Middlemarch

Stick With It

I can understand how some readers might become overwhelmed by the 700 plus pages that make up this classic but its well worth the read. George Eliot reminds me of an Austen or Bronte, but with a little more spunk. Everything doesn't always work out perfectly for Eliot's characters and their lives are more complicated and true to life. Dr. Lydgate and Dorthea begin with the best of intentions but their ambitions are soon spoiled through their own folly and misjudgement. The book is a great depiction of human strenghths and weaknesses set in a climate of strict social heirarchy.

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

Acceptable edition with excellent introduction--a good value.

This edition of Middlemarch has one of the best introductions to a classic I've ever read--clearly written, informative and free of the pompous nonsense you usually see in these (definitely read it after reading the novel, though; it gives away all the plot points). Because of this alone, I'd say this edition is more than worth the money. On the other hand, it did have a good number of typos. The book was apparently scanned with optical character recognition, judging by their nature. I found it readable, but if you're a stickler for such things, you might want to avoid this edition. Another drawback was the footnotes. They were too sparse, and a handful weren't properly tagged to jump to the footnote section. These aren't fatal flaws, but they keep reminding you you're not reading a top-notch edition. Still, for the money, I'm not sure you could do better.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

OK read

This is an okay read. Trust me. It's not average and although it says George Eliot was the greatest British novelist of the 19th century on the back, she wasn't; Dickens was (trust me). Dickens's works have literary merit AND they are entertaining; George Eliot's novels only have the former. So, I didn't enjoy this novel, but I admit it was pretty good, just not so good as to make you want to read it again or recommend it to anyone. It wasn't entertaining enough to make you think the read was worthwhile. I mean you won't get any real gratification, any real enjoyment from this novel, unless you like quite unembellished stories.

5 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

Great book, HORRIBLE edition

Do NOT waste your money on this edition of Middlemarch. There are seriously at least 50 typos that I found. Misspelled words, character names switched, missing punctuation. I've never seen anything like it. It was terribly distracting. B&N and the editor of this edition should be so ashamed. Your money and time will be much better spent on another edition.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

A must have. While I have always had an affinity towards the great classics - Great Expectations, Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn 'and Tom Sawyer', Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Austen's Pride and Prejudice, etc nothing prepared me for the masterpiece that I found George Eliot's Middlemarch to be.... not even having come highly recommended, and gifted by a fellow avid reader who's interests in the classics sometimes overlay mine. MiddleMarch is an ordinary yet timeless portrayal of people, their interwoven lives, and relationships, idealisms, crises etc - essentially, it is an character rich yet simple storytelling of humanity. It is 'IMO' like a book of life. I collected favorite books for the longest time and would haul them with me whenever I moved. Recently though, I adopted a minimalistic outlook to life and have practically given away all of my favorite books that I haven't read in a while. Currently, there are only 3 favorites that sit on my shelf, and MiddleMarch is the most favored of these favorites. Once you can get past the size - I have the Barnes & Noble Classics which comes to 799 pages, you too may find this your ultimate favorite classic.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Eliot is Amazing!

i rad this book, not really expecting how good it would be. However, i was pleasantly surprised and would recommend this novel to everyone. Im now trying to read all of Eliot's work, because she has fantastic writing style.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Review of Middlemarch

Finally. Finally after four weeks of reading I finish this novel.

So, in summary, this is what I gathered from the book. This is a story about three couples - Fred and Mary, Dorothea and Ladislaw and Rosamund and Lyndgate. These six people live in a town called Middlemarch - and Eliot does not build a vague fictional town here, she details every last little thing down to pages upon pages of motives behind elections, decisions made and fainting spells. Every bit of gossip is laid out and every substantial movement of a main character dissected and looked at from all angles.

In short, this was the longest book I've ever read. And I'm sad to say I just did not like it all that much.

I often remarked to my family as I was trudging my way through this novel that, at times, it felt as if I was sitting and watching a snail decide which direction to move in. Now, don't get me wrong - the characters were vibrant. They could have sprung off the page, full of life if Eliot (to borrow a Tolkien term here) had not the patience of an Ent. So. Much. Detail. Ugh. I cannot get over how long this book took to read.

I loved the Epilogue though (and for more reasons than it just signifying the end!) and I'm proud of myself for sticking it through and for grasping the story and understanding the significance of why she wrote it the way she did. It had to be done that way - the actual "action" in the book would have been disappointing on its own without all of the build-up. But instead of feeling a triumphant release at the ending I felt more a calm sigh of relief and had a "thank God" moment (both for it being the end and for getting what I wanted at the end of the book).

I would not have read this book if I hadn't been involved in the 1001 Books to Read Before you Die challenge. And honestly, I'm dreading the next George Eliot I pick up, but at least I've armed myself with some knowledge and know how to approach it now. Bits at a time with plenty of action-filled books in between.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

One of the best

I love to read the classics but this is one of my favorites. If you find it a little slow at the beginning stick with it. The characters are so vivid and real you will be pulled into the story and identify with their experiences.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Third time a charm!!

