Silas Marner (Bantam Classics)

by George Eliot

book data

7,029 ratings, 3.44 average rating, 582 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		19%
4		31%
3		31%
2		12%
1		6%

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published

October 1st 1981 by Bantam Classics (first published 1861)

details

Mass Market Paperback, 208 pages

characters

Silas Marner

setting

United Kingdom
United Kingdom

isbn

055321229X (isbn13: 9780553212297)

description

Embittered by a false accusation, disappointed in friendship and love, the weaver Silas Marner retreats into a long twilight life alone with his loom.…more

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Apr 23, 2008

Ferris rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

Read in April, 2008

I listened to this audiobook while on vacation. It is a bit slow in the first third, but I stuck it out and became completely engrossed in this second of George Eliot's novels that I've read. I think she really believed in karma. In this novel, as in "Middlemarch", characters clearly reap the consequences of the choices they make, particularly in relation to their behavior towards other people.

If you can get through the first third, it is well worth the read.

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Apr 08, 2008

Michael Sorensen rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

Read in February, 1995

When I was a teen, I heard that Silas Marner was a horrid old book about a rotten old miser and that I never wanted to read it. My Thanks to modern day Steve Martin who has updated several classics (ie Cyrano de Bergerac's 'Roxane') and 'Silas Marner' with modern movies that beautifully hold true to the books. The Movie was "A Simple Little Wish" and it was a beautiful story of a man and a child he adopts. In the credits I saw that the movie was based on 'Silas Marner'. At that poi...more

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2 comments

Jun 17, 2008

Paul rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

I find it hard to believe that a writer so distanced from religion and God can write in such a compelling way about the morality – and especially the redeeming power – of human relations. But that’s George Elliot. Marner, an old weaver who clings to his gold (after experiencing betrayal by his closest friend –and God? – in his early life), finds that his outlook changes when his gold is stolen and fate leaves a child at his doorstep. Really a good book, and a short read, as far as E...more

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2 comments

Mar 13, 2008

Marni rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

bookshelves: 2009, own-it

Read in March, 2009

Early in the story Silas Marner has a great life - he's happily engaged, living among good friends, and doing work he enjoys. Unfortunately he is framed by his best friend who then marries the woman he is engaged to. Silas leaves the village and travels far away. He stays as secluded as he can, and hordes the money he earns as a weaver.

His money, the only thing he loves, is taken away from him, and while stewing over that, a young child appears at his door that he accepts as from ...more

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4 comments

Mar 22, 2009

Kathy rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, reviewed

Read in March, 2009

I read this over the weekend -- it was difficult to get into at first because I'd just finished _Lost in the City_. Eliot's use of language is so different from the contemporary Edward P. Jones' use of words. Long sentences that I had to read over and over again to get all the meaning out of. The first sentence in my little mass market sized book (so pages are small) covers over 6 lines. And you had to get used to the archaic use of "nor" for "than". I learned some new v...more

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Mar 11, 2009

Becky rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

Read in February, 2009

Shocker of all shockers: I liked this one. Quite a lot, in fact. Why is that shocking? When I read this little volume--and no, it's not the same copy--in tenth grade I absolutely hated it. Hate is really too kind a word for what I felt. Needless to say, it held the title of most-hated-book until my college days when Jude the Obscure took its place. (It still holds the honor, in case you're curious.) Which just goes to show you that almost without a doubt classics--at least some classics--fail to...more Shocker of all shockers: I liked this one. Quite a lot, in fact. Why is that shocking? When I read this little volume--and no, it's not the same copy--in tenth grade I absolutely hated it. Hate is really too kind a word for what I felt. Needless to say, it held the title of most-hated-book until my college days when Jude the Obscure took its place. (It still holds the honor, in case you're curious.) Which just goes to show you that almost without a doubt classics--at least some classics--fail to be appreciated by high schoolers. Maybe that's inaccurate. I'll rephrase, anytime a person--especially a teen person--is required to read a book, no matter how good or great that book is (sometimes they're really bad, I'm not saying all are good) then it's an uphill battle to have him/her have a positive response to it. It just goes against human nature to like something we're forced against our will to read. And its understandable to me. What could a fifteen year old have in common with Silas Marner, a middle-aged weaver obsessed with gold? He's old (relatively speaking at least!). He's strange. No one likes him in his village of Raveloe. He's an outsider, it's true, a loner. And arguably some teens could see themselves in that way. But is that enough?

