George Eliot was a woman. Is Madeline Miller a man?
345468
The story of Achilles is as old as western civilization. From Dryden to Fagles,  Lattimore  and Fitzgerald, Lewis and Graves, there have been many men who have retold this story. Now a woman has stepped into the fray and her retelling is magnificent. Kudos to Mz. Miller.
3875491
I throughly enjoy Louisa May Alcott's style. I found this so different from Little Women but loved almost as well
1985804
This is not for the faint of heart.  I'll be the first to admit that Eliot is no day-in-the-park author.  She's regal, she's massive, she's intense.  She's the Titanic, the way it was meant to be.  The upside of all this is that you enter a world of literature so engrossing and pungent, it will be hard to pick up a less involved book afterwards.  Eliot is an aquired taste for some, but, oh, what a taste!  I began her books with Middlemarch and it has been my ultimate favorite ever since.  It even surpasses Pride and Prejudice in my estimation, no small concession.
Middlemarch isn't a glamourous town, but it *is* full of strangely fascinating normal people.  They're deliciously human, understandably flawed, and believably redeemed.  Love, life, and death are not sugar-coated, but shown in all their respective glory and shabbiness.  The characters, however minor, are honestly portrayed, making you feel like one of them.  Idealistic Dorothea could have lived in any age, in any place.  Lydgate is another.  They are mirrored by the sad realism of the Bulstrode and Casaubon among others.  All the other Middlemarchers fall in between these common extremes.  With as broad a brush as Eliot paints with (covering religion, provincial politics, social mores, business, romance), there are also many (relevant) commentaries that have her wielding as fine as brush as an ivory-painter (intricacies of human nature, society, and the ironies of life).  Eliot was an unabashed intellectual, but persuasive and logical, making it a pleasure to delve into her mind.  Her works are diamonds in English Lit - captivating from afar as they are breathtaking up close.  Read her for the fun plots, as well as the brilliant insights.
The characters are true, the settings are used to perfection, and the complexity is amazing.  The characters may not endear themselves to you on paper, but they become so lifelike through details that they will compel feelings through reason - reaching your heart through your brain.  Not a likely arrangement, but one that Eliot pulls off uncannily.
Eliot made a masterpiece of town life with Middlemarch.  The same is done for pastoral life with Mill on the Floss and Adam Bede.  For a shorter, sweeter story, read Silas Marner.  And never lump her with Dickens, who gracelessly and grotesquely inflates life in order to make a point.
991348
Middlemarch has been described as the one Victorian novel written for grownups.  Here, Eliot combines the multiple and interlocking plot lines so beloved by the Victorians with adult characters facing real problems.  Particularly engaging is Dorothea Brooke's efforts to find a way to serve, if not achieve, greatness.  Rather than undertake some great work herself -- something that Victorian women were not encouraged to do -- she chooses to dedicate herself to supporting a man that she mistakenly believes to be creating a major work.  Similarly, Lydgate's slow downfall is realistically portrayed.  Unlike many of the works of Dickens, Middlemarch's multiple plots work well together.  If you have not read anything by George Eliot, this is the book to begin with.
501862
Emma Lazarus, kown primarily for her poem, reproduced st the base of the Statue of Liberty ..."Give me your tired, your poor ...."
a vfery young woman! was really much more than a famous poet.  The became close friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson and other cognocenti of her time, her literary works were published when she was a very young woman.  She wrote a great many works of prose and poetry - many of which were recognized by Emerson and othrs as meritorious.  She traveled back and forth around the world and became known in Europe as well as the New World.

In a time were women were usually relagted to the kitchen and nursery her areas and endeavors knew no bounds - all of this clearly told in engaging prose (with a bit of poetry) by the author.

Forget "give me your tired"! Emma was much more!  Read her bio!
3650358
The book opens with a very well done, detailed profile of a once-wealthy woman--Mrs. Transome--who, like the estate she manages, suffers from dwindled resources.  George Eliot draws an interesting portrait of her, creating empathy and sympathy in the reader, yet also alluding in a quietly strategic way that "there is more to learn" about this woman and her circumstances.

Enter the long-traveling son, who has made his fortune in the middle east and has the potential to restore the estate to its former grandeur.  Indeed, he sets about doing this, and as that process begins, the other plots are ushered in.  There is a great deal of time and effort spent on the Whigs, Tories, and Radicals, which was interesting and yet prompted me to Google various terms on a frequent basis.  For us 21st century Americans, a lot of water has gone under the bridge since these royalist/anti-royalist/labor concepts were in flower.  The central plot, however, is the love story between the lovely Esther Lyon and her reluctant suitor, Felix Holt.  Felix seems to embody the pure voice of the common man, speaking with courage, selflessness, and unabashed virtue.  He is almost unbelievably pristine in his moral makeup, but he was still fascinating.  His prompting and nudging of Esther to abandon her pettiness and vanity has a surprisingly rapid effect on her, but this did not bother me, as I found the "early Esther" to be quite annoying and I--like Felix--very much wanted her to change.