I have tried on 2 occasions to get thru this book, and after 100 pages or so, find it very uninteresting. I am an avid reader of the Classics and am never afraid to take on any size book, as long as the story holds my interest. Since I own this book, I will try again this winter to get thru Middlemarch,and maybe this time it will light that spark that makes the reader wish the story would never end!! If not, theres always Dickens!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing, Wonderful, Fantastic

So amazing! It was fantastic! I would recomend it to anyone!

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful read

Amazing! The first couple hundred pages are rough, but in the end it's worth it. If you enjoy 19th century literature, this is a must-read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A necessary read.

What makes Middlemarch so interesting, and Eliot so different from Austen, is that there are no easy ways out for the characters; their futures are not so cut-and-dried. While Dorothea is almost impossibly noble, her sister's cutting remarks and her own human weakness and warmth toward the end bring her to an understandable level. The heart agonizes for the doctor in the parallel story, but his superficiality and aloofness at times also distance him from the reader. In short, idealized characters are brought down, and 'low' characters are proven better than they first seemed, and there is real insight into the hopes and disappointments of marriage. The candid explanations of human behavior are often reminiscent of Tolstoy, another writer whose works are necessary to read.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not a fan of Eliot

I looked forward to getting 'into' this rather long volume. Unfortunately, it was just too flowery for my preference. I passed it on to a friend who thoroughly enjoyed it and would give it 5 stars!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The first few chapters of my copy of Middlemarch were actually f

The first few chapters of my copy of Middlemarch were actually from Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I don't know how a misprint like this went unnoticed. 

Character development

Best book you will know people yourself that are exactly like the characters in the book family members too LOVED iT

Another boring one.

Nothing much happened, just a lot of talking.

Wholesome

It took me several months to read Middlemarch, not because it was boring but because it was so deep and wholesome. The book is considered a study of provincial life in the 1830's and it most certainly was. It was an intricately woven story of closely knit people living in a small town called Middlemarch. I didn't find a particular plot line, instead it felt like a narration from someone's diary; someone very observant and excellent with the pen. The characters were very rich, distinct and developed very well as the book went along. Although I didn't much favor Eliot's long philosophical "exercises" throughout the novel (hence one less star), I do not regret reading her book. It will be enjoyed by anyone who likes reading period dramas. If you pick it up, you should be willing to devote a good few weeks to it. It was worth it for me.

An Excellent Example of a Great Novel

Admittedly, it took me awhile to get into this novel but once I did, I had trouble putting it down. This is definitely a page turner. It should also be mentioned that this is a soap opera or telenovela for those days before television. A gripping story with larger than life characters, you will find yourself entirely enmeshed in their lives.

Inspiring and enlightening

I'm a huge fan of George Eliot, and this was the first of her works I read. I actually cried when I turned the last page. The story is truly several stories in one. Perhaps it centers around two motherless sisters who have been raised by their uncle, an estate owner in the habit of turning a blind eye to the concerns of his tenants. Dorothea, his eldest niece, is humble young woman, beautiful and unaware of it, and self-denying to a fault. Her sister is somewhat more trivial but her admonitions to her sister to lighten up and enjoy herself are not without merit. Amidst the vast pool of characters are also the idol youth Fred Vincey, who might just turn right if the woman he loves would give him any encouragement. Mr. Lydgate is a new doctor in town, anxious to introduce new reforms in medicine and hospital management, and he, a sworn bachelor, soon finds himself in the clutches of the adventuring, but all in all well meaning Rosamond Vincey. In the background scandal and conflict are brewing and our dear Mr. Lydgate must keep himself above water. To me, however, the story is about Dorothea. Her self denying ways land her in an unhappy marriage to a man who will not be pleased (the self-important prig.) In the mean time, she becomes acquainted with his young nephew and they form a rather intense friendship. When the husband dies, and he wills away all of her inheritance should she form any kind of alliance with Mr. Ladislaw, it seems she is doomed never to find happiness, despite her enduring endeavours to be a good influence to all around her.

This book, to me, is a testament to the power of good influences. Dorothea is quite possibly my favourite heroine of all time.

Disappointing, bored, and wondering what others see

This book as been pegged as a masterpiece of English fiction, well for me it was a masterpiece of boredom and dissatisfaction. One of the driest and most serious books that I have read in a long time (maybe ever). For me the Finale couldn't not have came quick enough. There are so MANY plot lines and so many characters, that it was absolutely grueling to try and finish the novel (but I did). This book is divided into eight books and then the Finale. Personally, not only were the characters of the book having to go through unhappy marriages through their entirely, but I was also suffering through the whole ordeal. Although the character Dorothea doesn't marry in my opinion the ideal husband (Lydgate) for her character, by in the end I despised Dorothea; therefore, I was fine with her character being unhappy. Definitely not the worse book i have ever read (because that honor belongs to Walden), but at times (a multitude of time() I definitely questioned how this is on the BBC top 100 book list.