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Title: MiddlemarchAuthor: George Eliot
Date Published: 1871
Genre: Historical, Romance
"...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."
This quote from the novel encapsulates the theme of the entire book; it is essentially a charming account of the interwoven lives of the denizens of a fictitious English town. The narrative consists of eight stories and jumps back, forth, and about gracefully from one to another.
A short plot synopsis is impossible, but I will attempt it anyway. Wealthy Dorthea Brooks marries her studious love Edward Casaubon, against the wishes of her father. The marriage is unhappy, and she meets Will Ladislaw, Casaubon's cousin. Dorthea and Ladislaw's meetings arouse the jealousy of Casaubon. When he dies, his will forbids Dorthea from marrying Ladislaw. Meanwhile, a wealthy doctor named Tertius Lydgate causes quite a stir in Middlemarch with his revolutionary practice and marries Rosamond Vincy. He incurs much debt. Fred Vincy, Rosamund's brother, is equally irresponsible with money, but he resolves to change his ways. A mysterious man, Mr. Raffles, appears in the town, exposing the secret past of the town banker, Mr. Bulstrode. Raffles becomes ill soon after Lydgate asks Bulstrode to help him pay off his debts. Reluctantly, Bulstrode gives Lydgate the money, but the doctor fails to save Raffles due to Bulstrode disobeying Lydgate's orders. The town thinks that Bulstrode bribed Lydgate to kill Raffles, but Dorthea persuades the key members of the town otherwise. She and Ladislaw express their mutual love and move to London to start a new life.
Beautifully written and expertly balanced, this novel is a must read for any serious literary connoisseur. It has all the essential ingredients - death, love, betrayal, vice, and virtue - but comes dressed in all the glory and masterful power of Eliot's quick pen. I could almost smell the golden mist of the province filling my lungs as I eavesdropped on the domestic intrigues of the residents of the town. This is definitely one I foresee reading again many times.
Plot: 10 (out of 10)
Style: 10 (out of 10)
Difficulty: 6 (out of 10)
Overall: 10 (out of 10)
Note: Sorry, I'm a sucker for anything by George Eliot!
