Middlemarch

published	March 5th 1998 by Oxford University Press, USA
first published	1872
binding	Mass Market Paperback
isbn	0192834029 (isbn13: 9780192834027)
pages	904
description	Writing at the very moment when the foundations of Western thought were being challenged and undermined, George Eliot fashions in Middlemarch (1871-2)...more [close] Writing at the very moment when the foundations of Western thought were being challenged and undermined, George Eliot fashions in Middlemarch (1871-2) the quintessential Victorian novel, a concept of life and society free from the dogma of the past yet able to confront the scepticism that was taking over the age. In a panoramic sweep of English life during thr years leading up to the First Reform Bill of 1832, Eliot explores nearly every subject of concern to modern life: art, religion, science, politics, self, society, human relationships. Among her characters are some of the most remarkable portraits in English literature: Dorothea Brooke, the heroine, idealistic but naive; Rosamond Vincy, beautiful and egoistic: Edward Casaubon, the dry-as-dust scholar: Tertius Lydgate, the brilliant but morally-flawed physician: the passionate artist Will Ladislaw: and Fred Vincey and Mary Garth, childhood sweethearts whose charming courtship is one of the many humorous elements in the novel's rich comic vein. Felicia Bonaparte has provided a new Introduction for this updated edition, the text of which is taken from David Carroll's Clarendon Middlemarch (1986), the first critical edition. [close]
date added	04-09-07 edit book

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Ben rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

06/08/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Ben by: Becky
recommends it for: fans of 19th century lit

George Eliot's book can't be said to be a work of artful storytelling; or rather it's a book artfully crafted for other than the normal purposes of a formulaic dramatic arc. Middlemarch is thoughtfully, conscientiously outside of the familiar formulas. The lives of the characters carry themes and thoughts and human trajectories in a careful and nuanced dance, here, there, back, forth, but ...more

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Martine rated it:

07/11/08

bookshelves: british, favourites, film, historical-fiction, nineteenth-century, psychological-drama

Read in April, 1996

Widely regarded as the quintessential Victorian novel, Middlemarch is a superb study of life among the upper and upper middle classes of a fictional rural community in 1830s England. It takes 900 pages to draw its conclusions, but they're 900 pages of some of the richest realist writing nineteenth-century literature has to offer, full of insights into society, human nature, what to do in life when one can't quite make one's dreams come true, and how to make a marriage work. I've se...more Widely regarded as the quintessential Victorian novel, Middlemarch is a superb study of life among the upper and upper middle classes of a fictional rural community in 1830s England. It takes 900 pages to draw its conclusions, but they're 900 pages of some of the richest realist writing nineteenth-century literature has to offer, full of insights into society, human nature, what to do in life when one can't quite make one's dreams come true, and how to make a marriage work. I've seen it described as a book everyone should read before getting married, and I agree -- all the lessons you need to learn about human relationships are in here, and much more besides.

To a large extent, the success of Middlemarch is due to its characterisation. A character-driven novel if ever I saw one, Middlemarch features some of the most memorable characters Eliot ever came up with: an earnest young lady who wishes to make a difference; her husband, a petty and jealous scholar; a hot-tempered doctor who is a little ahead of his time; his wife, a living embodiment of the fact that pretty girls don't always make the best spouses; a pious banker who is not the good Christian he has always professed to be; his nephew, who desperately wishes to win the heart of the girl he loves despite his mounting gambling debts; a talented outsider who doesn't quite know how to make the most of his gifts -- they're all here, and they're described in admirable detail. Like a scientist, Eliot puts her characters under a microscope, describing their every flaw and weakness, but always in a sympathetic way; even her worst characters have redeeming features, which makes it very easy to take an interest in their vicissitudes. Like an anthropologist, she then puts her characters into a socio-cultural context, showing the whole through the parts and the parts through the whole. The historical background (political changes, the industrial revolution, new medical theories) is magnificently drawn, and the stories (there are many here) are as fine as they come, featuring love triangles, thwarted prospects, intrigue, political aspirations, blackmail, gossip, characters meddling in other people's lives from beyond the grave, and a clash between old values and modern science and technology. Granted, the book takes a while to hit its stride, but once it does, it's unputdownable.

