Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Middlemarch by George Eliot is our 1st Quarter Long Read for 2016.

This is the non spoilers discussion thread.

Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life is a novel by English author George Eliot, first published in eight instalments (volumes) during 1871–2. 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.

Eliot began writing the two pieces that would eventually form Middlemarch during the years 1869–70 and completed the novel in 1871. Although the first reviews were mixed, it is now widely regarded as her best work and one of the greatest novels written in English.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlem...

George Eliot



Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively "Mary Anne" or "Marian"), known by her pen name George Eliot was an English novelist, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She is the author of seven novels, including Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Middlemarch (1871–72), and Daniel Deronda (1876), most of them set in provincial England and known for their realism and psychological insight.

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. She also wished to have her fiction judged separately from her already extensive and widely known work as an editor and critic. An additional factor in her use of a pen name may have been a desire to shield her private life from public scrutiny and to prevent scandals attending her relationship with the married George Henry Lewes, with whom she lived for over 20 years.

Her 1872 work Middlemarch has been described by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as the greatest novel in the English language.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...

Who is planning to read along with us starting in January?

Reminder: This is a no spoilers thread.

I figured I needed a head-start so I began early at the beginning of December. I'm reading some of it "on paper" but mostly listening on audio on the school-run. I'm about a third of the way through - some parts have been heavy-going but others less so.

Great to see some of us already into the book. Should be a great read for the 1st quarter.

Thank you for the great background and history--very helpful to get into the mood. I read this many years ago, and only remember parts, so I am going to try a re-read to follow along here.

I just read the prelude, about Saint Teresa of Avila, whose The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila by Herself was one I was considering for bingo (before 1600's). Serendipity!

I am definitely planning to join in on this read. I have had this on my TBR list for quite awhile. I am looking forward to some lively discussions as well. Thanks for all the background information.

Count me in! I have it ready to go in iBooks... so i can read on my phone :-)

I'm in.

Thanks Kathy .i am planning to join this group read too.

I'm in and excited to get started. Audiobook is in the queue at the library......

Thanks to all who have expressed interest in the read -- and no hurries for those of you waiting -- we will have three months to discuss and read this book.

i'm in. This has been on my to read list for way too long.

Since I'm using this book for a couple of challenges, I will be waiting until after the 1st to start.
I've spent December trying to clear my 'Currently reading' shelf so I can get ready for 2016.
I haven't started a new book for a few weeks so I am ready!
Great so many people are joining in!

I just got my notification that the book is in at the library. I had wanted to buy the book, and still may, but planning on beginning in January.

I've already got the audio book ready to go, but as it's on my Old & New challenge there is no reading before Jan 1st.

Phil wrote: "I've already got the audio book ready to go, but as it's on my Old & New challenge there is no reading before Jan 1st."

I have audio and kindle versions at the ready awaiting the stroke of midnight tomorrow night. ;)" I can hardly wait to get started! Middlemarch is part of my challenge as well.

me too!!! waiting for the clock to strike midnight,so i can open my book....

Glad to see Middlemarch selected. I started this last year about this time and got right around page 300 in the penguin classics paperback. I was really enjoying it but for some reason it ended up falling to the wayside, probably because I was trying to complete some other books around the same time.

At any rate I have wanted to jump back in but figured I should start it over at this point, so I will. I also have the kindle & audio for this so will likely be using all three formats periodically.

I'm reading this one on the Kindle -- much lighter weight that way.

After my exams are over, I'll start it. Glad that we have 4 months for this. No hurry....

Arpit wrote: "After my exams are over, I'll start it. Glad that we have 4 months for this. No hurry...."

Three months for the group read -- but the discussion remains open, so you really have as long as you like.

The best British novel of all time: have international critics found it?



Middlemarch is No 1, according to a sometimes surprising top 100 ranking by books writers from around the world – excluding the UK. Could this be the definitive verdict?

Read more about this here at The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/books/book...

Kathy wrote: "The best British novel of all time: have international critics found it?



Middlemarch is No 1, according to a sometimes surprising top 100 ranking by books writers from around the world – excludi..."

Fascinating. I love the reason they give, that to read Middlemarch is “to encounter an intelligence wholly sympathetic towards, and wholly unsurprised by, human foibles and frailties."

So many of these I haven't read yet! I guess for me personally, Wuthering Heights and David Copperfield would be the top two, but I'll be re-reading Middlemarch now and Jane Eyre for the first time later this year, and see if my opinion changes. :-)

Thank you so much for this link!

:)

I'm planning on reading it, starting in a few weeks. Looking forward to it! My husband read it last year and said it was terrific.

Kathy wrote: "The best British novel of all time: have international critics found it?



Middlemarch is No 1, according to a sometimes surprising top 100 ranking by books writers from around the world – excludi..."

Now I'm really looking forward to this read. Next up in the library queue. Has anyone actually started yet?

I´m about 150 pages in. I think I`m missing a little because it´s very wordy (?) -> there are lot of words I don´t really know and I´m not reading with Kindle so I could easily check those. I don´t have the patience to read 800 pages with dictionary ;) But this is just due my small vocabulary. I feel it a tad slow going but I really enjoy the witty conversations.

Kathy wrote: "Arpit wrote: "After my exams are over, I'll start it. Glad that we have 4 months for this. No hurry...."

Three months for the group read -- but the discussion remains open, so you really have as l..."

Oh, sorry. I was misguided by the word Quarter but even 3 months are enough.

