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meganmccuenwitt 's review for:
Middlemarch
by George Eliot
This past November, while visiting a friend at Oxford, I found myself in a pub late at night having a chat about literature with two Dominican brothers over pints and pizza (as one does in Oxford really). One of the brothers happened to have an Audible addiction and decided to send each of us at the table a free audio book based on what he knew about us. Knowing my love for Austen and the like, he sent me Middlemarch by George Elliot.
Middlemarch was always one of those books was in my vague “tbr” pile with countless other classic tomes, so I was excited for the opportunity to read it. Especially since I don’t have a car in Wexford, I was happy to spend the copious amount of time I spent walking listening to stories. However, when I started to download the book, I was surprised to realize that it would take 37 hours to be read out loud. The written book itself is over 800 pages. But well, it wasn’t like I was using my walking time for anything more productive anyway- so why not spend it absorbing myself in the life and times of Middlemarch, England.
When I started the novel, at once I was totally drawn in by Dorothea Brookes. At first, I called the book: “Dorothea judges things.” Seriously, this girl judges everything from horseback riding, to jewelry, to Maltese puppies. But what I loved about her immediately is how sure she is of what she wants, even when they are stupid and they lead to unhappiness, Dorothea never listens to anything else but her own heart. And that beautiful self-conviction was enough to pull me in for the rest of the 36 hours.
At first, I had thought the book would be about just Dorothea, so when the plot moved on other members of the town, I was initially bored. I just wanted to get back to Dorothea judging things. But, as I got to learn more about the other 41 characters in the book (I had to use a chart to keep track of them), I started falling for them too. There is Fred Vincy and Mary Garth who are honestly the cutest lil cinnamon rolls. They are so precious and basically the sweetest part of the story. There is Rosamond and Lydgate who eventually grew on me. I’m a shipper at heart and this book gives you not just one love story to root for- but three.
That’s the joy of Middlemarch, you don’t just get a book- you get a whole world. You have a whole village full of friendships, hardships, joys, drama, and love. In the end, Dorothea and Will’s love story was still my favorite part of the story. It’s the heart of the story and what I was rooting for from the moment they met.
There are things I could critique about the book, most of them coming from problematic and outdated views that might have been more common in the 1800’s. And like the ending totally took forever. But, honestly, after spending six months reading this book, I have nothing but adoration for the fond place it has grown in my heart. Virginia Woolfe called it, “the magnificent book that, with all its imperfections, is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.” And if it Queen Virginia praises it, then it’s got to be good enough for me.
Middlemarch was always one of those books was in my vague “tbr” pile with countless other classic tomes, so I was excited for the opportunity to read it. Especially since I don’t have a car in Wexford, I was happy to spend the copious amount of time I spent walking listening to stories. However, when I started to download the book, I was surprised to realize that it would take 37 hours to be read out loud. The written book itself is over 800 pages. But well, it wasn’t like I was using my walking time for anything more productive anyway- so why not spend it absorbing myself in the life and times of Middlemarch, England.
When I started the novel, at once I was totally drawn in by Dorothea Brookes. At first, I called the book: “Dorothea judges things.” Seriously, this girl judges everything from horseback riding, to jewelry, to Maltese puppies. But what I loved about her immediately is how sure she is of what she wants, even when they are stupid and they lead to unhappiness, Dorothea never listens to anything else but her own heart. And that beautiful self-conviction was enough to pull me in for the rest of the 36 hours.
At first, I had thought the book would be about just Dorothea, so when the plot moved on other members of the town, I was initially bored. I just wanted to get back to Dorothea judging things. But, as I got to learn more about the other 41 characters in the book (I had to use a chart to keep track of them), I started falling for them too. There is Fred Vincy and Mary Garth who are honestly the cutest lil cinnamon rolls. They are so precious and basically the sweetest part of the story. There is Rosamond and Lydgate who eventually grew on me. I’m a shipper at heart and this book gives you not just one love story to root for- but three.
That’s the joy of Middlemarch, you don’t just get a book- you get a whole world. You have a whole village full of friendships, hardships, joys, drama, and love. In the end, Dorothea and Will’s love story was still my favorite part of the story. It’s the heart of the story and what I was rooting for from the moment they met.
There are things I could critique about the book, most of them coming from problematic and outdated views that might have been more common in the 1800’s. And like the ending totally took forever. But, honestly, after spending six months reading this book, I have nothing but adoration for the fond place it has grown in my heart. Virginia Woolfe called it, “the magnificent book that, with all its imperfections, is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.” And if it Queen Virginia praises it, then it’s got to be good enough for me.