Reading George Eliot 2019 Challenge

[Rosemarie]

I read Scenes from Clerical Life years ago and remember very little of the book, as opposed to the other books by Eliot, which stay fresh in my mind even years later.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name]

For my Challenge I have the following to read this year:

Adam Bede
Romola
Felix Holt
Scenes of Clerical Life

I'm currently reading Deronda.
The other novels I've already read.

[[deleted user]]

Finished Scenes of Clerical Life last night.

Though it certainly lacks the refined artistry of her later work--this being her first foray into fiction--it was interesting to me as there were ideas presented that she would later develop more fully in her novels.

GE was brilliant at anatomizing her characters's psychology; they are revealed to us in all their imperfection. Yet she is able to stir the compassion of the reader. We feel their pain and inadequacies, maybe recognize in them some of our own failings, and thus identify with them.

According to the introduction in the OUP edition, Adam Bede started out as a fourth "scene."

Would like to hear from others working on their GE list. What are you reading now? What is your impression of what you're reading?

[Karen Michele]

I'm reading Daniel Deronda right now and I am really enjoying the book. The Reading the Chunksters group is reading it now as well. I loved that it opened with a gambling scene and just a brief introduction of the title character. Gwendolen, the main female character is also an interesting, much less than perfect character.

[[deleted user]]

Karen Michele wrote: "I'm reading Daniel Deronda right now and I am really enjoying the book. The Reading the Chunksters group is reading it now as well. I loved that it opened with a gambling scene and just ..."

It's been a good while since I read Daniel Deronda. I don't remember much about it besides the end. When you get there you will probably also find it unforgettable. ;-)

[Luke]

I finished Romola earlier this year and found it an interesting, if flawed, experiment in a type of novel Evans usually isn't known for. Some great passages, some very undeveloped characters.

I've been thinking about whether to read Silas Marner this year as well. This challenge encourages such, but I have to be in a particular mood to tackle the same author multiple times in a year, and in addition, SM could come in handy for future reading challenges involving older works by women. We'll see.

[Terris]

Karen Michele wrote: "I'm reading Daniel Deronda right now and I am really enjoying the book. The Reading the Chunksters group is reading it now as well. I loved that it opened with a gambling scene and just ..."

Let me know what you think of Daniel Deronda by the end! I just finished it, and I'm really interested to know what you think!
I read Adam Bede about 6 months ago and enjoyed it a great deal :)

[Terris]

Aubrey wrote: "I finished Romola earlier this year and found it an interesting, if flawed, experiment in a type of novel Evans usually isn't known for. Some great passages, some very undeveloped cha..."

I think you should read Silas Marner -- sometime! It was one of my favorites. But I agree, sometimes you can only do some of the old classics/authors about once a year! ;)

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name]

Oh Silas Marner is definitely my favorite so far! Definitely read it

[Terris]

;)

[Kathleen]

Anonymouse wrote: "Finished Scenes of Clerical Life last night.

Though it certainly lacks the refined artistry of her later work--this being her first foray into fiction--it was interesting to me as there were ideas..."

I'm currently reading this one, Anonymouse, and completely agree with your comments. I'm enjoying it very much, but it is slow going for me. Two reasons I think. It's one I own, and keeps getting pushed aside for library books, but more importantly it is very dense--I find I have to read it slow because of all the detail she packs in.

Thanks for sharing about Adam Bede being the fourth scene. I'm so excited about that because that's the one of hers I plan to read next!

[[deleted user]]

Kathleen, it took me awhile to get through Scenes as well. You're right, it is dense. Or maybe rich. :) Also SAD. Not much in the way of comic relief.

I really liked Adam Bede--hope you will, too!

I am taking a brief Eliot break before starting Romola. Presently reading Evelina (Burney) which is great fun, and will probably read a Dickens. That should cleanse the palate nicely to better appreciate the next Eliot.

[Liesl]

Sounds like a great Challenge. I will aim to read:

Novels
The Mill on the Floss

Novelas
Scenes of Clerical Life 14/07/19
The Lifted Veil/Brother Jacob

[[deleted user]]

About 200 pages into Romola. The first 90-100 pages were pretty rough going due to Italian and Latin words and phrases and dense references to Florentine history. Much more interesting and enjoyable after that with plenty of suspense and Eliot's signature deep exploration of character (Tito's).

