This edition includes the following novels by George Eliot: THE MILL ON THE FLOSS (1860) MIDDLEMARCH (1871-72)
Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880), born Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist, translator. She is one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She is the author of novels set in provincial England and known for their realism, psychological insight, humanist vision and strong heroines. She used a male pen name, she said, to ensure her works would be taken seriously. Female authors were published under their own names during Eliot's life, but she wanted to escape the stereotype of women only writing lighthearted romances.
"The Mill on the Floss" was published in 1860. Maggie Tulliver worships her brother Tom and is desperate to win the approval of her parents, but her passionate, wayward nature and her fierce intelligence bring her into constant conflict with her family. As she reaches adulthood, the clash between their expectations and her desires is painfully played out as she finds herself torn between her relationships with three very different men: her proud and stubborn brother, a close friend who is also the son of her family's worst enemy, and a charismatic but dangerous suitor. With its poignant portrayal of sibling relationships, "The Mill on the Floss" is considered George Eliot's most autobiographical novel, it is also one of her most powerful and moving.
"Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life" was first published in eight volumes during 1871–72. The novel is set in the fictitious Midlands town of Middlemarch during 1829–32, and it comprises several distinct (though intersecting) stories and a large cast of characters. Significant themes include the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism, self-interest, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. Although containing comical elements, Middlemarch is a work of realism that refers to many historical events: the 1832 Reform Act, the beginnings of the railways, the death of King George IV, and the succession of his brother, the Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV). In addition, the work incorporates contemporary medical science and examines the deeply reactionary mindset found within a settled community facing the prospect of unwelcome change.This novel is now widely regarded as the best work by George Eliot and one of the greatest novels in English.
These enthralling novels are must-read of English classic literature and will delight readers of all ages.
Complete edition, with a linked table of contents for an easy navigation.
All ebooks published by Atlantic Editions have fautless layouts. They are hand-edited and checked for spelling and punctuation errors. Atlantic Editions was created by a reading lover who is proud to make classics available for all at very little price.
Mary Ann Evans, known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrote seven novels: Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Romola (1862–1863), Felix Holt, the Radical (1866), Middlemarch (1871–1872) and Daniel Deronda (1876). Like Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy, she emerged from provincial England; most of her works are set there. Her works are known for their realism, psychological insight, sense of place and detailed depiction of the countryside. Middlemarch was described by the novelist Virginia Woolf as "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people" and by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as the greatest novel in the English language.
Middlemarch by George Eliot is ranked 24th on The Greatest books of All Time site, where Mary AnnEvans has other works, indeed, on The 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list, there are no less than five volumes by the magnificent wrioter – hundreds of those books are reviewed on my blog, where the best take is https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
9 out of 10
Before being enchanted by Middlemarch, I have had the pleasure to read Silas Marner https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and Adam Bede, there are still two left, The Mill on The Floss and Daniel Deronda, which will surely be in the same realm
This was quite a surprise, first to find Middlemarch so high on the list with the best, and then to see that it was not an inflated suggestion, though I place my favorite, Kingsley Amis, higher, and there are quite a number of protests I submit to this new algorithm, let us just mention Marx and his Manifesto, plus the Kapital Now for the people of Middlemarch, maybe the most resplendent would-be Dorothea Brooke, in spite of her early decision to marry the obnoxious reverend Edward Casaubon, he is forty-five and she is just nineteen – in some ways, I should support the chap, as in I am older, and why not have some admirer who is young and sprightly
However, the woman is in fact devoted to him as a scholar – well, I am one, so awaiting proposals – and she thinks he is some bright luminary, only he is not, just a pretentious old bag – this was uncalled for, but hey, why not – and he marries Dorothea, despite his selfishness, and the total inadequacy of this marital bond Sir James Chettam was the first to propose, but the girl – she was not really a woman at that point, in her defense -makes this terrible choice, thinking she will help the world, because this reverend is such a creator that whatever he does, she will be there to help him, it does not turn out as hoped, let us be clear about it
Will Ladislau is the much younger cousin of reverend Casaubon, an artist, or he appeared that way at first sight, who has been disinherited, his father was a Polish teacher, or dancer, I forgot which, maybe he was a professor and his subject was dancing, and the ‘aristocrats’ saw this as an unsuitable origin, looking down on him The young man feels that Dorothea was ironical, when she mentioned she does not have the ability to judge paintings, thinking this is just her way of saying, politely, that she dislikes his work, nevertheless, they meet again in…Rome, where the newly wed couple are supposed to spend a honeymoon, although the reverend is not really keen on it
Dry and disagreeable – a euphemism in fact – Casaubon spends time in archives, instead of caring for his spouse, after all, the honeymoon is for something else, they meet a German painter, friend od Will Ladislau, and the latter starts to see his devotion to Dorothea, when he has to defend her from the gossip and malice of his colleague There are many personages, and a lot to go through in this novel – that is another intriguing aspect, normally, when faced with such a gigantic work, I start soon moaning and saying I am not going to dedicate days of my precious time to this, it has to be damn splendorous to make the effort and give it the (long) time
Rosamond Vincy and Tertius Lydgate would be the other important figures in this complex narrative – which has plenty of others to claim attention and interest – she is rather complex, not the obvious good heroine, role model or anything, on the contrary, there are chapters when the reader is aghast, what the hell is she doing? Tertius Lydgate is a doctor, who believes in modern methods – not that he has some scanners or anything there, this is happening near the start of the nineteenth century, some two hundred years ago – and when he arrives in Middlemarch, he seems such a dashing fellow, from a good family, and Rosmanond, a pretty, formidable woman is attracted
They marry, but it is not the scenario where they live happily for ever after, because of quite a few problems, first, the doctor has a clientele that does not pay; hence he struggles with his finances, and when the pressure is mounting, he has to accept that creditors come for furniture and the perspective is bleak Ergo, Rosamond jumps into action, taking the initiative, at a time when women would leave that to their spouse – so I have to admit now that she is one of the Avangard, a feminist avant la lettre – with wrong actions though, she writes to the rich and noble family of her husband, and they refuse point blank, insulting Tertius in the process
It looks as if they will part ways – she does spend some time with her parents – and I say that in our time, they would have been divorced, we live with other notions of time, we hurry – like Ellen de Generes used to joke, she had friends that cried ‘hey, I am in a hurry, I go to yoga class’, only what is the point of yoga, if you are always in a febrile state Many things happen, some destitute fellow arrives with some dirty secrets, poor Doctor Lydgate is compromised because of the gossip, this stranger dies in Middlemarch, but not before revealing the dark past of one Nicholas Bulstrode – not time to write about him, this is the end, though if you want more, you can always ask and we negotiate, like Trump with Putin, the former gives the latter ‘whatever the hell he wants’ – and alas, Tertius is caught in the middle of this, for no good reason, to conclude: this is a wonderful book, it is deserving of a good place on The Greatest Books of All Time, new updated list, but lower than Kingsley Amis
Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se
There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know
Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works
‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’
Middlemarch, exceptionnelle Moulin sur le floss...extraordinaire les 450 premieres pages, mais après, d'un ennui...les 250 dernieres pages ont peu a voir avec l'endroit que le livre semblait alller, les personnages interessants ( les tantes, Bob...) disparaissent, et on sait pas ce qu'ils faisaient dans l'histoire a vraie dire
The writing is so good. Hard-pressed to find an author that writes this well today. Middlemarch, the Mill on the Floss, and Silas Marner are all gems. George Eliot is one of the great writers in English.