Desertorum wrote: "I´m about 150 pages in. I think I`m missing a little because it´s very wordy (?) -> there are lot of words I don´t really know and I´m not reading with Kindle so I could easily check those. I don´t..."

I wonder if checking out the sparksnotes for it after you finish each chapter (or however the notes are outlined) would help? That way you don't have to have a dictionary beside you and you can still make sure you are getting everything as you read.

I tend to enjoy looking up the topics I'm not familiar with that are being referenced in a story. But it does require that I slow down and keep the distractions at bay.

There is also an annotated Middlemarch available both in print and on Kindle (for .99, thought not sure how easy it would be to use on the Kindle).

Hope some of that helps!

Chris wrote: "Desertorum wrote: "I´m about 150 pages in. I think I`m missing a little because it´s very wordy (?) -> there are lot of words I don´t really know and I´m not reading with Kindle so I could easily c..."

Thanks for the idea. I have never used Sparknotes and I´m not sure how they are written. Since I can keep up with the storyline but mostly the words I don´t understand are adjectives or such, where I can´t maybe even guess the meaning from the context. So probably I´m not missing that much of the actual plot, but maybe something from the little nuances, if you get my meaning? And what mostly got me thinking about this was the thought that the plot goes on pretty slowly for me. But maybe I´m not making fair justice to it, because I might not understand the greatness of the writing.
And I might not have the patience to slow down ;)

Just an idle thought from today:I came home from the gym today (after done some oly weightlifting) and started reading the book and thought how different my life is from those girls in the book (or from that time)! :)

Desertorum, I wouldn't describe this book as having fast pace.

Definitely not fast paced, but a great story nonetheless.

Just like you, Desertorum, I find lifestyles totally different but I'm mostly thinking in terms of society and time period. We are so far removed from life in the mid 1800s.

I also note how incredible the writing was of this era. When you look at the popular fiction of the day, they weren't always reading fluff.

There are a lot of different options on Amazon (reading on a Kindle.) Is there any one in particular I should choose?

Thanks to this group I will give it another try. I have the book in 2 copies and also the audio version, but until now I always gave up on it. Encouraging to read that the original version is discouraging even for the native speakers;-)
This time I will start with the Hungarian version.

John wrote: "There are a lot of different options on Amazon (reading on a Kindle.) Is there any one in particular I should choose?"

I downloaded a free version in 2011. Not seeing it at Amazon now. You can get it free from Gutenberg.org and read it on your kindle: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/145

"Encouraging to read that the original version is discouraging even for the native speakers;-) "
Really?

Ann Shin wrote: "Thanks to this group I will give it another try. I have the book in 2 copies and also the audio version, but until now I always gave up on it. Encouraging to read that the original version is disco..."

I´m not sure if anybody else is having difficulties than me :D I´m not native english speaker but I do like to try reading the classics in english (if they are english classics).
Hungarian version sounds intimidating...

John wrote: "There are a lot of different options on Amazon (reading on a Kindle.) Is there any one in particular I should choose?"

I had purchased the Oxford World's Classics version that used to be available on Kindle. I'm not seeing it available now... not sure what happened there.

Just saw this: Middlemarch: Filibooks Classics (Illustrated) Kindle Edition for .99 on Amazon. It looks to be an unabridged edition but I don't know about Filibooks. It also says it is illustrated...

Nobody is reading original version? Should I also choose other version? Original is too difficult or what?

Arpit - I plan on reading the unabridged version! 807 pages. I probably won't start until late January, though. I'm reading some sci-fi first.

I think everyone is reading the unabridged version here. Differences between the versions from what I understand are incredibly minor. I'm not sure there is an 'original' version due to the nature of its publication. Maybe 'version' isn't quite the right word to use. :)

Chris wrote: "I think everyone is reading the unabridged version here. Differences between the versions from what I understand are incredibly minor. ....."

Yes, I agree with Chris -- if you are reading an unabridged copy in English then it is an "original" version. Different publishers have different versions, some illustrated, different fonts, but the words are the same.

Kathy wrote: "Chris wrote: "I think everyone is reading the unabridged version here. Differences between the versions from what I understand are incredibly minor. ....."

Yes, I agree with Chris -- if you are re..."

Oh, thanks for help, Kathy, Chris and Pam. I was too confused after seeing these comments about other 'Versions', but you helped me. I always read 'Original' version and I hate abridged version. Now I'll start.

Kathy wrote: "John wrote: "There are a lot of different options on Amazon (reading on a Kindle.) Is there any one in particular I should choose?"

I downloaded a free version in 2011. Not seeing it at Amazon now..."

Perfect. Thank you.

There are two different versions. No images and images? I looked over the few first pages of the images version, it definitely isn't illustrated. Does it matter which one I choose? I imagine there are images added after publication to the book that are included?

John, I am reading the Penguin Clothbound version. On my Kindle, I have the Harper Perennial Classics version, which seems to be the same as the Penguin version (but with different page numbers). I am also listening to the Kindle version with Whispersync on my iphone (because my Kindle doesn't do audio).

I am about 45% of the way through, and they all seem comprehensive, consistent and good quality.

Yes, I don't think it matters which edition you choose, it is just the publisher extras that might be there to make them different.

Matt wrote: "70 pages in - I've decided to give up on Middlemarch for now. I may try to pick it up again at some point, but it is just doesn't touch me. Good luck, everyone."

I hope you do try again at some point. I read this last year and seriously could not get engaged with it until about 1/3 of the way in. But finally it changed, for me anyway, and I ended up liking it quite a lot. I understand what you mean though because I whined for that whole first part of the book and thought about giving it up.