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A review by booksbythewindow
Romola by George Eliot, Dorothea Barrett
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
For Full Review: Romola – Books by the Window (wordpress.com)
Summary: Romola is a historical novel, set in fifteenth century Florence. It follows several protagonists: Tito Melema is the initial point of view character, a Greek scholar who is stranded in Florence after a shipwreck but has dark secrets that he will go to any lengths to protect. In Florence, Tito quickly meets and falls in love with the eponymous character of Romola, from whose perspective the reader sees most of the narrative, and who starts to realise Tito’s true character after their marriage when he breaks a promise to her late father. Tito’s behaviour affects more than just Romola as his relationship with the naïve Tessa becomes clearer throughout the novel.
Overall Thoughts: I always feel that the strength of Eliot’s writing lies in her characters, both good characters and bad characters. The edition of Romola that I was reading was divided into two volumes and by the end of Volume I, I already hated Tito and was longing for Romola and Tessa to discover the truth about him. The historical aspects of the novel also broke up the pacing somewhat, with Eliot's extensive research often leading to an awful lot of exposition that I was just not all that interested in. I would always recommend The Mill on the Floss or Middlemarch over Romola, but for those with an interest or prior knowledge of Florentine history, I imagine this would be an easier read and an interesting take on that particular period and political manoeuvring.
Summary: Romola is a historical novel, set in fifteenth century Florence. It follows several protagonists: Tito Melema is the initial point of view character, a Greek scholar who is stranded in Florence after a shipwreck but has dark secrets that he will go to any lengths to protect. In Florence, Tito quickly meets and falls in love with the eponymous character of Romola, from whose perspective the reader sees most of the narrative, and who starts to realise Tito’s true character after their marriage when he breaks a promise to her late father. Tito’s behaviour affects more than just Romola as his relationship with the naïve Tessa becomes clearer throughout the novel.
Overall Thoughts: I always feel that the strength of Eliot’s writing lies in her characters, both good characters and bad characters. The edition of Romola that I was reading was divided into two volumes and by the end of Volume I, I already hated Tito and was longing for Romola and Tessa to discover the truth about him. The historical aspects of the novel also broke up the pacing somewhat, with Eliot's extensive research often leading to an awful lot of exposition that I was just not all that interested in. I would always recommend The Mill on the Floss or Middlemarch over Romola, but for those with an interest or prior knowledge of Florentine history, I imagine this would be an easier read and an interesting take on that particular period and political manoeuvring.