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A review by laci
Middlemarch by George Eliot
4.0
This was my latest foray out of my literary comfort zone. I liked it, but at the same time, it confirmed this type of book isn't becoming my favorite any time soon.
The entire book is built upon characters. That means there's plenty of them, they're well fleshed out and believable, they grow and change (most often for the worse).
However, it also means there isn't much plot.
When it comes to character-based novels, the first that springs to my mind is Pride and Prejudice, which I loved. While I gave it a five-star rating, I also kinda agree with a one-star review here on goodreads that said "it's just a bunch of people going to each others' houses".
For me, that is good enough, if the characters are interesting, and _the book isn't too long_. P&P nails both.
I do realize it's a thing of personal preference, and I have to admit Middlemarch uses its great length well, building a rich tapestry of intertwined fates that really bring the city to life. But I guess I do like me some plot. If I read this book in paper, instead of an audiobook that I could just bump to 2.3 speed if ROSAMOND JUST WOULDN'T QUIT WHINING, I suspect I might never finish it, or it would take years.
I guess when my friend who "recommended it" (read: wouldn't miss any opportunity to talk about how good it is and how we should all read it) said it's basically a telenovela, she wasn't kidding.
So, tl;dr: 5* for characters and their arcs, -1* for length, -1* for feckin' Rosamond, +1* for Mary Garth. And many character arcs could be summed up as "Oh, you like this character? Let me show you what they're REALLY like!"
The entire book is built upon characters. That means there's plenty of them, they're well fleshed out and believable, they grow and change (most often for the worse).
However, it also means there isn't much plot.
When it comes to character-based novels, the first that springs to my mind is Pride and Prejudice, which I loved. While I gave it a five-star rating, I also kinda agree with a one-star review here on goodreads that said "it's just a bunch of people going to each others' houses".
For me, that is good enough, if the characters are interesting, and _the book isn't too long_. P&P nails both.
I do realize it's a thing of personal preference, and I have to admit Middlemarch uses its great length well, building a rich tapestry of intertwined fates that really bring the city to life. But I guess I do like me some plot. If I read this book in paper, instead of an audiobook that I could just bump to 2.3 speed if ROSAMOND JUST WOULDN'T QUIT WHINING, I suspect I might never finish it, or it would take years.
I guess when my friend who "recommended it" (read: wouldn't miss any opportunity to talk about how good it is and how we should all read it) said it's basically a telenovela, she wasn't kidding.
So, tl;dr: 5* for characters and their arcs, -1* for length, -1* for feckin' Rosamond, +1* for Mary Garth. And many character arcs could be summed up as "Oh, you like this character? Let me show you what they're REALLY like!"