As for shortcomings, one could say that Eliot is occasionally a tad too intellectual for her own good. Frightfully well-read herself, she sometimes has her characters refer to things which seem a bit outside their scope. Likewise, she occasionally loses herself in technical and political details which slightly detract from the main stories, and takes so much time setting the scene for the great developments which are to follow later that the first half of the book is a tad dull. The second half is brilliant, though -- up there with the great French and Russian realist classics of the period, and then some. It's not the easiest read, but a patient reader will be amply rewarded for his/her trouble, especially if he/she takes the trouble the read the book more than once. Middlemarch is one of those books which yield new gems every time one reads them, and I cherish it for that....less

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Nicole rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

02/13/08

bookshelves: classic

I read this novel for a college class. Why else would I have subjected myself to such a long-winded Victorian piece of literature? My first reading was

from amazon.comwonderful! Since then, I have seen the 1994 miniseries of this literary masterpiece, and I have become interested in comparing the two.

Firstly, I can see how many scenes had to been eliminated to to satisfy a modern audience, who lack the sophistication to appreciate English literature having no desire to endure a pletho...more

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Akemi rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

06/04/08

bookshelves: school

Read in April, 2008

My other favorite (along with Emma) from my 19th Century British Novel class. The writing is just amazing. Throughout my reading of the book, I just marveled at how perfectly Eliot phrases everything. The only parts that I disliked were her ramblings on medicine- possibly because it's outdated science, possibly because it seemed like she was just showing off her own knowledge for no apparent reason. Although at one point in the novel, she point-blank says that everything she wrote had a purpose ...more My other favorite (along with Emma) from my 19th Century British Novel class. The writing is just amazing. Throughout my reading of the book, I just marveled at how perfectly Eliot phrases everything. The only parts that I disliked were her ramblings on medicine- possibly because it's outdated science, possibly because it seemed like she was just showing off her own knowledge for no apparent reason. Although at one point in the novel, she point-blank says that everything she wrote had a purpose connecting to the novel itself (but I have my doubts). Oh, and I could have lived without some of the chapters on Lydgate and Rosamond's failing marriage. But other than those two complaints, I loved this novel.

One thing that struck me about Middlemarch is how modern it seems. I guess it wasn't written that long ago, but it's still intriguing to see where current problems had their root. For instance, hardly any of the young people in the novel know what they want to do as a career. Sound familiar? The whole idea of a middle class that could choose a career that was more than just a job but a vocation, a calling, something they enjoyed and that would contribute something meaningful, originated at this time period and continues today. Another modern idea discussed in the novel is the difference between city life vs. small town life; Lydgate leaves London because he thinks the city has too many distractions, only to find that Middlemarch politics and social pressures interfere with his life even more directly (a la Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls).

I found Middlemarch strangely similar to All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, which I had to read in my senior year of high school. I'm sure there is no actual connection between the two (though who knows?), but there are an uncanny number of similarities. Mary's insistence on Fred settling on the right career before she agrees to marry him reminded me of Anne's similar problem with Jack (except Jack never figures it out and thus loses the girl whereas Fred and Mary live happily ever after- the difference between the 19th and 20th centuries...). Bulstrode's plan to construct a hospital and his manipulation of Lydgate, the idealistic young doctor, is ridiculously similar to Willie's plan...to construct a hospital..while manipulating Adam, the idealistic young doctor.

Favorite quote: "If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence."...less

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Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

09/28/07

Read in September, 2007

If there is anyone who knew what makes people tick, it was George Eliot. _Middlemarch_ is flawlessly written with a full town of fleshed-out characters with deep-seated motivations and ambitions. There is not a single character that you can not see crystal clear in your mind. It's a hefty read, but this book has it all: love triangles, shady business dealings, unrequited love, high ambitions, intricate societal maneuverings.... it's a soap opera, in short.

There were so many passages t...more If there is anyone who knew what makes people tick, it was George Eliot. _Middlemarch_ is flawlessly written with a full town of fleshed-out characters with deep-seated motivations and ambitions. There is not a single character that you can not see crystal clear in your mind. It's a hefty read, but this book has it all: love triangles, shady business dealings, unrequited love, high ambitions, intricate societal maneuverings.... it's a soap opera, in short.

There were so many passages that I wanted to mark with my pen because I thought, "Yes! That's exactly it!" But here I will only share with you a few of my favorites:

[context: the young Dorothea is preparing to be engaged with the much elder Mr. Causabon]

"Dorothea's faith supplied all that Mr. Casaubon's words seemed to leave unsaid; what believer sees a disturbing omission or infelicity? The text, whether of prophet or of poet, expands for whatever we can put into it, and even his bad grammar is sublime........
'How should I be able now to persevere in any path without your companionship?' said Mr. Casaubon, kissing her candid brow and feeling that heaven had vouchsafed him a blessing in every way suited to his peculiar wants. He was being unconsciously wrought upon by the charms of a nature which was entirely without hidden calculations either for immediate effects of for remoter ends. It was this which made Dorothea so childlike, and according to some judges, so stupid, with all her reputed cleverness; as, for example, in the present case of throwing herself, metaphorically speaking, at Mr. Casaubon's feet and kissing his unfashionable shoeties as if he were a Protestant Pope. She was not in the least teaching Mr. Casaubon to ask if he were good enough for her, but merely asking herself anxiously how she could be good enough for Mr. Casaubon." (p. 51-52)

Now.... if THAT doesn't say it all......

