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stainedsouth 's review for:
Middlemarch
by George Eliot
As you can read in any review, Middlemarch is a small, English, country village and the novel revolves around the nineteenth century lives and/or relationships of several people in the village - if not the whole village at times. The main characters include Dorothea Brooke, Edward Causabon, Will Ladislaw, brother and sister - Rosamond and Fred Vincy, Mary Garth, Tertius Lydgate, and Nicholas Bulstrode. Some of these individuals become couples after long and tortuous events; some have long and tortuous events after becoming a couple.
However, my favorite characters weren't central to the stories. I strongly preferred, Elinor Cadwallader, the rector's wife who has a quick wit and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I also developed a fondness for Caleb Garth and Camden Farebrother who are two good, decent men. None of these three individuals were in the story enough, but Caleb and Camden got a good deal more time than Elinor.
As to my personal response to Middlemarch and I know I am about to step on all kinds of 'this-is-the-best-book-ever' toes, but I don't get it. Yes, George Eliot made some great moral points, yes there were some word construction that was lovely and brilliant, and yes the relationships were interesting - when you actually got to read about the relationships - but this book is too wordy. If I can put a book down and not think about it or miss reading it for a couple of days at a time, then the book has not grabbed me.
It was like I was reading, blah, blah, blah - a good point - blah, blah, blah - some interesting interactions or information - blah, blah, blah. There was too much that didn't provide information central to story development and there were too many references to events of the time that you just won't get without ALOT of footnotes.
I didn't HATE it (Moby Dick is still in my number one spot there!), but I didn't LOVE it (Pride and Prejudice anyone?). I am glad I read it, but I don't plan to again. And that is just my opinion for what it is worth.
However, my favorite characters weren't central to the stories. I strongly preferred, Elinor Cadwallader, the rector's wife who has a quick wit and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I also developed a fondness for Caleb Garth and Camden Farebrother who are two good, decent men. None of these three individuals were in the story enough, but Caleb and Camden got a good deal more time than Elinor.
As to my personal response to Middlemarch and I know I am about to step on all kinds of 'this-is-the-best-book-ever' toes, but I don't get it. Yes, George Eliot made some great moral points, yes there were some word construction that was lovely and brilliant, and yes the relationships were interesting - when you actually got to read about the relationships - but this book is too wordy. If I can put a book down and not think about it or miss reading it for a couple of days at a time, then the book has not grabbed me.
It was like I was reading, blah, blah, blah - a good point - blah, blah, blah - some interesting interactions or information - blah, blah, blah. There was too much that didn't provide information central to story development and there were too many references to events of the time that you just won't get without ALOT of footnotes.
I didn't HATE it (Moby Dick is still in my number one spot there!), but I didn't LOVE it (Pride and Prejudice anyone?). I am glad I read it, but I don't plan to again. And that is just my opinion for what it is worth.