latad_books 's review for:

Middlemarch by George Eliot

4.0

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I didn’t love this, though I did enjoy this massive book a lot. George Eliot’s prose occasionally left me puzzled, and I strongly think I’ll have to revisit this classic. I found myself eagerly following the interactions of the people of Middlemarch. I was particularly interested in the actions of Dorothea and Lydgate, and frequently found myself either shaking my head at these two, or feeling frustrated with those immediately around them. Eliot’s characterization was wonderful, and her detailed portraits of the main and several of the supporting characters frequently had me impressed. Much of Eliot’s commentary on the politics of the day went over my head as I know nothing of the Reform act, though her portrayal of the doctors in Middlemarch had me annoyed with them for their conservatism and their actions towards their patients. I liked her portrayal of different marriages and the roles of each of the married women in these relationships, and how they navigated their lack of legal and personal power.
These is no doubt a lot more I could say about this book, and a second reading would give me a better perspective on this many layered work.