Silas Marner, in case you've never been subjected to it, is the story of a man, a weaver, who takes refuge in Raveloe after escaping his unfortunate past. He is living only for himself. The money he makes from his trade, he hoards. He loves his gold. Treasures it. He's not the only one keeping secrets in the village. There's a man, Godfrey Cass, who has quite a secret. Something in his past that he's willing to do just about anything, pay just about anything to prevent from coming to light. His brother, Dunstan Cass, is blackmailing him. He'll tell all to their father--Squire Cass--if Godfrey doesn't do things his way. Why does Godfrey care? really really care? He wants to marry Nancy Lammeter. The secret? He already has a wife, a wife his father would never approve of, a wife he's ashamed of, a woman he'd never claim in a hundred million years. Dunstan (and Godfrey) are in need of money, Silas Marner has plenty. Put the two together and you've got a robbery destined to happen. But things don't always go according to plan, Dunstan disappears the same night as Silas' gold. But that's just the beginning. Silas doesn't know it then, but things are about to start looking up! His life is about to change for the better! Why? His "gold" will be returned to him--providentially according to Silas and his friends--in the form of a golden-haired baby girl whom he names Hepzibah (Eppie) whom he adopts and raises to the satisfaction of all but one....Godfrey Cass.

This one had themes that I couldn't even begin to grasp as a sophomore. And the language? the style? I didn't appreciate the little things. The phrases. But here's the thing. I can now. Everything that I missed then, I can appreciate now. Here is one of my favorite passages:

I suppose one reason why we are seldom able to comfort our neighbors with our words is, that our goodwill gets adulterated, in spite of ourselves, before it can pass our lips. We can send black puddings and pettitoes without giving them a flavour of our own egoism; but language is a stream that is almost sure to smack of a mingled soil. There was a fair proportion of kindness in Raveloe; but it was often of a beery and bungling sort, and took the shape least allied to the complimentary and hypocritical. (77)

I liked the characters--some more eccentric than others--too. I came to appreciate the flavor of this one.(less)

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Mar 08, 2009

CaterinaAnna rated it:

(review of isbn 0140620915)

bookshelves: bookcrossing

Read in January, 2009

For anyone who doesn't know the outline of this, here follows a synopsis. Silas the weaver arrives in a village from somewhere 'oop North' and plies his trade. He keeps himself to himself and makes lots of money, which he doesn't spend, but hides and marvels at. One night his money is stolen, which begins to garner him some sympathy, but it is only when he finds and adopts a little girl lost one snowy evening that his life changes for the better.

Of course, that's not the half of it -...more

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Nov 13, 2009

Adama Fall rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

question 12
are you puzzled on or confused about anything in the story? whatis it that confuses you, and why do you find it confusing?

this book is amazing and awesome. in the beginning(1,2,3 chapters) i regret taking this book. But i endeavor to focus on it. The other chapters were fantastic.
however, in this book, i m very confuse about mr SILAS behaviour and mr GODFREY attitude.
in fact, after DUNSEY'S(GODFREY'S brother) has stolen mr SILAS gold.mr SILAS has become ...more question 12
are you puzzled on or confused about anything in the story? whatis it that confuses you, and why do you find it confusing?

this book is amazing and awesome. in the beginning(1,2,3 chapters) i regret taking this book. But i endeavor to focus on it. The other chapters were fantastic.
however, in this book, i m very confuse about mr SILAS behaviour and mr GODFREY attitude.
in fact, after DUNSEY'S(GODFREY'S brother) has stolen mr SILAS gold.mr SILAS has become sad, hungry and desperate. everything change in his life. he didn't have any feelings for life. he hated everything around him. but when he adopted PERRIE (GODFREY little child) he became bit by bit happier and interested about life in the village. he began new life. persons in the village started to appreciate him.
in contrast GODFREY who love and admire NANCY hated his wife(molly). one day he said:''he would rather die than acknowledge her as his wife''. he chose to abandun his daughter (perry) just for the love he has for nancy.
in my opinion, this story is very confuse in some parts: one (SILAS) tries to be good and reasonnable and other (GODFREY) just follow his passion (love for NANCY)instead of taking care of his child( PERRIE)

