"Middlemarch" by George Eliot - Book Review
Summary
"In Middlemarch, George Eliot explores a fictional nineteenth-century Midlands town facing immense political, cultural, and societal change. The quiet drama of ordinary lives and flawed choices are played out in the complexly portrayed central characters of the novel--the idealistic Dorothea Brooke; the ambitious Dr. Lydgate; the spendthrift Fred Vincy; and the steadfast Mary Garth. The appearance of two outsiders further disrupts the town's equilibrium--Will Ladislaw, the spirited nephew of Dorothea's husband, the Rev. Edward Casaubon, and the sinister John Raffles, who threatens to expose the hidden past of one of the town's elite.
Middlemarch displays Eliot's clear-eyed yet humane understanding of characters caught up in the mysterious unfolding of self-knowledge. This Penguin Classics edition uses the second edition of 1874 and features an introduction and notes by Eliot biographer Rosemary Ashton. In her introduction, Ashton discusses themes of social change in Middlemarch, and examines the novel as an imaginative embodiment of Eliot's humanist beliefs."
Review
Often regarded as the greatest novel ever written in the English language, "Middlemarch" is monumental in its psychological insight and its exploration of the consciousness of multiple characters. However, I found it to be quite a boring read. While I appreciate classics and their outdated language, the overall writing style struck me as filled with affectations and unnecessary flourishes.
Nonetheless, this essential work presents a compelling saga of various characters living in the idyllic town of Middlemarch and the unfolding of their lives. It serves as a tribute to the heroism found in our everyday experiences, focusing not on a specific goal, but rather on an analysis of consciousness in our mundane lives.
Key Takeaways
- A monumental work on the human condition and consciousness
- An essential literary classic
- Contains passages of incredible wisdom, but the style can be overly affected and somewhat dull at times
Who Should Read This
This book is ideal for readers interested in the great classics, extensive explorations of human consciousness, and the beauty found in our everyday lives and choices.
Favourite Quotes
"There are characters which are continually creating collisions and nodes for themselves in dramas which nobody is prepared to act with them. Their susceptibilities will clash against objects that remain innocently quiet."
"We are all humiliated by the sudden discovery of a fact which has existed very comfortably and perhaps been staring at us in private while we have been making up our world entirely without it."
"Unwonted circumstances may make us all rather unlike ourselves: there are conditions under which the most majestic person is obliged to sneeze, and our emotions are liable to be acted on in the same incongruous manner."
Rating
⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 stars)