Reading the Chunksters discussion

Please add your thoughts here for Book Seven - Two Temptations

I haven't quite finished Book Seven yet so will post in the next few days.

I have not either, but I'll see you this coming weekend... It's Thanksgiving week, here in the States. Thank you so much for your patience while moderating this jewel of a novel.

I'll see you very soon!

Ami wrote: "I have not either, but I'll see you this coming weekend... It's Thanksgiving week, here in the States..."

Oh yes, enjoy your Thanksgiving hols, looking forward to your thoughts...

The book opens with a New Year's Eve party, but all is not cheerful. Mr Farebrother is not quite able to give up his feelings for Mary, and Lydgate is finding his marriage more and more difficult. Rosamund is determined not to give up her expectations of wealth, and defies Lydgate by appealing to Sir Godwin. Lydgate is even driven to gambling at the Green Dragon.

Meanwhile, Bulstrode's fate is sealed when a dying Raffles falls into his care, and he gives in to the temptation to hastening his end. This was really a powerful and affecting Chapter (Chapter 70).
"Imperious will stirred murderous impulses towards this brute life, over which will, by itself, had no power." Bulstrode pacing the corridor, struggling with his conscience, and then his relief when the danger of Raffles is over.

Lydgate is compromised, and when the horse trader reveals his meeting with Raffles, disgrace is on the way for Bulstrode and Lydgate.

I have really enjoyed this story, but the last two Books have focussed really heavily on Lydgate's plot line. Fred and Mary's story has provided some relief, but I am missing Dorothea and Will's presence. Does anyone else feel this way? I'm still loving the story, but Rosamond's selfish truculence is getting very tiresome.

Chapter 63
I couldn’t even handle myself through these chapters. It appears Rosamund and Lydgate have come to a head and what a course of events Eliot has had the reader endure, much less these characters… No? Lydgate’s state of being was surprising enough as Farebrother

noticed in him an air of excited effort quite unlike his usual easy way of keeping silence or breaking it with abrupt energy whenever he had anything to say…a strange light in his eyes. He may have been taking an opioate, was a thought that had crossed Farebrother’s mind (640)

Oh, no…Lydgate on an opiate?

Chapter 64

As soon as it was late enough to make a call, Rosamund went to Mrs. Plymdale, Mr. Ned’s mother, and entered with pretty congratulations into the subject of the coming marriage (652)

Oh, no…Rosamund, what are you doing?

She returned home by Mr. Borthrop Trumbull’s office, meaning to call there (653).

Good grief, Rosamund…Sabotage, all around!

But the next day she carried out her plan of writing to Sir Godwin Lydgate…Lydgate had told her that his politeness meant of nothing; but she was secretly convinced that any backwardness in Lydgate’s family towards him was due to his cold and contemptuous behavior, and she answered the letters in her most charming manner, feeling some confidence that a specific invitation would follow. But there had been total silence.

The contents of the letter that Eliot makes privy to us had my stomach in knots. Oh, Rosamund…you damned fool.

Chapter 65
The letter of correspondence has arrived for Lydgate from his Uncle… what did you make of it, what were your thoughts, did you cringe? I was utterly humiliated for both Lydgate and Rosamund. I think this was probably one of the best scenes in the chapters that I have read, thus far. The psychological dynamics between these two while all is revealed of Rosamund’s doing…well, it’s great reading…damn good reading. The moment that turns everything on its head for me, is towards the very end; when I read Lydgate to be making excuses for Rosamund’s behavior. Eliot writes of Lydgate

…but it was inevitable in that excusing mood he should think of her as if she were an animal of another and feebler species. Nevertheless she had him mastered (667)

Nevertheless she had him mastered …Agh! I know I’ve made it obvious about how much I dislike Rosamund; however, in these pages, although Eliot does not do any favors for Rosamund; believe it or not, I actually do sympathize with her here...a little, or maybe I see Lydgate clearly at fault too :P. For the first time, I see Rosamund and Lydgate to be two sides of the same coin; both getting a nice hefty dose of humble pie from one another. Lydgate impulsively marries Rosamund for her beauty, having acquired a trophy, a thing, so to speak. But, she too chose to see him as an object as well…she saw his position as a doctor as a means to accommodate flourishing status consisting of all things superficial. She didn’t see him as a husband, nor he her a wife.

