My most recent read that I finished was Middlemarch by George Eliot. A Christmas gift from my wonderful roommate, it was something I had been planning on reading for quite some time. It did not disappoint.
The version she got me was a paperback Barnes and Noble classic edition (this one to be exact) with an introduction, timeline, cultural events, and even reading questions at the back. I try to make a point of always reading the introduction, especially if I am unfamiliar with the author. I definitely needed the intro to this one as I had forgotten that George Eliot was a woman! (Terribly sorry about that) The intro was long but worth the read as it summarized the content without giving away too many spoilers and introduced me to this incredibly cool person. George Eliot was not afraid to go after what she wanted, even if it did scandalize society around her. The time she chose to set this novel in was a particularly turbulent time in English history. Again, it is not something I am familiar with but from the sounds of it, it could be compared to today without much of a stretch. The Reform Bill which was supposed to help poor workers and farmers was just as controversial as any immigrant bill, healthcare bill, or gay rights ruling today. The times were full of anxiety and uncertainty.
The majority of this novel, however, chooses to focus on one small town and a few families within it. Middlemarch has that self important rural town feel. The high society aren’t actually all that high (nouveaux riches middle class who made their money from *gasp* manufacturing) and the “low” society are mainly farmers with one or two charlatans thrown in. There are two main characters. The first we meet is Dorothea. Very headstrong with uncompromising morals. She was also ahead of her time (most see this character as Eliot herself) wanting to be more than just an ornament of taste and sensible, womanly skills and instead wanting to make a difference in the world.
The second is a young doctor named Tertius (Seriously) Lydgate who also has big dreams for his illustrious medical career. Instead he finds himself trapped in Middlemarch, alienating the older doctors, and riddled with debt because of his senseless new wife.
The first half mainly deals with Dorothea and the second with Tertius but all throughout the book we meet a huge list of assorted characters worthy of a Dickens novel. Indeed, how I would describe the book is “a collaboration between Austen and Dickens”. Like Dickens, Eliot enjoys pointing out the inconsistencies and unfairness of society. But, like Austen, she does so through the medium of domestic life. It is full of little plot twists and even mystery. It is predictable along some lines but that only makes the unpredictable moments more dramatic. It’s a great read, though not for the faint of heart. It takes perseverance to stick with all 750 some pages (give or take) but is well worth it for the immersion into 19th century life.
