very good...but prefer Adam Bede
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extremely good novel and would recommend...but i feel it was a bit over stretched in certain places..some characters i really loved and others just seemed to be there to pad certain plot development. Bit overlong too, however well worth reading (but i think Adam Bede far superior)
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Outstanding
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Virginia Woolf wrote that this was one of the few novels for grown-up people. It is indeed a mirror for maturity, George Eliot's greatest achievement.
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Surprisingly Enjoyable
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I was a little apprehensive when I first started Middlemarch. At first I was convinced I as in for a long and dull read of a typical 'classic' book that does not actually deserve to be called a classic.
However I was pleasantly surprised.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, action-packed novel, then this is not for you. Middlemarch is a beautifully written piece which you must take your time to appreciate in order to enoy.
The book is filled with intruiging characters, such as the intelligent if slightly naive Dorothea, Casaubon, a dulling man devoted to his work, the careless but loveable Fred, and many more. Another beauty of the book is the numerous interwoven stories of these people, some of course more entralling than others.
Either way, if you enjoy classic books and Victorian literature, this is a must-read.
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Brilliant!
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This one deserves 10 stars, it is really one of the most incredible books I've ever read. I think I've only given a brilliant rating to the Count of Monte Cristo and Bleak House. This is a fascinating character study of the people of Middlemarch, a town in Victorian England. I can't even begin to try to describe the story -- there is Dorothea who makes a dreadful first marriage to an older man, Dr. Lydgate and his disastrous relationship and marriage to the self-centered Rosamund, Fred Vincy and Mary, and much much more.
The way the author pulls her story and characters together is incredible, and the insight into the characters is nothing short of brilliant. To quote from the book jacket and Virginia Wolf "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people."
Just be warned, this is not a sit on the edge of your seat, can't put it down until it's finished type of novel. This is a story to savour and enjoy the multi-faceted characters and the author's glorious prose like a fine red wine or a box of chocolates (or both). If you are looking for high action and adventure, this is not the book for you. Highly recommended for any lover of 19th century English literature, not as dark and brooding as Hardy can be, but the prose is just as lovely, if not better.
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A view of rural England
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In Middlemarch Eliot gives us a glimpse of rural life in England, during the 1830's. The central theme in this book is the connection between religion and worldliness, that affects the lives of the different characters in different ways.
Eliot's style is sharp and detailed and she alternates the serious tone of the book with enough humour and cynicism.
The most fascinating aspect of this book for me are in the numerous complex characters, often driven by ambition and blinded to the consequences for themselves and others.
A beautiful book, but not an easy read and not full of suspension, so if that's what you're looking for, you had better skip this book. But if you love classics like the works of Bronte and Hardy, this book definitely belongs on your list, that is, if you have the tenacity to read this 800 page novel.
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