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A review by jay_sy
Middlemarch by George Eliot
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