Nothing like a little mental heavy lifting to start the summer. Like all Eliot books, this was a provocative but difficult read. The deeply philosophical nature of the book and her thoughts about heredity and environment are compelling. I underlined many passages and reread. I was surprised by the completely accepted negative attitude toward Jews, and the class system; at the time both were just part of the narrative wallpaper yet now we read with fascination almost to the point of disbelief. Also noted: the challenging sentence structure and convoluted dialog. Felt a bit like being back in grad school. All in all, not something to read unless you can bring your full attention, but if you can, it offers rewards on many levels.