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amy_h_45 's review for:
Silas Marner
by George Eliot
The first time I read Silas Marner, I read it with my daughter, a book I assigned her for our homeschool. I liked it. It was sweet. But I saw it through the eyes of a 9th grader. While I knew she would enjoy its sweetness, I didn't think it appropriate to force her to see more than she was ready to see for herself, or appreciate what Eliot might have had to say about faith, community and self-knowledge. So, we didn't go there. I didn't want to ruin the book for her, and I hope that when she is older, she, too, will revisit this book and see it for the beautiful little gem that it is. I am so happy that I did!
I love Victorian age books where thinkers of all sorts were trying to figure out what effect the industrial revolution would have on their society. While the Victorians believed they were on the cusp of creating a paradisiacal world with their advancements in science, medicine and industry, there were those who could take a look around and see that all was not moving in the direction that everyone hoped. Writers like Dickens, Eliot and Gaskell understood that this new society was rife with the problems of greed, displacement and its attending loss of community and tradition, and the simple fact that when the world undergoes a significant amount of change in a short amount of time, nobody really knows how to react. Eliot examines these themes (and more) in Silas Marner.
Though the book is primarily the story of how Silas comes to be separated from the world and then how he rejoins it, it is by no means only his story. It is also Godfrey's story. Where Silas has to overcome the things that were done to him that stand in the way of his being a full participant in his community, Godfrey has to figure out a way to be a fully integrated participant in his own life, to get over his ennui and and its resulting indifference, to make amends for the things he did that made him unable to life his life to the fullest. And of course, it's also Eppie's story, but she is presented to us as a whole person, who understands, interacts with, and explains the world as it really is.
All of this is great for the literature nerd who enjoys reading to gain a deeper appreciation for the art, to understand the world a little better and to have an image reflected back that reveals, not just mirrors. But Silas Marner has something for anyone who loves a good character driven novel. The writing is rich, but not too dense. It's easily understandable if you will give your brain a few minutes to adjust to the language of the past. Eliot's imagery is stunning. Her ability to convey emotion is truly touching. Her understanding for the human condition is comforting. She doesn't pass judgement on her characters, and asks that we read them with compassion. They are flawed, just like we are flawed, and she doesn't want us to come away thinking that we are in some way superior than her creations. I think she wants us to understand that redemption is possible and open to all who will take the time to recognize themselves and have faith that human sympathy, love and our higher nature can prevail.
I love Victorian age books where thinkers of all sorts were trying to figure out what effect the industrial revolution would have on their society. While the Victorians believed they were on the cusp of creating a paradisiacal world with their advancements in science, medicine and industry, there were those who could take a look around and see that all was not moving in the direction that everyone hoped. Writers like Dickens, Eliot and Gaskell understood that this new society was rife with the problems of greed, displacement and its attending loss of community and tradition, and the simple fact that when the world undergoes a significant amount of change in a short amount of time, nobody really knows how to react. Eliot examines these themes (and more) in Silas Marner.
Though the book is primarily the story of how Silas comes to be separated from the world and then how he rejoins it, it is by no means only his story. It is also Godfrey's story. Where Silas has to overcome the things that were done to him that stand in the way of his being a full participant in his community, Godfrey has to figure out a way to be a fully integrated participant in his own life, to get over his ennui and and its resulting indifference, to make amends for the things he did that made him unable to life his life to the fullest. And of course, it's also Eppie's story, but she is presented to us as a whole person, who understands, interacts with, and explains the world as it really is.
All of this is great for the literature nerd who enjoys reading to gain a deeper appreciation for the art, to understand the world a little better and to have an image reflected back that reveals, not just mirrors. But Silas Marner has something for anyone who loves a good character driven novel. The writing is rich, but not too dense. It's easily understandable if you will give your brain a few minutes to adjust to the language of the past. Eliot's imagery is stunning. Her ability to convey emotion is truly touching. Her understanding for the human condition is comforting. She doesn't pass judgement on her characters, and asks that we read them with compassion. They are flawed, just like we are flawed, and she doesn't want us to come away thinking that we are in some way superior than her creations. I think she wants us to understand that redemption is possible and open to all who will take the time to recognize themselves and have faith that human sympathy, love and our higher nature can prevail.