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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I did not enjoy reading this book. Its merit lies in the fact that George Eliot is such a brilliant character writer. These people felt real to me. And it was like watching a trainwreck, waiting for them to make the terrible decisions they had the proclivity towards.
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Are you fucking kidding me.
Took me more than 15 years but I have finally finished this book. I give it a rating of "meh".
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Really didn't find this all that interesting unfortunately. I think Maggie's story/arc is about the only part of this entire story I actually enjoyed a bit, the rest just had me bored.
It was a true tragedy. I felt for Maggie (the protagonist), a lovely and energetic girl that grew up in the wrong era - one of strong family commitments, basic/no education for women and strict social expectations. She needed so much more than her family was willing to give her, which led her through this crazy life of ups and downs, of a continuous depressing state in which she felt like she should not be happy, for the sake of others.
It was a good read - just be prepared to be annoyed with certain characters because of how they act. Yes Tom, I mean you most of all!
It was a good read - just be prepared to be annoyed with certain characters because of how they act. Yes Tom, I mean you most of all!
The novel is essentially the story of Maggie Tulliver from childhood to her untimely end. Characters are strongly drawn, even minor ones such as the Dodsons and Dr Kenn, and the reader rapidly becomes absorbed in the tale, keenly experiencing Maggie's ups and downs. Maggie is portrayed sympathetically as a strong-feeling, bright young girl, sadly not in a position to benefit from the schooling her adored brother Tom struggles against. Her kind nature and thirst for intellectual stimulation foster her friendship with Philip, the hunchbacked son of her father's nemesis, Wakem. Through the father's improvidence, the family is thrust into poverty, although this does have one beneficial effect in so far as Tom buckles down to work to restore the family name. Thanks to some good investments suggested by Bob Jakin, a rich comic character (the scene in which he ostensibly tries to persuade Aunt Glegg not to purchase some muslin is the funniest in the book), Tom is able to repay the debts and re-establish the family, although his father dies soon after. As a young woman, Maggie is determined to support herself but a visit to her family sets in motion the final disasterous cycle of events. The description of the intense attraction between Maggie and Stephen Guest and the ways in which both of them try to resist it is masterful. Maggie's moral strength finally wins the battle against her emotions but the disapprobation of polite society is her only reward, even her beloved brother refuses to have her under his roof. It takes a monumental act of nature, the flood, to finally reconcile the two.
Although the narrator's voice is sometimes intrusive, the rich interplay of emotions and the strictures of society continue to resonate. The themes of money, passion and social pressures retain their relevance. This classic is still a rewarding read today.
Although the narrator's voice is sometimes intrusive, the rich interplay of emotions and the strictures of society continue to resonate. The themes of money, passion and social pressures retain their relevance. This classic is still a rewarding read today.