Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Romola (1862–63) is a historical novel by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) set in the fifteenth century, and is "a deep study of life in the city of Florence from an intellectual, artistic, religious, and social point of view". The story takes place amidst actual historical events during the Italian Renaissance, and includes in its plot several notable figures from Florentine history. Romola is the devoted daughter of a blind scholar, married to the clever but ultimately treacherous Tito. (831 pages)

I will probably start this towards the end of the month, maybe sooner since I am looking at the book right now.

I'll be joining in probably later in the month, also.

I hope to join you

I hope to pick it up this week and will start straight away.

Dear friends, we have been duped. The book is only 583 pages long.

Read this in 2018, The version I have is 2 volumes, 692 pages. I will not give away anything in it.

I also have the Penguin Classic version at 583 pages (which is hefty enough for me of a January's reading) and have read to page 45. Our Romola hasn't even been introduced yet!

I have read four chapters so far and the setting has been described in great detail. Romola and her father have been mentioned, but the main focus has been on the mysterious young man.

Tracey the Bookworm wrote: "Dear friends, we have been duped. The book is only 583 pages long."

I guess I would just take it and run! haha!

I have read chapter 5 and we finally meet Romola and her father, the blind scholar.
Even though I have just met him, I already find him annoying because he thinks that women are less intelligent than men, even though Romola reads to him in Latin and Greek and is obviously an intelligent, and very patient, person.
The most annoying thing in this chapter are the constant quotes in Latin, with the notes at the back of the book, which means constant flipping.
The other chapters I have read so far didn't have this issue; it seems to occur only when Bardo talks.

I just finished Chapter 6. The first meeting with Tito, Romola, and Bardo is over and Romola's god-father, Bernardo, has voiced a warning to Bardo regarding Tito.

I agree that the flipping back and forth is inconvenient, but isn't that usually the case with dense classics. (War and Peace comes to mind as I endlessly referred to the casts of historical and fictional characters and their relationships!) Imagine an author presenting a book like this to a publishing house today! Romola would be 280 pages before the author could blink. I try reading all the notes at the same time but my memory isn't what it used to be and I inevitably flip anyway.

As sometimes - quite often, actually - happens, I am currently reading another book, The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel, a book about libraries in general from Alexandria forward, and so odd the connections that occur between the books we read. Manguel refers to both censorship in various forms and book-burning and the pillaging of libraries across history and in both the text and the notes of Romola there are references to lost manuscripts and conquered cities and ruins with more to come in all likelihood. Oddly, Manguel also refers to connections between books. :)

I'm enjoying the book so far. I find my mind wandering, that dratted feminine weakness according to Bardo, in the endless detail and am, in effect, reading the book twice when I have to retrace my steps back a paragraph or two but so far it is worth the effort.

I am reading chapter 6 today. I think Tito has something to hide.

I’m farther along so I won’t give clues, but I’m exhausted. I certainly can’t daydream while reading this one.

I know what you mean.

I finished Chapter 7 and 8 this morning and neither did much to advance the plot to my way of seeing things, other than some money changing hands and a patron being established. Chapter 7 details an incomprehensible (to me) war of words between two "friends", and Chapter 8 a grand Florentine parade/procession. Again, lots of flipping and re-reading!

I just finished Chapter 8 and so far little has happened, but I can see Eliot setting the stage for the action. Fortunately for me, I read a biography of Lorenzo the Magnificent a few years ago, so I have an idea of what is going on in Florence.

Finished Chapter 13 this morning. Tito finds himself in a tricky situation. Interesting that Romola innocently hits on such an ironic point as a father abandoned by the son who has been the object of all of his hopes and desires.

One unfortunate (selfish) decision and Tito's house of cards is beginning to collapse. I think this will have dire consequences for more than just Tito.

I have just finished chapter 12. So far Tito seems to be the main character and Romola has been mostly in the background.

I'm wondering why, when they regularly mention how beautifully blonde Romola's hair is, it's black on the cover?

You aren't the only one. Do book publishers assume that all Italians have dark hair?

I've read through Chapter 16. Rosemarie is right, the title of the book should be Tito. Poor Romola plays a poor second to Tito and his musings.

