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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This is a sweet book about a bachelor weaver who, wrongly accused of a crime, leaves his home to start a hermit life in another village. His life changes when he finds a toddler in his home and instantly decides that he will care for her. The ending was precious, and it reminded me a little of Les Mis.
I wish I could give this more stars because it probably deserves it but I just couldn't get all that into it...that is until the last 50 pages of the book. If I could I would rate the last third of the book 5 stars and the first two thirds 2 stars.
I've tried to read George Eliot's Middlemarch many times but I think the sheer number of pages always intimidated me. So I was happy to read one of her shorter novels and was quite surprised by my experience.
The first one hundred pages was slow. Really slow. I just couldn't find myself reaching for the book and at times realised I was just scanning the pages and not absorbing the story. I was on the verge of DNFing at many points. But then I reached around page 80 or so.
Once the action of the actual story occurs I just couldn't stop reading. The events and karma of the characters had me gasping out loud. The morality of this story wasn't preachy, but it's presence was definitely there.
I left reading this book shocked at the many beautiful passages Eliot wrote (and made me underline) that I cannot deny she writes brilliantly. I just think I don't enjoy the Victorian storytelling style. So I probably will read more George Eliot in the future because I am curious to see what else she has written, but they're not my current priority.
The first one hundred pages was slow. Really slow. I just couldn't find myself reaching for the book and at times realised I was just scanning the pages and not absorbing the story. I was on the verge of DNFing at many points. But then I reached around page 80 or so.
Once the action of the actual story occurs I just couldn't stop reading. The events and karma of the characters had me gasping out loud. The morality of this story wasn't preachy, but it's presence was definitely there.
I left reading this book shocked at the many beautiful passages Eliot wrote (and made me underline) that I cannot deny she writes brilliantly. I just think I don't enjoy the Victorian storytelling style. So I probably will read more George Eliot in the future because I am curious to see what else she has written, but they're not my current priority.
Eliot gets a bit preachy, and obviously never heard the dictum 'show, don't tell.' She also takes paragraphs and pages to just make a point. The morality was overly-simplistic, and I had a picture of Scrooge counting his money through the whole thing. I wanted to like it, but I didn't.
I loved this book. I don't really have much to say in ways of a review, the story felt like a treasure, at moments difficult to trek through, but overall pleasing and satisfying. Here are some beautiful bits that I wouldn't want to forget:
'...the kindness fell on him as sunshine falls on the wretched–he had no heart to taste it, and felt that it was very far off him.'
'Often the soul is ripened into fuller goodness while age has spread an ugly film, so that mere glances can never divine the preciousness of the fruit.' --so good.
And lastly:
'It seemed to him that the weaver was very selfish (a judgment readily passed by those who have never tested their own power of sacrifice)...' -- I won't disclose the context so as to avoid spoilers, but I thought that this illustrated wonderfully the contrast between the privileged and the poor. Just that. It's so good, it had me nodding excitedly as I read on.
'...the kindness fell on him as sunshine falls on the wretched–he had no heart to taste it, and felt that it was very far off him.'
'Often the soul is ripened into fuller goodness while age has spread an ugly film, so that mere glances can never divine the preciousness of the fruit.' --so good.
And lastly:
'It seemed to him that the weaver was very selfish (a judgment readily passed by those who have never tested their own power of sacrifice)...' -- I won't disclose the context so as to avoid spoilers, but I thought that this illustrated wonderfully the contrast between the privileged and the poor. Just that. It's so good, it had me nodding excitedly as I read on.
emotional
inspiring
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
emotional
medium-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:
Complicated
"He seemed to weave, like the spider, from pure impulse, without reflection."
Silas Marner is Eliot's shortest work, and follows a weaver who leaves his hometown after being falsely accused of theft. Silas settles in a country village and throws himself into his work, becoming obsessed with the money he earns, and the story goes from there. I really like this novel; it's got a fairly simple storyline and isn't the broad canvas of some of Eliot's other novels, but it's an interesting story with loveable characters and Eliot's trademark themes of love, loss, sin and redemption. I find Silas a really sympathetic character, and all the side characters are really well drawn. You feel like you are there in the village with them all. This could be a good place to start with Eliot, and definitely check it out if you are already a fan.
Silas Marner is Eliot's shortest work, and follows a weaver who leaves his hometown after being falsely accused of theft. Silas settles in a country village and throws himself into his work, becoming obsessed with the money he earns, and the story goes from there. I really like this novel; it's got a fairly simple storyline and isn't the broad canvas of some of Eliot's other novels, but it's an interesting story with loveable characters and Eliot's trademark themes of love, loss, sin and redemption. I find Silas a really sympathetic character, and all the side characters are really well drawn. You feel like you are there in the village with them all. This could be a good place to start with Eliot, and definitely check it out if you are already a fan.
I'd been looking to read this for ages, but kept putting it off. This was partly because I'd struggled to get into 'Middlemarch' and also because of the end of 'The Mill on the Floss'. However, I'm so glad I eventually read this. Although some people do say that George Eliot can be a bit preachy, I generally found her messages to be ones that are very applicable to everyday life, making you think more about your decisions and their consequences.
The plot is very moving, particularly as it approaches the denouement. I found the first half of the book to be a little slow moving, but in a very short novel I suppose it can afford to have unusual pacing. In a longer novel, that first section wouldn't really be so long - it's just because it takes over 50% of the book that it feels a bit slow. But trust me, it's worth it.
The plot is very moving, particularly as it approaches the denouement. I found the first half of the book to be a little slow moving, but in a very short novel I suppose it can afford to have unusual pacing. In a longer novel, that first section wouldn't really be so long - it's just because it takes over 50% of the book that it feels a bit slow. But trust me, it's worth it.