First of all, George Elliot is not a man. She is a woman. This may be obvious to others, but it took me some time to figure this out, and I felt a bit silly for not knowing this when I chose to read the novel. I think this is somewhat remarkable considering the time and place in which she wrote, 19th century Britain. I doubt the deck was stacked in her favour, but she rose to be one of the greatest writers English literature has ever produced.
That said, Elliot is hardly a household name. Not like Dickens, or Shakespeare by far. I had never read Middlemarch, and I had barely even heard of it, if at all. I have an English minor in my Education degree, so it surprised me that this book had never caught my attention or had never been on any of my reading lists considering its importance in the English cannon.
But, to the novel. In short, Middlemarch is remarkable. It is not an easy read, and is quite dense, and not particularly exciting (which may account for it not being overly popular). Each page is worth the work, however, as each passage, or paragraph, or line reveals something of the human condition that is rarely explored (in Elliot's way) in other literature. The book is at first glance a trite, boring account of life in a English county where the characters gossip about one another and live relatively unremarkable lives, and do very little of grand importance. But, Elliot's insights into the feelings of the characters, and their motives, unseen, unknown, and un-lived by the others (or sometimes themselves) is a poignant journey into the interior life, a space where many of us live our lives. At times I felt like Elliot was peering into my soul. She writes of petty jealousy, frustration, and, yes, love. She writes of obligation, dreams, defeats, feelings of being trapped, of wanting to do what's right by your community. She writes of debt, sibling rivalry, and marriage. The story for the most part ends on a happy note, and has some twists and turns along the way, but the most compelling parts of the novel are Elliot's comments on life through the perspectives of her characters. It is astonishing the breadth of psychological insight she had. I wonder what she would have been like to visit with in the flesh.
In a strange way, this book is almost biblical in its sweep of human feeling and moralizing, which may bother, or bore, some readers. Elliot doesn't sermonize, but sermonizes different perspectives through her characters. I didn't feel judged as much as I felt exposed, as her characters thoughts about others revealed more about them than the person they were judging. "Judge not, lest ye yourself be judged...," I felt her whisper in my ear. I feel that Middlemarch could be read again and again, like other epics and the reader would be better for it. I feel that I could learn new things each reading, or at least grow in knowledge about what it means to be human, and the type of human life I want, or don't want, to live.
That's got to be worth something.
I don't know how soon I will pick this book up again, and I did finish it by listening to much of it in audio form, but I am glad I read it and feel richer for it. I am surprised by this, and I don't know why. I was kind of sad when it was done.
On a different note, I noticed that the pub in Middlemarch, The Green Dragon, has the same name as a local watering hole in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. I can't help but think that this is a subtle nod from Tolkien to Elliot. One emerging master to an older one.
Book Score: 94
Epic-ness: 24.5: This is an epic novel. I noticed that it consistently ranks in the top ten lists of many 'greatest novels' lists. After reading it I concur, but it hasn't hit the public consciousness like War and Peace, and other such novels, even though I felt it was just as 'epic'.
Eloquence: 23: Elliot's writing is eloquent, and her characters have that air as well. The book is chock full of delicious quotes that would make any Instagram account glow, and has. The book is a bit too dense for my tastes, however, which cramps its poetic style.
Enjoyability: 22: This is a tough one. The story itself wasn't that intriguing, though the joy of the novel was in the insights, not the narrative arc. The story wasn't that great, but I did enjoy it, and would recommend it to others. The 'enjoyment' was there, but in a way that I don't normally experience in novels.
Exploration of the Human Condition: 24.5: Elliot's insight is epic. The beauty and the darkness in it is of the gossipy, petty type, not the blood-thirsty type, which makes it more poignant and elegant and relatable, if not as sexy. This is her true genius in my mind. She didn't write a Hollywood book, she wrote a real one. I guess that's why it's not that popular.