Tito continues make poor decisions and further entrenches himself in the mire he is creating for himself. (view spoiler)[He is now "wed" to the poor, impressionable and illiterate Tessa. Instead of explaining the "joke" to her, he allows her to believe in the marriage for his own benefit (which I think will likely come back to bite him in the behind or cause grief for others in his life, perhaps Tessa herself). He is also currently under the misunderstanding that he has been outed to Romola by Fra Luca, her long lost brother, which figured into his dalliance with Tessa. He is trying to map out his best plan of escape once he has been shunned by Florentine society. There is no regret regarding those he has disappointed, only a feeling of sadness that his charmed life is unraveling. (hide spoiler)] I left Tito nervously making his way to Via de' Bardi upon a summons from Romola.

I've read through Chapter 23 - a few chapters into Book II. A lot has happened but most of it off-screen. (view spoiler)[A quote I found telling about Tito's developing character in Chapter 17. He has just discovered that he has not been outed to Romola to the extent that he was afraid he might be. She seems to have some sense that Fra Luca's prophecy is about her and her marriage but without knowing that Luca was acquainted with Tito, she can't grasp the full extent. And she was more concerned with Luca's betrayal of, and refusal to acknowledge said betrayal of, her father. Anyway - Tito's relief is expressed this way. "This happiness was too strong to be marred by the sense that Romola was deceived in him; nay, he could only rejoice in her delusion; for, after all, concealment had been wisdom." He'd lied and gotten away with it. Rejoice.

On the day of his nuptials to Romola, Tito leads the young Tessa straight to his new home on Via de' Bardi which didn't seem the smartest move to me. I assume that will eventually figure into the picture somehow. The nuptials are the last act to take place within the narrative for some 18 months during which Tito goes to Rome as part of a delegation and Florentine politics undergoes a complete overhaul. The drama resumes as France is advancing toward Florence (and fortune is still smiling on Tito). But - here's a nasty surprise - Tito's father has surfaced and Tito is once again thrown into a quandary - lying vs. truth - which shall it be? It is mentioned that Tito is in mourning although it is not clear who has died as yet. (hide spoiler)] No sign of Romola in recent chapters!

Karen, I have read up to the chapters you commented on 22 hours ago.
I am enjoying the book but this one needs to be savored, not gulped down.
So I decided to read Murder at the Vicarage for a fun fast read.

There is no gulping this one! I tend to read it aloud to myself just to keep myself focused and better understand what I'm reading. The luxury of recent retirement also contributes to increased reading time! :)

I know what you mean. I retired seven years ago.

I’ve just started the book and have read the Introduction and the Proem. I can see this will take considerable concentration.

After starting this book, I really want to visit Florence!

It's funny you should say that because I have been to Florence and, the beautiful museums, David, and Duomo aside, it was my least favorite city in my son's and my ten day visit to Italy. But to judge a whole city on a three day stay is hardly fair. I have been to or through many of the places discussed though and that does make it interesting.

Karen, I was in Florence for three days in 2010 and it was my least favourite city too, and it was the city I was most looking forward to visiting. I did like Fiesole, with its wonderful view of Florence.

We only got as far as Piazzale Michelangelo for a view of Florence but we found a small pizza cafe literally hanging off the cliffside where we shared a pizza and a pitcher of beer on Mother's Day overlooking the city at sunset. One of my fondest memories of the trip!

That sounds lovely. We there during the summer and the water in the fountains had been turned off, including the Neptune Fountain in the heart of Florence.

Karen & Rosemarie, it must be wonderful to be able to visualise the setting of the book because you’ve been there.

It does help, Trisha. I find that I often look up images of places I'm reading about now, especially of places I am not familiar with.
But I think I have read more books set in England than in any other country, and have never been there. And you live there, Trisha!

Rosemarie wrote: "It does help, Trisha. I find that I often look up images of places I'm reading about now, especially of places I am not familiar with.
But I think I have read more books set in England than in any ..."

Yes, I think it’s the reason I enjoy Thomas Hardy’s books. I spent numerous holidays in Dorset & can visualise so many places he wrote about. London is a strange mixture as it changes so often - there are still lots of streets that Dickens described, then you turn a corner & find a huge modern office block!

I just checked London off the bucket list this past summer. London IS a strange city in transition like Trisha said. Then I took the train up to Birmingham to visit friends for a few days and I wrote down every one of the wonderful names of the stops between London and Birmingham - our towns in the US are so unimaginatively named. Would love to go back to London now that I've figured out the layout!

Karen wrote: "I just checked London off the bucket list this past summer. London IS a strange city in transition like Trisha said. Then I took the train up to Birmingham to visit friends for a few days and I wro..."

