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A review by rubybooks
Felix Holt: The Radical by George Eliot, Lynda Mugglestone
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Another read for my English class! Out of all I read so far, unfortunately this was not one of my favourites. This was my first Eliot, and I was a bit disappointed. However, I don't think it was a bad book and I'd still be interested in reading more by Eliot in the future.
Felix Holt revolves a lot around small-town politics and the implications of the Reform Act, which extended the right to vote to more land-owners. The eponymous character, Felix Holt, is passionate about the rights of the working class. Meanwhile, the novel also focuses on Harold Transome, a man from a Tory family who returns home and, to the surprise of others, decides to run as a Radical in the election. There is also a woman involved and a mystery that surfaces.
While reading this book for class, I was pretty bored during the lengthy political discussions. This was the main issue I had, because after the first few times I just wasn't interested in reading about it. However, I did like reading about the characters and seeing how they turned out in the end - I especially found the female characters interesting and compelling to read about. I loved seeing the development in Esther and Mrs Transome, and I did like seeing how the story wrapped up. Overall, I just found the middle of the story quite slow to get through so that hindered my enjoyment.
Felix Holt revolves a lot around small-town politics and the implications of the Reform Act, which extended the right to vote to more land-owners. The eponymous character, Felix Holt, is passionate about the rights of the working class. Meanwhile, the novel also focuses on Harold Transome, a man from a Tory family who returns home and, to the surprise of others, decides to run as a Radical in the election. There is also a woman involved and a mystery that surfaces.
While reading this book for class, I was pretty bored during the lengthy political discussions. This was the main issue I had, because after the first few times I just wasn't interested in reading about it. However, I did like reading about the characters and seeing how they turned out in the end - I especially found the female characters interesting and compelling to read about. I loved seeing the development in Esther and Mrs Transome, and I did like seeing how the story wrapped up. Overall, I just found the middle of the story quite slow to get through so that hindered my enjoyment.