Reading George Eliot 2019 Challenge

[Liesl]

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

How are you going with this George? I'm finding it difficult to stay motivated with it. I really enjoyed Middlemarch, Daniel Deronda and Scenes of Clerical Life but this one seems very long winded.

[George P.]

Liesl wrote: "George P. wrote: "I've started The Mill on the Floss. I've a hunch the character Maggie was based on Eliot's/Evans' own childhood."

How are you going with this George? I'm finding it difficult to ..."

A couple other people from the "Reading 1001" group I'm also in decided to join in for a buddy read but it doesn't officially start til December. So I'm reading it quite slowly meanwhile. still only at about 1/5th. I agree it does seem to be meandering along so far. Perhaps there is more tension to the story farther along?
I'm going to try to get to half way by end of November, and finish up barely before year's end probably.

[Kathleen]

It's George Eliot's birthday eve. How is everyone doing on this challenge? I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's experiences.

I read about half of what I'd hoped, but still, it felt like a lot of Eliot. I think one a year is a better speed for me! Here's how mine came out:

Scenes of Clerical Life 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Three novellas, each one packed, and each one slow until the end, when you're hit with an impactful conclusion
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Adam Bede 🌟🌟🌟🌟
My least favorite of her novels so far. Still really good, but--and I almost never say this--I could have done with a chunk cut out of the middle.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Silly Novels by Lady Novelists 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I've been wanting to read this for years! It's MUCH shorter than the hundred pages in the description. There's obviously a reason why she has lasted and these novels she critiques did not.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read a few other essays too, and have to say they were kinda weird. Especially one called "Servants' Logic." I may read some more, but I'm giving this author a rest for awhile.

I really enjoyed this challenge--it did feel like I was reading her all year. Actually, I WAS reading her all year, since it took me so long to get through the books I chose. Not a bad way to spend my time!

[Liesl]

Kathleen wrote: "It's George Eliot's birthday eve. How is everyone doing on this challenge? I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's experiences.

I read about half of what I'd hoped, but still, it felt like a lot..."

I also enjoyed Scenes of Clerical Life. If I recall properly, I thought the middle novella was a little slow at the start but eventually picked up while the other two were charming stories.

I am still plodding through The Mill on the Floss which I am not enjoying as much as I had hoped. It has some moments that are delightful but overall, much like your description of Adam Bede, I feel that a good editor could have improved this greatly. Not going to give up on finishing it even though I won't make the deadline tomorrow.

[Annette]

I have finished all of the George Eliot novels (2 were previously read & not re-read this year), shorter works and some of her poetry. (See message 40 for a list of what I read.) I read none of her reviews, journals or essays -- maybe another time. While I enjoyed her works, the lengths of them required a book or two by other authors interspersed as breathers .

[Luke]

I got through Romola this year, which is on par with my usual habits with authors of Evans' caliber (I don't like reading more than one or two a year, else I start feeling swamped). I found it the weakest of the four of the novels of hers that I've read, but that's what inevitably happens when one starts with Middlemarch. I still have Silas Marner still on my shelves, but I can't say that I've committed to reading everything by her. I imagine, though, that I'll get through a number of her works whenever they happen to fulfill a Quest for Women and/or other reading challenge slot. In the meantime, I'm more interested in looking into 19th century woman writers who aren't nearly as popular, and my plans for 2020 are progressing accordingly.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name]

I still have Scenes of a Clerical Life, Romola, and Felix Holt to read. CAN I get these read in a month? YES Do I want to? I dont know

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Happy Birthday George Eliot today!

Hope you all enjoyed the challenge.

[Laurie]

I didn't read 2 of her novels as I planned to for the challenge, so I read The Lifted Veil yesterday since it is quite short. It was unexpectedly gothic in style.

[George P.]

I read Silas Marner and about half of The Mill on the Floss by the birthday ending date. I'm still reading The Mill gradually and am in a buddy-read for it in another group (Reading 1001). I've enjoyed her story-telling skill. Sometimes in "The Mill" there are long essays of sorts about the nature of people and their interactions mostly, and I sometimes have had difficulty following her ideas. However, I've certainly enjoyed her story-telling skill which rivals my favorite older author, Charles Dickens. I hadn't read any of her books before this year.
I'm finishing the year with a focus on women writers, with seven books by women (from seven different countries by coincidence) in Nov & Dec, including "The Mill".