Here's another one.... ;)

"'...Because he only wishes what is for your own good. And, of course men know best about everything except what women know better.'" (p. 714)

Feminism rears its head!

And, finally, I leave you with this:
"Men and women make sad mistakes about their own symptoms, taking their vague, uneasy longings sometimes for genius, sometimes for religion, and oftener still for a mighty love." (p. 731)
...less

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Phil rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

10/10/07

recommends it for: The jackanapes and mongrels who need to learn that people aren't so bad as they seem.

When I finished reading this book, I wrote in the front of it that 'This is the most rewarding book you will ever read' and left it on a bookshelf in Fiji, dreaming that someone would go through the effort of reading the whole thing based only on my comment. I doubt anyone's picked it up since then; Fiji is a strange and frightening place.

I spake the truth, though. It strikes me that most of those who've read Middlemarch these days are hapless souls who resent it as the mammoth task some cro...more When I finished reading this book, I wrote in the front of it that 'This is the most rewarding book you will ever read' and left it on a bookshelf in Fiji, dreaming that someone would go through the effort of reading the whole thing based only on my comment. I doubt anyone's picked it up since then; Fiji is a strange and frightening place.

I spake the truth, though. It strikes me that most of those who've read Middlemarch these days are hapless souls who resent it as the mammoth task some crooked professor set them at university. I read it for myself, unwittingly, and was pleasantly surprised. George Eliot conjures a massive spectrum of characters, and gets into the head of every major player in the novel. We are shown what motivates the most despicable figures as well as those we are drawn to, and as a result there is no one in this book who you cannot relate to in some way or another, or at the very least understand. In my opinion that is what makes it such a grand read: George Eliot understood people. She shows you that everyone thinks in their own way, and it makes it hard to judge anyone when you can observe this.

Though it is that lasting impression of how we might perceive one another that really makes Middlemarch stand out, the story itself is continually interesting for its sheer breadth. George Eliot set out to give a panoramic view of a provincial town, and she achieves this incredibly. It is a long read, but every step in the story builds up to the picture of the whole. Sometimes I found myself confused as to how I'd ended up in a situation where I was reading what should essentially have amounted to little more a 19th Century soap opera, but what confused me was that I was enjoying it so much. I was desperate to know what would become of these marriages and debts and everything inbetween. This is such a detailed character study that you become genuinely interested in their lives, no matter how mundane the details might appear if you stepped back and really thought about it.

Middlemarch is not a book for everyone, I imagine. The insight George Eliot shows might bore rather interest many. But it interests me like hell, so a pox on the naysayers....less

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John rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

09/01/07

bookshelves: favorites

Read in January, 1993

recommends it for: people who like late nineteenth century novels, or books with incredible detail

This is one of my favorite books, although I admit that is has been a few years since I read it last. I was first introduced it in college by one of my favorite professors, Clark Rodewald, who unfortunately is no longer with us. In the one quarter course we read all the works of Eliot and Jane Austen, except for a few that we didn't have time to get to. Rodewald described Eliot in a way that has sort of stuck with me: "She seems so smart in her books." It may be a bit of an understatem...more

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Stephanie rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

09/27/07

bookshelves: favorites, greatfnwriting

Read in January, 1997

I'm thoroughly embarrassed to admit that this book was first recommended to me by my stalker. Subsequently, I avoided MIDDLEMARCH like the plague, because it became associated with this creepy guy who thought the fastest way to my heart was to stare at me, follow me home, and leave obscene messages on my voice mail.

Flash forward 2 years, when I'm purusing yet another of my favorite tomes, THE BOOK OF LISTS. I'm intrigued to see that the one book that consistently turns up on the "Ten F...more

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Lani rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

06/20/08

Read in June, 2008

recommended to Lani by: Casey Han, main character of Free Food for Millionaires
recommends it for: people searching for meaning

My first review!

I confess I decided to read Middlemarch because I loved "Free Food for Millionaires" by Min Jin Lee - another book I will never forget. Middlemarch is the main character Casey's favorite book which she reads and re-reads, and since I liked Casey's style I thought I'd give Middlemarch a read, being also prone to liking challenging books, for which your affection puzzles your friends.

