A review by stefanv
Romola by George Eliot

2.0

As someone who loves history - especially the Renaissance period - as well as historical novels in various forms, I was expecting to love this novel. And although I did have some enjoyment reading this book, I did, however, not love it. It is by no means a bad novel, but it has failed to grip me, to touch me. I never had any problems with slow paced novels - some of those are among my favourite books - but in Romola there hardly seems to be any plot development at all. A strange thing, as the novel is set in a chaotic time in history. It felt to me like George Eliot focused more on the aesthetic of her writing than on the development of the story and fleshing out of the characters. And with that we reach the main plus of Romola: it is beautifully written.