Middlemarch

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Maureen O'Brien

Length: 32 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

George Eliot's most ambitious novel is a masterly evocation of diverse lives and changing fortunes in a provincial community.

Peopling its landscape are Dorothea Brooke, a young idealist whose search for intellectual fulfillment leads her into a disastrous marriage to the pedantic scholar Casaubon; the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamund and pioneering medical methods threaten to undermine his career; and the religious hypocrite Bulstrode, hiding scandalous crimes from his past.

As their stories interweave, George Eliot creates a richly nuanced and moving drama, hailed by Virginia Woolf as 'one of the few English novels written for adult people'. Middlemarch explores nearly all matters of concern to modern life, portraying an entire community and every class within it. Full of irony and suspense and even richer in character it shows how individual lives are shaped by and shape the community. Within Middlemarch, we find Eliot's ability to expand the audience's compassion and imagination.

George Eliot was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Her novels, largely set in provincial England, are well known for their realism and psychological insight. When Middlemarch was released Eliot was considered England's finest living novelist with many critics still regarding this novel as the finest in English.

A BAFTA winning adaptation of Middlemarch aired as a television series in 1994.

Narrator Biography

Maureen is an English actress and author best known for playing the role of Vicki in Doctor Who where she starred alongside the original Doctor, William Hartnell. She then went on to appear in The Legend of King Arthur, Casualty, The Duchess of Duke Street, Taggart, Cracker, A Touch of Frost, Heartbeat and Jonathan Creek. In 1985 she made a rare film appearance in the comedy She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas opposite Julie Walters.

Maureen has also appeared in a number of stage productions, for example, The Relapse (Old Vic), The Merchant of Venice (Old Vic), The Archbishop's Ceiling (Bristol Old Vic) and Othello (Bristol Old Vic).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

An accomplishment !

I finished the book. I have to say that it was difficult at times but in the end there was a great deal to like. Well drawn characters, an intricate plot, and a marvelous narrator. At times I laughed with delight at the satire. Other times I was furious with the confining roles of both gender and class. In all it was worth the time spent.

If only we used such language today

I didn’t understand the brilliance of George Eliot and Middlemarch when I studied it in college. (Sorry Professor Foster!) The keen psychological insight and biting satire as well as masterful writing elevate a rather provincial and mundane story. What struck me most is how dumbed down our language is today. I found myself looking up many words in the dictionary. I will be diving into other authors from this period. Highly recommend!!!

Wonderful!

What a joy this book turned out to be. So beautifully written, and narrated - bringing to life such interesting characters and relationships. I strongly recommend it!

Sometimes challenging but deeply satisfying

19th-century prose can be challenging to listen to, but this is a great performance — and the need to sometimes skip back a bit to get the full meaning of a long sentence is not unbearable. This book only gets more riveting as it goes on.

A lot of believable characters

Elliott has a genius for psychology and writes a large lumber of characters with depth. All motivated by some prime virtue that they may or may not adhere to by the end

A Good Read

Have time to read?
It’s a worthwhile book, but not quick!
Keep a character list handy.

It’s clear why this is a classic

This book is so real and so well written, with just enough twists and turns and suspense to hold you captive. It is so firmly rooted in reality that even the triumphs are weighed down with the sacrifices made to get there. Given the time in which it was written, it is no wonder that contemporary male authors and critics found her work to be unfeminine. Because, how could a female author, so thoroughly capture the inner workings of an intricate male mind? How could a woman so clearly demonstrate a thorough understanding of literature, and science and medicine. How could she understand and convey the complexities of the relationship a community and it’s individuals have on the fate of each other? well done, “Mr.” Eliot!

The language will rewire your brain.

I have become so tired of the weak language we use today. This beacons me back for more of the classics.
Long, but stick with it! It will rewire your brain - in a good way.

excellent

I was referred to this book when looking for further classic romantic reading. I enjoyed it thoroughly, especially the slow speed of the story. I will look into more works by George Eliot.

Among the magnificent.

Middlemarch shines as an example of storytelling not often seen among today's best sellers. Character development with few modern equals.