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laura_corsi's review against another edition
5.0
The first time I read this I was 20 years old and was chiefly interested in the romance of Dorothea Brooke, which I found quite unsatisfactory at the time. Years later, I find that my opinion of Middlemarch is very much changed.
charloforce's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hanzy's review
5.0
This is a genius work of literature, a masterpiece. For those wishing to read, I recommend taking some time to understand the background, for this book, as its subtitle states is 'A study of provincial life' during an era of reforms and change. I started this book blind(hadn't even read the blurb), but a few chapters in, I had to pause and reconsider what I was getting into. There's much depth to it where we see a sort of emotional evolution of the characters with political and psychological underpinnings. Rich complex characters, and no singular protagonist. I'd say 'provincial life' could possibly be the protagonist of this book. Everything is purposeful - from the prelude to the finale, the literary devices used, just everything. I've never read a book like this one before. While I could see a resemblance to Jane Austen's works at the beginning of the book (courtship, familial ties, etc.), it goes much deeper and more complex in comparison. It's a book I'm certain I'll be coming back to.
jay_sy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Middlemarch by George Eliot is about a number of people living in Middlemarch and how their lives intersect.
Thoughts while reading:
-unlike Wives and Daughters, the characters aren’t really grabbing me so far, but I’ll push through and see if it grows on me
-I’m feeling a little bad for Dorothea as her illusions about her husband are starting to give way to the reality of the situation, but Fred’s behaviour with the loan was maddening to me
-I’m more than half-way through the book, but it still isn’t connecting with me. I can tell the characters have a fair bit of depth and dimension, but I’m just not very interested in what’s happening. I suppose the slow pace of the plot makes it easy to listen to, however.
-the story seems to pick up a bit after Mr Casaubon dies. I'm interested to see if Fred redeems himself and whether the relationship between Will and Dorothea will develop, as well as whether Rosamond's relationship will fall apart with Lydgate
-oh wow, I'm still shocked about the revelation of Mr. Bulstrode's past, especially considering how righteous he believes himself to be
-the scene of the second goodbye between Will and Dorothea was so romantic, and it made me wish I could sweep away all the social conventions that existed between them so that they could at least speak clearly to one another
-I really struggled with the first three quarters of this book but after, I'm so invested in what's happening. I wasn't particularly attached to any characters in the beginning but towards the end, I absolutely adored Dorothea. I love her idealism and her goodness and the faith that she has in others which brings out their inner goodness
-The end of the book really hit me hard. I think I just fell in love with Dorothea’s character and was so moved by her actions. I was crying by the end of it. It was interesting to see how the character’s lives intertwined and how things worked out for all of them. In different ways, they all began with different ideals. Fred wanted an idle outdoorsy sort of life and ended up being hard working. Rosamond wanted status and comfort, and was humbled, even though Lydgate eventually had financial success. Lydgate never achieved the major contributions he wanted to make to the science of medicine, even if he appeared successful on the outside. And Dorothea had her quiet way of making a positive impact on those closest to her. I’m glad I pushed through to the end of the book because everything was tied together and I was really affected by it.
-I enjoyed reflecting on the themes of what it means to be good and do good, especially contrasting Dorothea’s quiet actions with Bulstrode’s showy ones. It was also interesting to see all the various marriages and how they differed. Lydgate’s marriage might have looked idea because everyone admired Rosamond’s beauty, but it was fraught with struggles. On the other hand, people disapproved of Dorothea marrying Will, but they had a deep love for one another.
Overall, I'm glad I gave this book a chance. I listened to it on audiobook, and I'm fairly certain that if I had been reading a physical book, I would have put it down long ago. They way it came together hit me hard, and I think I'll be reflecting on it for a while. So, for the amazing last quarter of the book, I'd give it a full extra star to bring it up to 4 stars out of 5
Thoughts while reading:
-unlike Wives and Daughters, the characters aren’t really grabbing me so far, but I’ll push through and see if it grows on me
-I’m feeling a little bad for Dorothea as her illusions about her husband are starting to give way to the reality of the situation, but Fred’s behaviour with the loan was maddening to me
-I’m more than half-way through the book, but it still isn’t connecting with me. I can tell the characters have a fair bit of depth and dimension, but I’m just not very interested in what’s happening. I suppose the slow pace of the plot makes it easy to listen to, however.
