The Mill on the Floss centers on Maggie Tulliver, who struggles to balance her love for her brother Tom with her desire for parental approval. As she navigates adulthood, her passionate nature and intelligence lead her into conflict with her family and society. Eliot explores the complexities of sibling relationships and the societal constraints of the Victorian era. This was one of my favourite reads from my university module! Eliot brilliantly depicts the challenges of gender roles and societal norms, making for a wonderfully engaging yet frustrating narrative. Unfortunately, the ending felt abrupt and unsatisfactory, almost rude in its execution. If I choose to reread this, I might just stop before the final pages, similar to how I approach Moulin Rouge to maintain the illusion of a happy ending.

One of the greatest authors of all time, and one of her greatest works. The Tulliver family find themselves in a precarious position, the world that they inhabit, one built upon family honour and virtue, is compromised by an unforgiving ever-changing environment. Set in the 1820s the novel deals with the inexorable spread of capitalism and enlightened values. This is a period in history defined by conflict, a time when the old world battled hard to cling onto its moral foundations against an uncompassionate profit-driven elite. This societal turmoil is reflected in the lives of the story's two protagonists, Maggie and Tom Tulliver. Their attempts to carve out happy existences for themselves are continually undermined by external forces. The Mill on The Floss is the epic tale of this family's struggle against the overbearing tide of history, will they survive or will they be swept away?