That sounds wonderful, Karen. I’m pleased you got to London, there’s always so much to do. I envy you your Birmingham visit, as I used to go there regularly for meetings years ago but haven’t been back for a long time. It’s another city that has changed a huge amount. I have memories of walking along the canal towpath & seeing commuters use it as a route to work, feeding the ducks as they went. It seemed a lovely way to start a day. The city was beautiful with new buildings & lots of artwork.

Trisha wrote: "I envy you your Birmingham visit, as I used to go there regularly for meetings years ago but haven’t been back for a long time."

Yes - the friends I visited said that Birmingham is also a city in transition. I think they are getting ready to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games so there is construction everywhere. We sat out on the deck of a pub overlooking the canals and I spent an inordinate amount of time in the new library - it's gorgeous!

So, back to Romola. I've read through Chapter 31. (view spoiler)[In his continued quest for fame and fortune, Tito leaves nothing but wreckage and resentment in his path. Poor Romola hasn't really known a day of happiness as a married woman. Tito was ultimately a sad disappointment to her father, Bardo, now deceased. And his father, Baldassare, though willing to give Tito the benefit of the doubt for not seeking him out, has discovered that, indeed, Tito willingly made the choice not to seek him out and Baldassare, who suffered terribly, both physically and mentally as a result, is now bent on ferocious revenge. Tito, as usual, in looking for the easiest way out of his self-induced troubles, has now committed the ultimate treachery against Romola, of which she is yet unaware. I sense (hope) that her "womanly" willingness to blame herself for her marital problems will change drastically once Tito's betrayal is made clear, although her options will likely be limited and sad. No mention of Tessa since their last encounter at Via de' Bardi except that her mother has died. I leave them on the eve of the French king's departure from Florence. (hide spoiler)]

I'm 10 chapters behind you. The details are interesting but they tend to slow down the plot.

Agreed. Like I said before, if she showed up at a publishing house with this manuscript today, it would be edited down to 250 pages in a heart beat! Many of those 10 chapters are quite short. Take heart! :)

That's good to know, Karen.

I have finished Book 1, which means I am about half way through the book and Romola has hardly been in it. This book is so well researched that the plot isn't developed the way it should be. Time passes quickly but we hardly see any character development, not compared to Eliot's other books.
If anyone is reading Eliot for the first time, this book is not typical of her other works.
I think my favourite is Silas Marner, but I also liked her other big novels.

I have a feeling Book 2 is going to be more exciting.

I have been listening to Romola and am through Chapter 5. I also have the book which I use to see how a character's name is spelled and to read any footnotes I'm interested in. The reader of the audio is excellent and stresses the correct words to make the sentences make sense! If I just read the book, it would be slow going.

I've read Middlemarch by George Eliot and it is not like Romola in that it is set in England and doesn't contain as many details of history as Romola.

I think that Romola would work well as an audio book. There is a lot of description and hearing it may make it easier to visualize.
She really immerses us in the atmosphere of Renaissance Florence.

I feel like I should have a history and a guidebook for Renaissance Florence! The book is bringing back vague memories of a European history course I had about 45 years ago. I actually read The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli for the class.

I started Middlemarch many years ago, got through Book 1 and abandoned it for whatever reason - most likely that real life getting in the way thing again. It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying it - I do intend to get back to it and Romola might be my inspiration to do so. The Introduction to Romola mentions that Victorian readers believed Romola to be Eliot's finest achievement and she herself said it was written with her best blood and yet the Introduction also says that today it is her least read novel due, in part, to the heavy demands it makes on its reader. That's too bad. I've never read The Prince but would like to.

I took the time to read through the entire list of historic characters in the appendix of Romola the other day and that helped a bit with the historical framing of the book. I just finished Chapter 38. 250 pages to go! (view spoiler)[Not much has changed except for (I hope) Romola's situation and against all odds, I hope it has changed for the better. I'm glad that she can not longer delude herself about her love for Tito. I hope that Tito suffers for all of the pain and suffering he has caused Romola although if appears that Tessa is much more suited to Tito's idea of an adoring and completely submissive wife. Unfortunately, I suspect that Tito will find his new situation quite to his liking as another disagreeable predicament has been resolved quite easily for him. (hide spoiler)] It seems like it will be an interesting dinner in the Rucellai gardens.

The Prince is actually quite readable and Machiavelli raises a lot of good points about governing, etc.

I have read 36 chapters and the action has really picked up and we are seeing more of Romola. As a character, so far she has been strangely one-dimensional, but then, most of the other characters have not been any more developed.
So far, the most important character in the book seems to be the city of Florence itself!

I have just finished book two. Romola has had a fateful encounter with Fra Girolamo.