March is Women's History Month and so we'll be taking a look at the work of Victorian author George Eliot, nom de plume for English novelist Mary Ann Evans (1819–1880). She was one of the leading writers of her generation but chose to publish under a pen name to avoid being pigeonholed as a certain type of writer, among other complex reasons. At the time women who wrote were expected to be interested only in light "female" topics and primarily romantic storylines. Eliot/Evans wanted to write works that would speak to the heart of humanity, and her novels have stood the test of time to become universal classics of the Western cannon.
This month we'll be reading "Silas Marner: the Weaver of Raveloe," about a miserly man who finds redemption through raising an orphaned girl. Recently, I discovered a charming modernized adaptation of the book in a 1994 Steve Martin film, "A Simple Twist of Fate." We'll discuss how the book translates into a modern story and also look deeper into what it has meant to be a woman and a writer, in Eliot's time and beyond.
Both the book "Silas Marner" and the film "A Simple Twist of Fate" can be found on Hoopla at hoopladigital.com with your library card. You can also find "Silas Marner" on Project Gutenberg at gutenberg.org/ebooks/550.
This month we'll be reading "Silas Marner: the Weaver of Raveloe," about a miserly man who finds redemption through raising an orphaned girl. Recently, I discovered a charming modernized adaptation of the book in a 1994 Steve Martin film, "A Simple Twist of Fate." We'll discuss how the book translates into a modern story and also look deeper into what it has meant to be a woman and a writer, in Eliot's time and beyond.
Both the book "Silas Marner" and the film "A Simple Twist of Fate" can be found on Hoopla at hoopladigital.com with your library card. You can also find "Silas Marner" on Project Gutenberg at gutenberg.org/ebooks/550.