There are some books that stay with you always. I will never, ever forget Middl...more

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Casey rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

05/03/08

Read in April, 2008

It took a while for me to get into Middlemarch. The first quarter of this massive tome is entirely filled up with introducing new characters & then abandoning them, as the author repeatedly becomes more interested in what the neighbors are doing. For quite a while it feels like a collection of unconnected, inconclusive short stories about people who happen to live in the same geographical region, and when characters do start to reappear well into the book I found myself having to st...more

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Inder rated it:

(review of isbn 0141439548)

05/02/08

bookshelves: 1001-books, 19th-century, alltimefaves, to-reread

Read in January, 1992

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I read this in high school, mostly to prove that I could. Back then, I was known to read to impress. And I've been riding on it ever since - "No, I've never read War & Peace; no, I've never read Faulkner; no, I've never read Gravity's Rainbow; but I have read Middlemarch."

It's a daunting book, no question. Big. Very big. Philosophically as well as physically (at 800 or so pages).

This is Victorian realism at its best. George Eliot's ideas on marriage and femininity were far ...more

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Agnes rated it:

(review of isbn 0141439548)

07/08/08

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Agnes by: Claire Leeds, Kelsey
recommends it for: Bill

This really was as good as it is reputed to be. The sheer scale of the social scene that Eliot captures is astounding. I have to say, this is the first book I've ever read where I actually did forget at times that it was written over 100 years ago. Eliot uses at times such a thoroughly modern voice to speak to the reader that it's hard not to think you're reading historical fiction, as opposed to almost-present-day fiction (the book was written about 40 years after when the events it depicts ...more

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Geeta rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

06/18/08

Read in June, 2008

I'm listening to this on my Ipod and enjoying every minute of it in a way I couldn't when I was reading it for school. I'd forgotten marriage was such a huge part of it, so this re-reading is timely given my current project.

Finally finished it. I found the last quarter or so dragged for me; the niceties of Victorian etiquette, Dorothea's unexpressed passion for Will, Rosamund's strategizing--all of this began to wear on my patience. The moment when Dorothea and WIll finally declare their ...more

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Skylar rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

01/05/08

bookshelves: classics

Having been slightly bored by Silas Marner, I was not expecting much gratification from this massive tome. But I had heard good things about Middlemarch from others, so I steeled myself and dug in. I was quite figuratively blown-away by the quality of writing. It is not just that Eliot is an excellent satirist, but that she makes penetrating psychological insights and crafts very well-developed, imminently human characters, who are sympathetic despite their faults. She also exhibits a brilli...more

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Kelly rated it:

05/23/07

bookshelves: brit-lit, fiction

Read in March, 2006

recommends it for: women, particularly feminists, brit lit dorks

I would not have read this if it were not for a class I took last spring. I will admit that. It had always intimidated me. Large size and dense, winding prose will tend to do that to one.

However. It did have some things to say, and on the scale of feminine writing of the time period, it just towers over anything else in its seriousness. the problem, of course, is that most of the subject matter it tackles- marriages, love, children, the various problems of country life (though there is a das...more

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Michelle rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

02/19/08

Read in February, 2008

So I finally finished Middlemarch. And it is amazing. It just wasn't one of those books that I was dying to finish. It was one of those that I felt like, Ah, I'll read thirty pages today, and maybe some more tomorrow if I'm in the mood. So it took a while. I probably never would have read it except I voted to read it for my book club, and once I voted, well, I kind of locked myself in. (I tried reading it on my own for fun and gave up after probably five pages, so hey, whatever you need to do to...more

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Tim rated it:

(review of isbn 0141439548)

01/02/08

I admit it. I didn't finish "Middlemarch", for which I'm a little ashamed. But Lord knows I tried. It's considered, of course, an all-time, must-read classic, and as such I respect it and certainly understand how people could love it; Eliot's writing is so under-the-radar clever.

But I slogged to page 220, realized to my horror that I had 500 pages to go, and decided saying I had read "Middlemarch" was not the point; enjoying the experience was, and as such, and with the...more

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Casandria rated it:

(review of isbn 0451529170)

02/07/08

Read in January, 2001

I have to put this book in the top 3 I have ever read. George Eliot is simply one of the most realistic writers of all time. Her characters feel so real and flawed and human, I still feel that I know them. I recently picked it up again and found that I have to read slowly simply to appreciate all of the detail.

Someone once said that everyone should read Middlemarch before getting married and I completely agree. This book follows several different couples through the process of meeting, ...more

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