly captivated by love triangles (you know who you are) there are lots of them, and some of them even overlap (does that make them Venn diagrams rather than triangles?) Also, the book is astonishingly modern given that it was written in 1871-72. When I say modern, I mean psychologically as well as socially. Eliot is adept at laying out the inner thoughts and dialogue of her characters and contrasting that with reality. In doing this she shows how people are really more influenced by their own expectations, interpretations, and desires than they are by what is actually happening. Eliot illustrates how this can have disastrous consequences in love and marriage when the person is more in love with her idea of another person and what that person can do for her than with the actual person. All this is so impressive if you consider the history of psychology. To give some context, Freud had yet to publish any of his work when this book was written. The book is also socially modern in that it recognizes that women have the same ambitions and desire for work and purpose that men have, but that social mores and restrictions often stifle these things leaving talents untapped and general feelings of frustration and malaise.
The book’s plot is engaging even if it gets off to a slow start. Eliot takes her time introducing her characters (and there are many), but it is worth the wait. Because she takes her time, the reader is witness to deep and moving changes that are worked on some of the characters over the course of the book, bringing increased self-awareness and personal growth. As the book proceeds, the plot builds tension and speed until it is racing along with several last minute twists and turns leaving the reader guessing and hoping for a satisfying end.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I listened to this book this summer, over 30 hours read by Juliet Stevenson. It was wonderful and Stevenson was a great reader using many voices. My favorite part of Middlemarch is Dorthea's story. She is one of the most complex and interesting character's in all of literature! You heard it here! Sure there is a lot of unreadable heavily detailed bits about medical stuff or town politics, but if you can get through that, it is worth it!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
tense
slow-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:
Yes
I quite liked this. It's extremely long but I did find myself very invested from the off, and you can't blame the victorians for writing tremendously long novels when they had nothing else to occupy their time with than reading. I found all the characters very well drawn and interesting, they all felt quite real, and the only thing that really taxed my patience was the political chatter and subplots. I just don't care about that. Loved Dorothea though, what a woman.