And, it’s done. Lydgate is back to square one…No financial options, no financial relief in sight, and alone in a marriage.

Chapter 66
Book 7 is doing no favors for Lydgate…at all! Gambling…Lydgate is gambling? The things we do when the chips are down; regardless, this wasn’t good at all. Thank goodness for Fred Vincy, however. It was a breath of fresh air to see him come to Lydgate’s aid, saving him from losing any more money, but also saving himself from following the same fate of gambling whatever little money he has left. There’s something about Fred’s perception of Lydgate, since the beginning, thinking him to be a prig that I’ve always found curious considering how often Eliot draws the reference... of all people to consider someone something so crass, I guess Fred really would know best? My point being, Lydgate as altruistic as he seems, there’s an egotistical/prideful side to him that too often gets the better of him. He’s taking opiates, he’s gambling, he’s blowing his money at the first moment he has it in his hands... his very behaviours on display are the very same Lydgate has frowned upon when better men than he have committed the very same. What is Eliot doing here, if anything... what is being said about Lydgate here? Is it a there but for the Grace of God go I moments? These men…can’t they get it together? For Pete’s sake! LOL!

Chapter 67
Honestly, Bulstrode’s advice to file for bankruptcy would be the responsible way to go because I’m not so sure Lydgate and Rosamund wouldn’t revert back to their old frivolous ways if a family or friend bailed them out. Rosamund’s own father refused to settle their debt for “there would be five more to pay after.” Of course, Rosamund’s father is also indebted to Bulstrode, so there’s that too. SMH! The family has a problem, in general.

Chapters 68-70
My affinity for Lydgate is quickly plummeting. I understand indebtedness can be a real monkey on one’s back, truly I do, but he goes on like a perpetual victim. He is waiting for somebody to come to his rescue when he could be doing more to alleviate some of his debts. In the following quote Lydgate is telling Rosamond to stay home a little longer before she heads back to her father’s home while Lydgate gets his new house in order...

’Oh, I would wait a little longer than to-morrow-there is no knowing what may happen,’ said Lydgate with bitter irony. I may get my neck broken, and that may make things easier to you (702).

It’s high drama, but so is their reality.

It is Rosamund’s intention to leave Middlemarch, avoiding any public scrutiny in the aftermath of their financial irresponsibility, but everybody already knows they’re in deep…they (society) know what’s to come. Why is it that Lydgate refuses to leave again? Am I being too 21st Century reader, here? Eliot depicts this weight on Lydgate’s shoulders quite well as he flounders between states of volatility and jubilation. A prime example of this occurs in the scene between Bulstrode and Lydgate, when Bulstrode offers him the money after all. By the way, Bulstrode is one clever cookie. I knew he was selfish, I questioned his motive at his change of heart, but I had no clue what he was up to…no clue.

The Bulstrode/Lydgate scene…I read Lydgate to speak with some ‘hauteur’,his shattered looks noticed by Bulstrode, he refers to the moment the Dovers take possession of his house as an execution; but, as soon as Bulstrode offers Lydgate the money his persona changes at the blink of an eye (706).

Yes! said Lydgate, a great leap of joy within him surmounting every other feeling…While Bulstrode wrote Lydgate turned to the window thinking of his home-thinking of his life with its good its good start saved from frustration, its good purposes still unbroken.