14:why do you think the author wrote this story? where did he or she get the idea or the characters? what message do you think that the author is trying to share?

in my opinion, the author is very smart. he writes this story because he wants to strech people(reader) mind. he wants to show them the reality of life. he takes example in some persons behaviour and notice the mistake they have done. he wants to tell the right side of life.in fact the readers can learn on this book and take good examples.
i guess, he has this idea from his own life or people around him. perhaps, he just collect different kind of story and make his own history.
the narrator is trying to share his moral, his intelligence and maybe his own experienc. also he attends to make up humans mind about theirs behaviour and their attitude.
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Aug 22, 2009

Sandhya rated it:

(review of isbn 0451530624)

Every now and then, when I feel underwhelmed with contemporary works - some of it either because it's too sparse or simply lacking in quality -- I'm gripped by the urge to take up a classic. It allows me to soak my mind in the elegance of the English language, luxuriate in long-winding sentences that bristle with beauty, offering timeless insight into the human condition.
So last weekend I found myself scanning my bookshelf, seeing if there were any classics that I'd left unread and could t...more Every now and then, when I feel underwhelmed with contemporary works - some of it either because it's too sparse or simply lacking in quality -- I'm gripped by the urge to take up a classic. It allows me to soak my mind in the elegance of the English language, luxuriate in long-winding sentences that bristle with beauty, offering timeless insight into the human condition.
So last weekend I found myself scanning my bookshelf, seeing if there were any classics that I'd left unread and could take up.
A quick search got me to Silas Marner - a book my grandfather gave me years ago from his collection. After The Mill On the Floss and Middlemarch, Geroge Eliot is by far my most favourite writer. But for some reason, Silas Marner didn't interest me for the longest time. I would take it up, read a page and then put it down. Also, too much description in the beginning, I have noted, is not very conducive for an impatient reader like me. It diverts my mind...

Yet I did finally read Silas Marner and though this one lags behind in scope and does not quite possess the wrenching emotional depth of A Mill On The Floss or the narrative sweep of a Middlemarch, it comes with a rare virtuosity and tenderness that makes it greatly readable. Importantly, Silar Marner shows the remedial influence of pure, natural relationships and the power of love when life has otherwise been unfair.

The book recounts the tale of a man - once full of affection and faith - forced to shun society when he's wrongly accused of theft. Silas re-settles in a countryside called Raveloe, where he gains the reputation of being cranky and mad, because he won't allow let anyone get close to him. His past life makes him so bitter that he lives the life of a recluse for years, mechanically carrying on with his work. His only source of pleasure is to gaze at the gleaming gold coins that he gets for his weaving work. He hordes it, and clings on to it dearly. All his repressed emotions are transferred towards the protection of his coins. Naturally then, he's grief-stricken and devastated when the gold gets stolen one day.
And yet, this loss of gold brings about a physical change in Silas. Earlier, he would close his doors and shun society in fear that someone would steal his gold. Now, he has nothing to hide. But emotionally, Silas is distraught at the loss. Which is why he leaps with joy when he sees gold hidden in the frost one Christmas night. But it isn't the gold he thinks it is. They are the golden locks of a two year old girl abandoned at his door. This treasure proves to be priceless, as a major transformation comes about in Silas as he brings up the girl, Eddie. Their relationship is touching, as Silas' frosty exterior melts away, revealing his tender fibres he'd kept locked in his heart for so long.

The rest can be read at my blog, http://sandyi.blogspot.com/2009/08/past-...
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Dec 14, 2008

Haylee rated it:

(review of isbn 0451530624)

bookshelves: 1001-lifetime-must-reads, read-in-2008

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Haylee by: Wishbone
recommends it for: Those looking for a classic feel-good story, reminescent of a dream

"Silas Marner feels like a folktale, a narrative that lies deep in the unconscious read to be revived by those opening words "Once upon a time in a land far away." So claims Kathryn Hughes in the afterward of this delightful, heartwarming story.