[Karen Michele]

I savored Daniel Deronda throughout April and I loved it, especially the first half. I thought the themes Eliot took on were brave for the time period and the characters were well developed. I enjoyed the Jewish history, but got a bit bogged down by it, too, even though I understand why Eliot wanted to be sure she was complete. I found that some aspects of the plot and character development were rushed in the second half, but overall it was a wonderful book. I found out that the Read the Chunksters group was reading it, so I got to participate there as well. A book that was recommended there, Sophie and the Sybil, sounds like a lighthearted fictional look at the last eight years of Eliot's life, so I ordered it to find out more about her and the times she lived in.

[[deleted user]]

Finished Romola about a month ago, but have had to think about it awhile before forming the beginnings of an opinion on it.
(view spoiler)[

The characters are presented to us chiefly as sort of embodied consciences and in that they are not fully developed. In that respect it reads almost like a medieval morality play. Romola is all good and Tito all bad.

I did not much like it--very grim and depressing. In the introduction to my Modern Library edition there is a quote from GE's journal entry for May 16, 1863: "Killed Tito with great excitement!" Though there is much to admire in GE's work, I won't be keeping this one; with "great excitement" I will pass it on to Better World Books!
(hide spoiler)]

Presently reading "The Lifted Veil."

[Anisha Inkspill]

I'm reading along with complete works of Vincent van Gogh, the latter has more / all of VG's letters.

It was a surprise to discover van Gogh was a big fan of some of Eliot's novels.

[George P.]

BAM wrote: "Oh Silas Marner is definitely my favorite so far! Definitely read it"

I'm reading Silas Marner now, my first Eliot. I'm a little over half through it and like it more than I expected to. I was concerned the style would be something like Henry James', but find it more like Thomas Hardy whose writing I much admire.

[Terris]

George wrote: "BAM wrote: "Oh Silas Marner is definitely my favorite so far! Definitely read it"

I'm reading Silas Marner now, my first Eliot. I'm a little over half through it and like it more than I expected t..."

If you like Hardy, then I think you'd like Adam Bede. I read it recently, and I felt like it was more like one of Hardy's than any other of hers that I've read (7). And I've become more of a Hardy fan the more I read of his. I'm reading The Mayor of Casterbridge right now and am really enjoying it!

[[deleted user]]

Read "The Lifted Veil" and "Brother Jacob."

Gradually working my way through a reread of Daniel Deronda. Have read about a third of it.

About a month ago I disconnected the TV and DVD player and put them in the closet. One less thing to distract me from reading!

[PinkieBrown]

I have difficulty separating Adam Bede and Silas Marner in my mind. My first George Eliot (because it’s a made up name I always write it in full never “Eliot”😀) was Silas Marner; the length of it makes for any easy entry point, but I next read Adam Bede. They make sense as a pair with SM almost an allegorical re-run of the larger story. When characters are written in the shorter form they take on a more general form, an archetype; a legend even; and Adam Bede, being based on a very real event from the writer’s life (a story involving her mother I think) has that basis in reality; so the two books complement each other.

“Far From The Madding Crowd” has a similar emotional core to its story (though it would be a spoiler to be more specific) and I found reading it with a mind to both George Eliot books made it ever more an attempt by Hardy to breakthrough in his own writing using GE’s rural framework; which Hardy obviously knew well. His book starts with a depiction of a village in decline as the use of the land changes; a through line in George Eliot. There are other aspects like the overuse of Greek and Latin references that made me think Hardy was following a template which make FFTMM feel stilted compared with his later, more confident work; “The Mayor of Casterbridge” is a great great book; but FFTMM has become very precious to me especially through the two film versions.

Neither Adam Bede nor The Mayor of Casterbridge are on the Bookshelf of this group. I look forward to the inevitable happening!😀


———-

[Kathleen]

I appreciate all the comments on Adam Bede, which I had better get to soon because I just looked at the initial challenge message, and we only have until GE's birthday, November 22 to finish this challenge! I know that's only one less month, but it means I can't procrastinate until New Years Eve, which I often do with my challenges. :-)

[Pink]

Kathleen wrote: "I appreciate all the comments on Adam Bede, which I had better get to soon because I just looked at the initial challenge message, and we only have until GE's birthday, November 22 to ..."

Good point!