It’s as if it was Rosamund in Lydgate’s place accepting the money without any afterthought as to what may or may not be contingent upon it, planning and relishing in one’s own happiness, again. I can imagine the sense of relief Lydgate feels, light at the end of the tunnel for him and his wife; but, I can’t shake his superficiality either because his demeanor is so reminiscent of how Rosamond would behave had it been her on the receiving end of Bustrode’s loan.

It appeared to him a very natural movement in Bulstrode that he should have reconsidered his refusal: it corresponded with the more magnificent side of his character (707).

The reversal in choice being warranted, it being a natural progression in events, is Lydgate saying since it was ‘natural’ for Bulstrode to have changed his mind that Lydgate was expecting it to happen this way? It was not until the next morning that reality may have set in for Lydgate, the irony in accepting a loan from Bulstrode…the very man with whom Lydgate took umbrage, the very man with whom Lydgate prided himself for being independent of Bulstrode’s reach. I’ll admit, Bulstrode has played one clever chess move here, giving Lydgate the money when he did.

Chapter 71
Is anybody else curious as to how all of these loose ends are going to be tied up…One book to go and we have Raffle’s questionable death and clearing Lydgate’s name from any affiliation with it along with everything else in the previous seven hundred plus pages! Middlemarch in this chapter reminds me of the present day mob mentality without any dutiful thought to the facts related to the matter. If Bulstrode is the match, Lydgate the kindling, Middlemarch society is the air that spreads the fire into an uncontrollable inferno. And, here Lydgate thought being in debt was the worst feeling ever…oh, boy.

Pamela wrote: "The book opens with a New Year's Eve party, but all is not cheerful. Mr Farebrother is not quite able to give up his feelings for Mary, and Lydgate is finding his marriage more and more difficult. ..."

This was really a powerful and affecting Chapter (Chapter 70).
I thought this in the Bulstrode Raffle scenes, loving how Eliot gives us insight into Bulstrode's mind and his inner workings. It was quite thrilling to read about Raffle's fate from scene to scene. I had no idea his fate would come to its end in such a passive aggressive manner. How does Bulstrode think he's going to get away this?

Fred and Mary's story has provided some relief, but I am missing Dorothea and Will's presence. Does anyone else feel this way?
I don't recall reading much about Fred and Mary except for learning that Fred may have a future in estate management, in Book 7. While I found Rosamund and Lydgate's plot line to be entertaining, any more than what we endured with them would have been too much. They do have that potential in being quite wearing. I have a feeling that things will be moving along quite quickly in Book 8.

Ami wrote: " what did you make of it, what were your thoughts, did you cringe?..."

Yes, this was so humiliating for them, but once again Rosamund manages to ignore anything that doesn't align with the world as she sees it. I could share Lydgate's frustration as she just refuses to listen to anything he says, she's right and that's that, and he is just trying to upset her. She is a nightmare.

I totally agree about their marriage, they both entered into it with illusions that have now been swept away. And Lydgate is now feeling society's revenge for his refusal to be the kind of doctor they wanted - ironic as his modern methods are probably right - and his ideals are being swept away with his illusions.

I definitely found the concentration on Lydgate and Rosamund to be wearing. In the earlier chapters I felt there was more balance between the three plot lines.

Ami wrote: " How does Bulstrode think he's going to get away with this?"

I was surprised that his only feelings were relief when Raffles was dead. He didn't seem to have any fear of discovery or any pangs of guilt. I guess this shows how much of a hypocrite he was. Still, I couldn't believe he would get away with it. He seems to think that he's silenced Raffles before he could speak to anyone, but given how gossip spreads in Middlemarch, I think he is deluding himself. Maybe all the tension and anxiety has broken him mentally.

Somehow I can't dislike Bulstrode as much as other hypocrite characters in Victorian lit. I feel sorry for his fall, even though he's behaved really badly. This must be down to Eliot's skill in characterisation, Bulstrode is human - it's a contrast to, say, Dickens, where the bad characters are almost caricatures, and their weaknesses magnified.