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A review by vaylinn_levore
Scenes of Clerical Life by George Eliot
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is a collection of 3 short stories that go in order of worst to best and shortest to longest.
The shortest story told is about the Reverand Amos who isn't really a fit for the community he serves and is just a sad story that gets sadder. There's a Countess and her brother living in the community who aren't liked by the people of the parish but the Reverand and his wife socialise with. After a falling out with her brother, the Countess moves in with the Reverand, putting an extra toll on their limited income, not helping out and the parish gossips take a mean-spirited view of the Reverand's charity. Thankfully it was the shortest at around 60ish pages so didn't take too long to get through.
The second is another tragedy but at least this one starts with the ending and then goes back so you know how its going. It centres around another Reverand but back centres around his ill-fated love interest from his youth. Can't remember the characters names off hand, but the girl he loves is in love with another who has led her on with no intention of marrying. She spends the novel in emotional distress and although she eventually moves on, she is too 'damaged' from the stress she experienced and dies in childbirth.
The final and longest story is sort of two stories in one. First is about the divisive aspect of a new preacher in town and his different evangelical take on sermons that is not well received by some of the people and then the other story around Janet and her abusive marriage. Although its called Janet's Repentance, Janet doesn't really make an appearance for a good portion of the book.
Although the stories get better as they go along, neither are really that good. As per the title of the novel, they all revolve around characters in a parish, focusing on the clergy leaders. The blurb on the back of the book is pretty misleading, takes a tiny part of the books and acts like its the central focus. Particularly with the second when it talks about the girl walking around with a dagger making it seem like this is a thing she is constantly doing. In actuality she picks it up once in a passionate rage, never uses it and it quietly gets taken from her pretty quickly.
The first two stories are just sad and I'm not someone who likes to read tragedies. The final story at least has a happier ending. The abusive marriage is viewed obviously from a very historical and Christian lens so its not like Janet is just peacing out of there. Her 'repentance' which I hate as a concept, is more just her finding hope and comfort in her religion so that she can deal with her awful husband.
Not really my sort of book but its well written and easy to follow. If the subject matter interests you, you'll probably enjoy it.
The shortest story told is about the Reverand Amos who isn't really a fit for the community he serves and is just a sad story that gets sadder. There's a Countess and her brother living in the community who aren't liked by the people of the parish but the Reverand and his wife socialise with. After a falling out with her brother, the Countess moves in with the Reverand, putting an extra toll on their limited income, not helping out and the parish gossips take a mean-spirited view of the Reverand's charity. Thankfully it was the shortest at around 60ish pages so didn't take too long to get through.
The second is another tragedy but at least this one starts with the ending and then goes back so you know how its going. It centres around another Reverand but back centres around his ill-fated love interest from his youth. Can't remember the characters names off hand, but the girl he loves is in love with another who has led her on with no intention of marrying. She spends the novel in emotional distress and although she eventually moves on, she is too 'damaged' from the stress she experienced and dies in childbirth.
The final and longest story is sort of two stories in one. First is about the divisive aspect of a new preacher in town and his different evangelical take on sermons that is not well received by some of the people and then the other story around Janet and her abusive marriage. Although its called Janet's Repentance, Janet doesn't really make an appearance for a good portion of the book.
Although the stories get better as they go along, neither are really that good. As per the title of the novel, they all revolve around characters in a parish, focusing on the clergy leaders. The blurb on the back of the book is pretty misleading, takes a tiny part of the books and acts like its the central focus. Particularly with the second when it talks about the girl walking around with a dagger making it seem like this is a thing she is constantly doing. In actuality she picks it up once in a passionate rage, never uses it and it quietly gets taken from her pretty quickly.
The first two stories are just sad and I'm not someone who likes to read tragedies. The final story at least has a happier ending. The abusive marriage is viewed obviously from a very historical and Christian lens so its not like Janet is just peacing out of there. Her 'repentance' which I hate as a concept, is more just her finding hope and comfort in her religion so that she can deal with her awful husband.
Not really my sort of book but its well written and easy to follow. If the subject matter interests you, you'll probably enjoy it.