Silas Marner was a bit hard for me to get into at first, for Eliot's beautiful yet unaccustomed language and seemingly irrelevant relaying of Marner's exile from Lantern Yard. However, after the first forty pages or so I was su...more

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Nov 11, 2009

Shonali rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

bookshelves: 2009-reads

Summary of the book : Silas Marner , a wrongly accused weaver makes a new home for himself at Raveloe and comes to acquire a small fortune which he guards very dearly. When he gets robbed of his treasure he feels that nothing good can ever happen in his life. Until a little girl with golden hair ends up on his door step. The girl whom he names Eppie becomes the centre of his life only to be brought face to face with a reality that threatens to take Eppie out of his life.

Things I ...more

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Mar 02, 2009

Christina rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

Read in March, 2009

After my foray into YA Sci-Fi, it was SO refreshing to read a classic. I loved Silas Marner. I loved the long, carefully constructed sentences and the humanistic themes. I sympathized with the characters and found the story poignant and touching. In short, it was all I look for in a novel.
The edition I read (Everyman's Library) had an informative and insightful introduction by Rosemary Ashton, which gave some interesting background about George Eliot's life and her relationship with re...more

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Mar 22, 2009

Stephen rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

bookshelves: brit-lit, classics, victorian-lit

Read in March, 2009

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

Full and honest confession? I never read this book for school and so all I ever heard were people who had read it for school gripe about it. Real reason I read it? Because Silas Marner is what Ralphie's class is reading in the timeless classic, "A Christmas Story." That's right...I read Silas Marner because of a Christmas movie.

So what's my response after reading it? Why on earth are people so down on this book? It's wonderful! A totally engaging story. A wonderfull...more Full and honest confession? I never read this book for school and so all I ever heard were people who had read it for school gripe about it. Real reason I read it? Because Silas Marner is what Ralphie's class is reading in the timeless classic, "A Christmas Story." That's right...I read Silas Marner because of a Christmas movie.

So what's my response after reading it? Why on earth are people so down on this book? It's wonderful! A totally engaging story. A wonderfully sympathetic hero every reader can get behind and root for. An endearing showcase of the relationship between father and daughter. And two great scandals thrown in to boot! What's not to love?

As a story, I thought the novel was exceptional. It's a nice, quaint, little tale about an worn man who was lost in the world, obsessed with possession and believing that the amount of money owned is the proof of his works and worth in the world, thinking that is all that mattered. And when those possessions are removed from his life--via a robbery by that wretched Dunstan--and love is inserted in its place--in the form of the infant Eppie (short for Hephzibah of all things)--his life becomes remarkably full and his soul is said to expand and the whole of his existence is improved.

On it's surface, this is a fairly straightforward story, but what I found most interesting was what's written beneath the text. There are a number of threads present that bear exploration, but as I'm not up to the task, and I'm guessing much has been written on this to begin with, I'll only delve into a few.

First are the biblical themes. Silas is an interesting amalgamation of biblical characters and stories. He is Job in that a once happy man is heaped upon with such great troubles. I mean, in the first few pages, he's framed for a theft (framed by his supposed best friend, no less), loses his girl (to same "best friend"), and then is forced to flee his hometown to a totally foreign land. Couple that with the fact that his work prematurely ages him, making him stooped and almost blind and, according to our narrator, ugly and bug-eyed, and that he is robbed of the possession most precious to him and you have a man beset upon by all sides with misery.

He is torn down to a mere nothing through all of these mishaps. However, it is what God put in his path (in this instance, Eppie) that provides his salvation. His soul grows; he cares no more for the material things of the world; and he becomes a caring friend to his neighbors. He is transformed into a new man.

Of course, there's also the implication made by Eliot that religion in England is better and more pure than the religion in whichever country it is that Marner comes from (I have to assume it's actually a metropolitan area in England and not an actual country, given his journey with Eppie to this town at the end of the novel takes no time whatsoever.), but I won't get into that.

The other thing I'll make note of before wrapping up is the really quite sharp stance the novel takes towards the gentry class. Dunstan is a thief, liar, and ne'er-do-well. His brother, Godfrey (who starts off as a somewhat ignorant but reasonably likable man), is selfish; has abandoned a wife and child; has a horrible stance towards this abandoned wife (i.e. he constantly wishes her dead and is all but jubilant when she freezes to death); and has this belief that when he finally reveals he is Eppie's father, she should rightfully be his daughter and he can remove her to his home--this in spite of the fact that he has removed himself from her life in all instances. And Godfrey and Dunstan's father is a brutal, oafish man, whose view on living life well consists of imposing one's will on others and taking what he wants for himself.