Felix gets himself in some very hot legal water through a chain of events that seems a bit fantastical, but the plot moves along briskly.  I am so used to George Eliot and have so much respect for her that I don't mind her lofty and rhapsodic passages.  They are fine and they help make her the great author she is.
2497250
I loved and wept over this book as a young girl, and my thirty year old daughter absolutely loved it. She continues to read the works of George Eliot.
4976926
Apparently T. S. Eliot admired Becket since he wrote the famous "Death in the Cathedral"  in his honor.  Becket is hard to love, though worthy of it.
3127067
Madeline Smythe, at the age of four and twenty, became an orphan. Raised in Canada, her father's last wishes is that she returns to England. When she arrives, she finds herself a 'lady' with an inheritance and is expected to marry Jaimie, the impoverished Earl of Hampden. Instead, she is attracted to his older half-brother, Captain Titus Evan Rhodes.

Here starts the matchmaking game. Jaimie secretly wants young Della. Almira, her mother, thinks Madeline will suit him better. But Titus covets Madeline. And Madeline has strong feelings for the Captain. Except, initially, they don't let each other know this.

Wow, there were so many twists and turns in this story but it was written in a fun way. Witty with some refreshing dialog, Madeline and Titus develop an unusual 'friendship'.

"A serious argument is what you want? All right, I'll oblige."

"Your mother is too young and lively to be stuffed away in a dower house."

It was true. Grudgingly, he admitted, "You are right on that score."

"Thank you."

Moments go by when she says, "You have had far too much to drink."

"Not half as much as I plan."

She set her jaw, and he braced himself for a barrage of insults. Instead, in a swirl of green silk that matched her angry green eyes, she left him standing there in the drawing room. Madeline gives as good as she gets.

It is a shame but the best that I can tell is that Ms. Morrow only wrote this one romance. I would have enjoyed reading more from this author. AN INNOCENT RUSE is an enjoyable love story with two very likable main characters.
3262913
After reading Daniel Deronda, I wanted to understand how it was possible for a victorian writer to be so accurate about all things jewish and to have such a modern point of view.. The book of Gertude Himmelfarb has given a very brillant answer to my questiions not only about George Eliot but also about the jewish situation in victorian England. Thank you, Amazon!
2681722
This was an interesting, if not exactly gripping, account of a middle class family in Manchester during Victorian times, times when women were not expected to want more than a husband, house and children.

Like her mother before her, Elizabeth Sanderson is dedicated to helping the impoverished and downtrodden of Manchester. Her marriage to Alfred Moberley appears to be a marriage of convenience that allows her to continue her good-works. Alfred is an artist and interior designer who designs wallpaper and fabrics for wealthy home owners and although his business is doing well, Elizabeth's upbringing does not allow her to employ servants to do the work she feels she should do herself. When Alethea (Ally) is born Elizabeth is totally out of her depth and has no idea how to care for this squalling baby, so she puts her out of earshot. This neglect continues throughout Ally's life and as a result, she is always striving to impress her mother, or even to be noticed.

She is a studious, conscientious child, in an era when girls did not receive much in the way of education, but she is driven to study and eventually to become a doctor, determined to finally make an impression on her mother. Her sister, May seems less affected by their mother's behaviour and much less serious. She is motivated by the more frivolous side of life.

I was fascinated by the mention of the the Contagious Diseases Act of 1864, which allowed police to detain and inspect any woman walking alone, on suspicion of prostitution. Under the pretext of reducing sexually transferred diseases, women could be subjected to invasive testing on little evidence and it became hazardous to leave the home without a male escort.
This Act was one of the motivations for Elizabeth to press Ally into the medical profession. She felt that women should receive attention from sympathetic female doctors rather than uncaring male ones. It was a very difficult time to become a female doctor, though doors were finally beginning to open. Male colleagues tended to be skeptical and scathing of their female counterparts.

During this time, Ally stayed with her less zealous aunt and realised how different other families were from her own. She also developed a close friendship with another student and finally found a guy who she could relate to.
The story continues with Signs for Lost Children, which follows Ally's work in a mental institution and her husband's time as an engineer in Japan.

