It’s so hard to review this book, I don’t know what I expected from Middlemarch, but I got more than I ever could have wished! GREATNESS The aspiration to greatness - personal, spiritual or professional - is seen in many guises. Dorothea strives for a great, good work, Lydgate seeks professional greatness in his medical theories, Rosamond wants great social status, Brooke seeks political success, Fred strives for gentlemanly and landed greatness, Bulstrode aims for religious rigour - yet they all somehow fall short. That’s not to say they are all failures - sometimes the results are more beneficial and I think this is part of Eliot’s observation. Maybe we misunderstand “greatness”? Perhaps it’s in the humbler and smaller things, and how do we really define it anyway? For me the only characters not striving for this are the Garths - they have humbler ambitions and more awareness of their lot, but perhaps they’re more realistic and contented for having these views. CLASS & MARRIAGE As with many novels of this time, class is a major consideration. Some have aspirations above their status and others are frowned upon for settling below their class. Societal perception and standing are examined within the lens of marriage, property and employment. There are also different perspectives on marriage. There is often an expectation that wives will be subservient to their husbands. Lydgate expects this of Rosamond. Dorothea wants to serve and learn from Casaubon. Mrs Garth strives to submit to her husband even when she holds different views. It’s interesting however, that it’s often the women who hold an emotional power - Caleb seeks Mrs Gath’s advice, Fred is guided by his love for Mary, Rosamond’s stubbornness domineers Lydgate, Mrs Bulstrode emerges as an example of devotion to her husband. Dorothea is a more complicated case. Having striven for a great work throughout her first marriage and after, it seems strange that in her 2nd marriage “so substantive and rare a creature should have been absorbed into the life of another, and be only known in a certain circle as a wife and a mother”. Despite often being discouraged from her plans by the men around her (Sir James, Mr Brooke etc) it’s they who lament the change in her. This is probably open to much more discussion! GOODNESS & INTEGRITY/ SELFISHNESS & INDEPENDENCE “Goodness” and integrity are exemplified by Dorothea, Caleb Garth and Camden Farebrother. They consistently put their own cares aside to act for the good of others. They stick to their own guiding principles and are not swayed by external considerations. Their behaviour is variously rewarded and despite acting for the best, they do not all achieve their heart’s desire. Selfishness is seen in Casaubon through his marriage to Dorothea. Rosamond is perhaps the most irredeemably selfish. She doesn’t even have the self-awareness to realise her motivations. Bulstrode’s selfish and dishonest past comes back to haunt him. Fred’s pursuit of Mary is self-centred. He knows she has other prospects but can’t consider giving her up. The centre ground is the striving for independence. Lydgate seeks professional independence. Will seeks personal independence. Money is a binding consideration for them both and also the inclinations of their wives. Lydgate fails to gain the autonomy he seeks but Will succeeds. These characteristics are all interwoven and often depend on external factors, such as money, acquaintances, family, social status - it raises the question of how easy it is to behave in an exemplary fashion given different challenges. CHANGE Social and political change appears as a backdrop to the Middlemarch story and community. However there is change within it as well - the births, deaths and marriages of the various families. In the context of this novel it’s perhaps these smaller changes which have the greater imp[act. FINALLY So there’s so much more that could be said about this masterpiece and so much I will have missed. This book is a delight and it makes you appreciate the humbler things in life - so I leave you with the final words: “..for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs”

Absolutely brilliant! I had been put off reading this for so long because it is a beast in size! But then I realised that would make it the perfect pandemic audiobook treat and I listened to the fabulous Juliet Stevenson version (she does all the different character voices brilliantly!). Eliot spins a wonderful yarn, delving into the various lives and minds of the residents of Middlemarch with expert skill and a wry narrator on standby with witty commentary. Her skill at handling all the different characters and managing to keep the reader equally interested in them all is something modern writers could learn from! All in all an excellent read - don't be out off - give this classic a go!

I recently completed 'Middlemarch' by George Eliot. That sounds a bit like visiting all of the countries of the world, or climbing its highest mountain, doesn't it? Well, I believe 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens is one of the few books I've read that is longer than this one. I think too much verbosity gets in the way of it being the greatest novel ever written, but, as a study of class conflict in a provincial 19th-century Midlands town, it is a stunning piece of psychological insight. Moral ambiguity is highlighted, and I love it that, being George Eliot, the marriages of two of the principal characters - Dorothea and Lydgate - prove disastrous with no happy endings, as was expected of women writers of that time. This is not romance; it is the too-common reality of matrimonial union, then as now. There are some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments, and stunning quotes amid the hypocrisy of those seeking to preserve the status quo for themselves. Unfortunately, the novel also highlights that idealism can be a dangerous compass when it comes to ambition and the desire to break out of social straightjackets imposed before birth.

I usually tend to avoid long Victorian novels, as I sometimes find them incredibly dull. The overly long sentences, the unnecessary descriptions of absolutely everything and everyone makes for tedious reading. But somehow George Eliot has managed to write a novel that was a pleasure to read. This is a timeless story about people, real life and relationships. I loved her descriptions and the characters were all so different and fantastically flawed and relatable. The slowly advancing plot was surprisingly interesting and I like how the narration isn't confusing, like it it in some older novels - this was my biggest peeve with Wuthering Heights and the reason I am not a fan of Bronte's writing. The only negative thing I can say about this is that I tended to forget a few things that happened previously, mostly due to the length - then again that could be seen as a positive thing, Eliot bringing back something you didn't think was significant enough to remember. Either way, she was a genius and I cannot wait to devour more of her writing.