[Karen Michele]

Kathleen wrote: "I appreciate all the comments on Adam Bede, which I had better get to soon because I just looked at the initial challenge message, and we only have until GE's birthday, November 22 to ..."

I'm glad you gave us that reminder, Kathleen!

[George P.]

I enjoyed Silas Marner (four stars) and would like to read either The Mill on the Floss or Adam Bede in the fall.

[Liesl]

Kathleen wrote: "I appreciate all the comments on Adam Bede, which I had better get to soon because I just looked at the initial challenge message, and we only have until GE's birthday, November 22 to ..."

Oh! I clearly didn't read the original instructions properly as I missed the bit about finishing the challenge by her birthday. Thank you for the reminder.

[[deleted user]]

I planned to read (or reread) all George Eliot novels. This is my progress update:

Adam Bede
Romola
Daniel Deronda
Felix Holt the Radical

Have also read:
Scenes of Clerical Life
The Lifted Veil
Brother Jacob

Currently rereading Middlemarch.

[Micah]

Wow! Bravo Anonymouse! I'm a George Eliot fan and used to enjoy teaching her in British Lit. Her own life was incredible. I've only read The Mill on the Floss, The Lifted Veil, and Middlemarch. Middlemarch remains one of the outstanding literary experiences of my life. An old college prof said that a great book will teach you how to read it and that was how I felt about Middlemarch. I'm a a big fan of The Lifted Veil, Eliot's only foray into paranormal / Gothic lit., which is too bad because it's a psychologically rich tale that deserves more scholarship as an unheralded Gothic classic. What are your opinions of Romola and Daniel Deronda (which has a great opening line!).

[LiLi]

Well, I thought I'd read a greater proportion of her work than I have! Evidently I have some catching up to do. Which novel would you recommend I read next? I'd kind of been spacing them out so that I'd have one left to read in the future...like saving the cherry on your sundae till the end.

Have Read:
Scenes of Clerical Life, 1857
The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton
Mr Gilfil's Love Story
Janet's Repentance
Adam Bede, 1859
The Mill on the Floss, 1860
Silas Marner, 1861
Middlemarch, 1871–72

Have not read:

Romola, 1863
Felix Holt, the Radical, 1866
Daniel Deronda, 1876

Poetry
Agatha, 1869
Brother and Sister, 1869
Armgart, 1871
Stradivarius, 1873
The Legend of Jubal, 1874
I Grant You Ample Leave, 1874
Arion, 1874
A Minor Prophet, 1874
A College Breakfast Party, 1879
The Death of Moses, 1879
In a London Drawingroom, 1865
Count That Day Lost
The Choir Invisible, 1867

Other
Digital facsimile of manuscript "Quarry for Middlemarch", MS Lowell 13, Houghton Library, Harvard University
Translation of Das Leben Jesu, kritisch bearbeitet (The Life of Jesus, Critically Examined) Volume 2 by David Strauss, 1846
Translation of Das Wesen des Christentums (The Essence of Christianity) by Ludwig Feuerbach, 1854
"Three Months in Weimar", 1855
"Silly Novels by Lady Novelists", 1856
"The Natural History of German Life", 1856

The Lifted Veil, 1859
Brother Jacob, 1864
"The Influence of Rationalism", 1865
Impressions of Theophrastus Such, 1879
Review of John Ruskin's Modern Painters in Westminster Review April 1856.

[Luke]

Elizabeth wrote: "Well, I thought I'd read a greater proportion of her work than I have! Evidently I have some catching up to do. Which novel would you recommend I read next? I'd kind of been spacing them out so tha..."

'Romola' if you want to wrestle with the past, 'Daniel Deronda' if you want to wrestle with the future. I personally like DD a lot more, but they both get ahead of themselves and fall flat at various points due to overexertion.

[Christopher]

I started reading Impressions of Theophrastus Such. It may be my only stab at reading G.E. this year.

Although a short book like The Lifted Veil is also 'doable.'

[Micah]

Aubrey wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Well, I thought I'd read a greater proportion of her work than I have! Evidently I have some catching up to do. Which novel would you recommend I read next? I'd kind of been spaci..." I think Romola was a bit of a flop for her, at least by the high standard of popularity she'd reached by then. "Deronda" was a well-regarded swan song, though, if I recall correctly. Of course, initial reception isn't always the best gauge for literary longevity. When F. Scott Fitzgerald fell over dead in the middle of eating two Hershey bars in his mistress's apartment, there were still first editions of the The Great Gatsby lingering in the warehouse...I think that was around twenty years later!