Eliot never comes out and brazenly points the finger at these individuals, but the undertone is there that the upper classes have a notable and reprehensible disconnect from the people around them. Godfrey is somewhat redeemed in that he makes amends for his brother's crime once it is discovered in the end. However, it is only through a small plot devise that he is redeemed with regards to his wanting to take Eppie as his own. At first, he is incapable of understanding why Silas rebukes him for assuming he can impose himself as father in Eppie's life. Two pages later, though, his mood has changed entirely with no explanation given. It appears more than he's saved via the narrator's good will than by any other means.

Also, lastly, Godfrey's other great flaw is towards his wife, Nancy. He is a domineering force in her life, selfishly imposing his own problems against her wishes. This is best seen through the issue with his relationship with Eppie. Since Eppie is technically his daughter, he's felt constricted towards the prospect of having other children. He refuses to even entertain adopting a child (much less having one), even though this is his wife's great wish (I won't even get into this problem.). Furthermore, after all has been laid bare, Godfrey self-imposes a penance against himself that he should remain childless, again, negating Nancy's wishes. She, of course, takes it all in stride, although the narrative makes it quite clear that she is internal torn over all of this.

I could write much more as I found this book fascinating, but I fear I've already rattled on for too long already. I can't help but strongly recommend this book, especially to those who had such a strong dislike of it fostered in them since grade school. Give it another try; you won't be disappointed!
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Feb 22, 2009

Aaron rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

bookshelves: character, spectacularities

Read in March, 2009

recommended to Aaron by: mom
recommends it for: people who like good books

It seems like everything is a spectacularity these days. Which I think means I only bother to read books that are really good. And this is historical fic because, though written in the mid-19th century, it takes place at that century's beginning.

Anyhow. They say that, compared to Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda, this book is nothing. If so, I can't wait for those, because Silas Marner is an extremely good novel. It's writing, pacing, characters, plot--everything that a great novel ne...more

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Mar 23, 2008

John rated it:

(review of isbn 0140620915)

bookshelves: classics

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: Everyone

Oh my goodness.... why on earth have I never read this book before?

What an absolute delight; wonderfully devloped and rounded characters, believable storyline and a great dose of goodness and badness thrown in for good measure.

Fanatstic, tremendous, beautiful and more superlatives than I can possibly conjour.

Silas Marner... what a gem.

Are all George Elliot books this good?

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Apr 06, 2009

Kristen rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

bookshelves: 1001-books-before-you-die, classics

Read in April, 2009

Strange that so many people complained about this book after having been forced to read it in High School. I had never heard of this particular Elliot book until I acquired the list of “1001 books to read before you die.” I can see where the language in this book would be troublesome to many young students, particularly if they have little to no experience reading anything from the time, much less anything written in phonetic slang. But the theme should be universal.

Short Syno...more

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Feb 06, 2010

Alexander rated it:

(review of isbn 0451530624)

Read in February, 2010

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

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Nov 12, 2009

pinknantucket rated it:

(review of isbn 0141439750)

bookshelves: ms-readathon-2007

Read in January, 2007

It’s been a while since I read Middlemarch; I remember enjoying it immensely (a good book to read while travelling on trains through the UK, incidentally) but had forgotten why. Reading Silas Marner reminded me – George Eliot takes you right into a community, building up the many characters and their foibles, illuminating the customs and beliefs of their society, and when she depicts foolishness, weakness or error, she does it kindly.

Silas Marner, a weaver, was brought up in “L...more

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Jun 08, 2009

Lynn rated it:

(review of isbn 1416500340)

Read in June, 2009

Funny thing is I thought I knew what this book would be like. I thought the charachter would be a sort of scrooge type, you know being a miser and all. but Silas Marner was so much more than I ever could have expected! He was such a sympathetic charachter - I completely fell in love with this book! I was suprised at how little of the book was dedicated to what I thought it would be. I loved how all of the charachters were interwoven (lives interwoven without them ever knowing) ..and him being a ...more

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