Middlemarch was famously described by Virginia Woolf as 'one of the few English novels written for grown up people'. Whilst I think this is rather a harsh assessment of English novelists, this is definitely one of the most intelligent books I've ever read. The book centres on a small town called Middlemarch, during the early 1800s, and charts the lives of a number of its inhabitants. Describing the characters and plot is very difficult because there are so many of them and so much happens! But various themes are represented- marriages based on an idealistic idea of the other half, which turn out to be rather disappointing; living beyond your means; the ...  Read the complete review

As you might know, I usually read fantasy, but I make the odd departure to classics and period romances from time to time. I wont deny that I found Middlemarch quite hard going, it is the only George Eliot book I have read. More importantly though is the fact that I loved it. The first thing I found striking about this book, particularly since it has a romantic theme was the number of main characters involved in it. There are four main couples, but that doesn't even go near all the people who are important to other aspects of the plot. You might think that having this number of main characters might be detrimental to the book, with each of them ...  Read the complete review

"Middlemarch" is often acclaimed as George Eliot's greatest piece of literature, and having now read most of her novels, I am inclined to agree with this assesment. Middlemarch itself is a small town somewhere in England, and the book traces the interweaving lives of various inhabitants. The plot itself is quite subtle and complex, as various relationships alter, and various truths come to light. Trying to give a full account of the plot would take, oh, about a full length novel, and it would spoil a few of the twsits and turns. So, here's a few tempters to be going along with. Dorothea is a bright, idealistic young gentlewoman who marries an ...  Read the complete review