[LiLi]

Aubrey: Thanks for your opinion. Maybe I'll save DD for last, since you think it's better.

I've also found that I don't find all her novels equally good. Absolutely adored _Adam Bede_. I need to do a reread of _Middlemarch_, since it's now been 18 years! But _Romola_ first. :)

[LiLi]

Christopher (Donut), I'll probably read the short works after I've finished the big novels.

[LiLi]

Micah Harris, that's certainly true. One can't help think of the initial reception of Van Gogh's paintings!

I personally don't care for _Gatsby_, but I know that many do.

[[deleted user]]

Micah wrote: "Wow! Bravo Anonymouse! I'm a George Eliot fan and used to enjoy teaching her in British Lit. Her own life was incredible. I've only read The Mill on the Floss, The Lifted Veil, and Middlemarch. Mid..."

Micah wrote: "Wow! Bravo Anonymouse! I'm a George Eliot fan and used to enjoy teaching her in British Lit. Her own life was incredible. I've only read The Mill on the Floss, The Lifted Veil, and Middlemarch. Mid..."

Thanks Micah! Middlemarch is my favorite. I also really like Adam Bede.

[Micah]

My fellow Eliot fans might be interested in my mini-essay. It addresses the opinion that "plots are for graveyards." I give special attention to Eliot and how her endings for Middlemarch, The Mill On the Floss, and The Lifted Veil suddenly become very plot heavy -- very melodramatically plot heavy at that -- when it's time to wrap up these stories. Can anyone else offer any other examples of this in her writing? I'd appreciate the info. Thanks! You can read it at https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Thank you for your thoughts, Micah.

[Terris]

Anonymouse wrote: "Micah wrote: "Wow! Bravo Anonymouse! I'm a George Eliot fan and used to enjoy teaching her in British Lit. Her own life was incredible. I've only read The Mill on the Floss, The Lifted Veil, and Mi..."

Adam Bede was one of my favorites! But I am not a fan of Deronda :/

[Susie]

An update...I've now read 3 of the 5 on my list...
Finished Silas Marner today and give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved it!
It is 2cd to Middlemarch which is still my favorite, but this one comes close!
I love how she writes and the pictures she 'paints' in my head are so wonderful!

Next...

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Susie wrote: "An update...I've now read 3 of the 5 on my list...
Finished Silas Marner today and give it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!.."

Wonderful

[Annette]

I just added some poetry to my George Eliot read list (msg 40). I'm also enjoying listening to Felix Holt on Audible and am about halfway through Daniel Deronda.

[Annette]

I just edited my post (Post 40) to add my latest completed Eliot readings. I gave Felix Holt: The Radical 5 stars but only 4 to Daniel Deronda. I thought the story would have been better with Daniel as a more leading character than Gwendolyn; I certainly liked Daniel better!

Hopefully I will have time to get through Romola before November 22.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Just under a month left for this challenge.

Only books read between 1 January 2019 - 22 November 2019 can be included.

How are you all doing?

[George P.]

I've started The Mill on the Floss. I've a hunch the character Maggie was based on Eliot's/Evans' own childhood.

[Kathleen]

I think you're right about that, George.

I'm in the middle of Adam Bede, and will finish by her birthday but won't get to Daniel Deronda like I'd hoped. Scenes of Clerical Life was so slow going for me, and Adam Bede is too, but I'm determined to get to some of her essays before the time is up!

[Liesl]

I'm also reading The Mill on the Floss at the moment. Hoping to also get The Lifted Veil / Brother Jacob read before the deadline but not feeling very confident about it.

[[deleted user]]

I have completed my challenge of reading/rereading all of Eliot's novels.

Thank you all for your company along the way!

My favorites were Adam Bede, Middlemarch, and Silas Marner, all of which were rereads for me.

Much though I appreciate Eliot's genius it was a little too much Eliot all at once for me.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Anonymouse wrote: "I have completed my challenge of reading/rereading all of Eliot's novels.

Thank you all for your company along the way!

My favorites were Adam Bede, Middlemarch, and Silas Marner, all of which we..."

Congratulations!

[[deleted user]]

Thanks, Katy!