A review by aspiringorakle
Middlemarch by George Eliot

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This novel is a confusing one. On the one hand, it is very fragmented. The major movements of the novel do not seem to be connected to one another in large part, and the constant stopping to reflect can be quite jarring. However, the novel is a stunning web of consequences and meditation on the human person and living. Few books have made me feel more like a person than this one. Lydgate, with his reluctance to become involved in lowly affairs, poor judgment in a wife, and procrastination, is a very prevalent type of person. So is Rosamond, with her self-assuredness, and inability to take criticism. Mary and Fred are exactly the people you want to root for, and show great resistance in the face of shifting sand. And Eliot masterfully garners incredible sympathy for Dorothea--despite her lack of growth and poor decision making. There is significance in the small things, and staying committed despite your middling (marching) circumstances may or may not turn out well for you. Overall, I loved this book despite its flaws, and its treatment of how humans fail will stick with me for a while.