I listened to the audio version, well read by Meriel Scholfield, but one problem of this medium was that the introductory descriptions of artworks and their provenances at the beginning of each chapter didn't really work in an audiobook and they became a bit irritating.
3.5 stars.
4698710
Reading this just made me want to reread Daniel Deronda, the George Eliot book this is based on. It also reminded me that I don't like it when authors take another person's work and give a "new" take on it unless it is updated to current times. If you haven't read Daniel Deronda, and don't plan to, you might enjoy this. Just make sure you know credit really goes to Eliot.
4632865
Hilary Mantel is just great. I'd recommend Wolf Hall ahead of this if you want to get a taste of her writing.
2150859
Charles Bernstein's writing combines a scholar's discipline, an advocate's passion, a theorist's breadth, and a readiness to deflate everything with a good joke. In Girly Man, anything can serve as inspiration for a poem or essay: paintings in an exhibition, highway signs, and even war. Bernstein is among those rare writers who can perform their works effectively, and you can hear recordings of his reading online at Penn Sound and at the Electronic Poetry Center.
4413001
George Eliot (pseudonym for Mary Ann Evans) penned a masterpiece when she wrote Middlemarch. This mid-19th century tale of the lives and loves of a variety of British townspeople is skillfully and intricately woven. Perhaps its most compelling character is Dorothea, who is intense in her religious duty and in her deep emotional sensibility; two characteristics that interplay with turmoil as she faces marriage and remarriage. Her first husband, Mr. Casaubon, is an ancient and crusty scholar, who attempts to win her promise of eternal devotion even after his death. Both her marriage and widowhood are complicated by her deep connection to her husband's cousin, the irresistible Mr. Ladislaw, whom she eventually marries at the expense of her late husband's fortune.

Rosamond Vincy is a much shallower woman, who, in spite of her outward loveliness, has a soul that is priggish and bent on absolute self-service. She effectively ruins her husband, Dr. Lydgate, both financially and relationally. Mary Garth is perhaps the most admirable woman in the book; she is sensible, steadfast, and self-sacrificing. She will not allow herself to be swayed by romantic whimsy; yet she does retain a deep devotion to her first and only true love, Fred Vincy - an irresponsible but well-meaning young man who eventually, through Mary's love, is able to make something of himself.

Numerous other characters people the fascinating landscape of Middlemarch - among them Mr. Bulstrode, a pious but tortured soul, whose transgressions and hypocrisy lead him to a wretched end; Mr. Farebrother, a kindly and faithful rector who helps everyone he can, even when it means giving up his own chance for happiness; Sir James Chettam, Dorothea's suitor and then her sister Celia's husband, and the strongest opponent to both of Dorothea's marriages; Celia herself, who plays a significant role in the early chapters but then fades to not much more than a foil to Dorothea; and Mr. Featherstone, the cantankerous old bachelor who holds sway over his entire extended family by keeping them guessing as to the contents of his will - a will which eventually affects many other aspects of the story as well.

How Mary Ann Evans was able to create such a fascinating, intriguing, and moving story, I can only begin to guess. In spite of its dry-at-times (yet undeniably intelligent) political wrangling and references that are now unfamiliar to most readers, the book is filled with literary excellence, a masterful plotline, and vivid characterization. And moreover, it is enlivened, Austen-like, with pungent and poignant little insights into humanity. What is said of Dorothea at the end of the book can be said of the general events of the story itself - "Certainly those determining acts of her life were not ideally beautiful... But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts."

Middlemarch is not an epic; it is not the most world-renowned novel ever written. It is a little religiously sardonic; some have called it humanistic. Yet in its faithful depiction of a set of very real characters and the choices and chances that defined their lives, it can contribute a little something to our understanding of ourselves and of the world. In that way, it is indeed not ideally beautiful; but without a doubt, it can be incalculably diffusive.
745499
Having spent years absorbed with the works of the Brontes' I was a latecomer in accepting anything by a Unitarian Preacher's Victorian wife who was better known by the settled name of Mrs. Gaskell.  I'm glad I proved my prejudice so wrong. It is probably noteworthy for any serious reader to become acquainted with the socio-history of the time.  While Jane Austen (admittedly, an earlier writer) takes on the more acerbic tones of character assasination and the Brontes are more brutal in their emotional exhaustion Gaskell is subtle in her astute observation of the minute aspects of social comings and goings.

The title, alone, is an intriguing insight into the sexual competition/tension. Children and their relationships with parents is definitely an underlying theme throughout the novel and offers a refreshing insight into the lack of predictability that might have been seen from earlier writers (eg, Austen, Burney etc) where heroine falls in love with hero (only eligible, upstanding and decent male in the plot).  There are plenty of characthers in W&D that are true to form, ie having blemishes, imperfections etc.

The social significance of the novel should be underscored. There is a continuous reminder of the class struggle between 3 very different classes (and still excluding the working class). Differences between the sexes are emphasised and it could almost be seen as an early example of literary feminism. Molly Gipson's passion for learning (outside the traditional role) is an interesting take on the movement (and acceptance) of women within academic circles (ref, the BlueStockings). The scientific references would demonstrate the underlying Darwinian theories that would have been shaking Victorian society. Gossip was, as always, the brutal reminder of the petty lives that people lived and the strength of a bad reputation that could befall any 'lady'!

I guess I could go on but I would recommend any reader to take a further examination of this book before dismissing it as simply 'one of the classics'.......
2175912
A fascinating different kind of work from George Eliot,  Her prose was noticeably denser than her English novels,but it was well worth a read.