Ratings6
Average rating4.5
Eliot’s epic of 19th century provincial social life, set in a fictitious Midlands town in the years 1830-32, has several interlocking storylines blended effortlessly together to form a fully coherent narrative. Its main themes are the status of women, social expectations and hypocrisy, religion, political reform and education. It has often been called the greatest novel in the English language.
Reviews with the most likes.
I read this with some friends as a summer read, and I'm so so glad I did. It's a substantial read that took a minute to get into, but once I did, I loved it. If you are interested in reading a story about ordinary lives and interesting characters, this is for you. I read Zadie Smith's essay about the book “Middlemarch and Everybody” from her book Changing My Mind, and it's absolutely correct. Middlemarch is about everybody, about small town life, about love and career choices and moral choices. There is something here for everyone to relate to and think about.
Note to readers - if you have trouble reading it, try listening to it while reading it at the same time. It made all the difference to me. The Juliet Stevenson version of the audio book is fantastic.
Books
9 booksIf you enjoyed this book, then our algorithm says you may also enjoy these.