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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This was my 2nd George Eliot book and it did not disappoint. It’s the story of an outsider and a loner in a small village in England. It’s less of a romance and more about what defines a family. But there are twists and intrigue to please most readers. I especially love the descriptions of friendship and of earning your own money. It’s significantly shorter than Middlemarch so if you want a taste of Ms. Evans without a huge investment, this is a great book to start with.
I read this nearly 15 years ago and didn't think much of it at the time, but I really enjoyed it this time around.
These days, I've been finding it calming to spend time in the gentle, unchanging, parochial, pastoral world of early 19th C rural England. It also helps me keep a long-view perspective on people and society. It's a low-key, small-village drama, but it's also almost a philosophical treatise on work, wealth, religion, family, and society; and a wide range of personal characteristics and flaws. As with Jane Austen, I've come to respect George Eliot as an author who can craft a compelling story without car chases and explosions.
These days, I've been finding it calming to spend time in the gentle, unchanging, parochial, pastoral world of early 19th C rural England. It also helps me keep a long-view perspective on people and society. It's a low-key, small-village drama, but it's also almost a philosophical treatise on work, wealth, religion, family, and society; and a wide range of personal characteristics and flaws. As with Jane Austen, I've come to respect George Eliot as an author who can craft a compelling story without car chases and explosions.
Sweet baby jeezuz I am behind on my books! I read this some time ago and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't end in devastation and heartbreak (as all other classic novels seem to). It ended up being a pleasant, sweet story and I'm glad I read it.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this book for one of my University subjects and while it was a nice story, it was a bit on the boring side. It took me over a month to read this, purely because I wasn't enthralled in the plot. A significant portion of the novel (novella?) was filler content. While the story was sweet and did have points of interest, these were few and far between and I had a difficult time staying focused long enough to read more than a few pages at a time.
The writing was easy to follow, despite the time gap between publication and current day. Eliot spun a sweet story, with perhaps too much focus on religion but that can be excused since she was from an entirely different era. The connection between wealth and greed, and the unconditional love of a child was a nice concept and the descriptions of Silas and the child he discovers are enjoyable to read, perhaps because there is finally some concrete plot.
If you want to read some Victorian literature without having to get too involved this could be a good book to start with. It certainly lacks the dramatic elements of it's Victorian counterparts (Wuthering Heights, I'm looking at you). If you want a sweet, short read feel free to check this out, but don't come expecting action and excitement.
The writing was easy to follow, despite the time gap between publication and current day. Eliot spun a sweet story, with perhaps too much focus on religion but that can be excused since she was from an entirely different era. The connection between wealth and greed, and the unconditional love of a child was a nice concept and the descriptions of Silas and the child he discovers are enjoyable to read, perhaps because there is finally some concrete plot.
If you want to read some Victorian literature without having to get too involved this could be a good book to start with. It certainly lacks the dramatic elements of it's Victorian counterparts (Wuthering Heights, I'm looking at you). If you want a sweet, short read feel free to check this out, but don't come expecting action and excitement.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I always try to pepper some classics in to my reading list. Some great writing and I'm reminded that I'm not overly fond of Victorian fiction. Kudos in so many ways to George Eliot, and not my favorite.
We read this book in school. I gave it two stars because "it was ok." It's just not a book I would read for fun.