-the story seems to pick up a bit after Mr Casaubon dies. I'm interested to see if Fred redeems himself and whether the relationship between Will and Dorothea will develop, as well as whether Rosamond's relationship will fall apart with Lydgate
-oh wow, I'm still shocked about the revelation of Mr. Bulstrode's past, especially considering how righteous he believes himself to be
-the scene of the second goodbye between Will and Dorothea was so romantic, and it made me wish I could sweep away all the social conventions that existed between them so that they could at least speak clearly to one another
-I really struggled with the first three quarters of this book but after, I'm so invested in what's happening. I wasn't particularly attached to any characters in the beginning but towards the end, I absolutely adored Dorothea. I love her idealism and her goodness and the faith that she has in others which brings out their inner goodness
-The end of the book really hit me hard. I think I just fell in love with Dorothea’s character and was so moved by her actions. I was crying by the end of it. It was interesting to see how the character’s lives intertwined and how things worked out for all of them. In different ways, they all began with different ideals. Fred wanted an idle outdoorsy sort of life and ended up being hard working. Rosamond wanted status and comfort, and was humbled, even though Lydgate eventually had financial success. Lydgate never achieved the major contributions he wanted to make to the science of medicine, even if he appeared successful on the outside. And Dorothea had her quiet way of making a positive impact on those closest to her. I’m glad I pushed through to the end of the book because everything was tied together and I was really affected by it.
-I enjoyed reflecting on the themes of what it means to be good and do good, especially contrasting Dorothea’s quiet actions with Bulstrode’s showy ones. It was also interesting to see all the various marriages and how they differed. Lydgate’s marriage might have looked idea because everyone admired Rosamond’s beauty, but it was fraught with struggles. On the other hand, people disapproved of Dorothea marrying Will, but they had a deep love for one another.
Overall, I'm glad I gave this book a chance. I listened to it on audiobook, and I'm fairly certain that if I had been reading a physical book, I would have put it down long ago. They way it came together hit me hard, and I think I'll be reflecting on it for a while. So, for the amazing last quarter of the book, I'd give it a full extra star to bring it up to 4 stars out of 5
hkbarnes14's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emmacspoor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
juventina's review against another edition
5.0
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this book?! Mary was a genius quite simply and I feel so sad to have finished this great book. Her insight into human psychology is amazing and I couldn’t get enough of her sublime prose. The way she showed how one character in particular was incredibly narcissistic was impressive. It may be set in the 19th century but this book is timeless. I’ll definitely be thinking about all the characters for a while. The book is full of quotes that were so beautifully written, I feel I have to include at least just one: “ If youth is the season of hope, it is often so only in the sense that our elders are hopeful about us; for no age is so apt as youth to think its emotions, partings, and resolves are the last of their kind. Each crisis seems final, simply because it is new. We are told that the oldest inhabitants in Peru do not cease to be agitated by the earthquakes, but they probably see beyond each shock, and reflect that there are plenty more to come.”.
sophieskilling's review against another edition
3.5
listen i’m a jane austen stan and in my eyes she can do no wrong, but since all of her novels end in marriage, there’s definitely a question in what happens after the fact - enter middlemarch !
with dorothea getting married off almost immediately, a lot of this novel was an exploration into the downfalls of a courtship system that rushes into marriage and views that as the end point and i very much enjoyed that. george eliot is a smart lady with interesting things to say!!
my favourite thing about this was the way my love for the characters crept up on me. with such a long book it sometimes felt that not everything needed to be there, until something happening to a character would hit me right in the heart because george eliot had been secretly building my care for them through all these pages i’d read. i especially loved the girls - my love for flawed and almost unlikeable female characters remains strong in rosamund and celia - but eliot was so good at showing sympathy for all characters, even ones i didn’t want to like at all thank u!! (i’m looking at u, casaubon)
she was also especially good at including those universal emotions that come from just being human, proving that humans have always been humans that we can relate to even in very different circumstances - which is one of the main reasons i read classics <3
geraldinegot's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
anni_kiku's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0