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Middlemarch
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins
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Publisher's summary
Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon’s mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.
Dorothea Brooke is an outstanding heroine; Middlemarch is filled with characters that are vivid and true, comic and moving. It is one of the greatest novels in the English language.
Featured Article: It Was the Best of Scribes—The Best British Authors
With its esteemed history and bold contemporary scene, Britain lays claim to some of the most exciting literature in audio. With the hundreds of incredible British writers throughout the centuries, a person could devote their whole literary life solely to British authors and still never run out of amazing things to listen to. Whether you're an avid Anglophile or just want to discover the best English novelists for yourself, here’s a list of the best for you to choose from!
Editor's Pick
It’s never too late to be swept away by a classic
"Despite many recommendations and glowing reviews for the George Eliot classic, I’ll admit I was intimidated by its length. Now, I’m sorry I waited as long to hear this magnificent classic novel as I did. I am NOT sorry that I chose the edition narrated by the unparalleled Juliet Stevenson. It’s timeless, beautiful, and flawlessly narrated. Do not be afraid to give yourself over to this enduring classic romance."
—Catherine H., Audible Editor
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- Unabridged
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Frances Hodgson Burnett published The Making of a Marchioness in 1901. She had written Little Lord Fauntleroy 15 years before and would write The Secret Garden in 10 years' time; it is these two books for which she is best known. Yet Marchioness was one of Nancy Mitford's favourite books, was considered 'the best novel Mrs Hodgson Burnett wrote' by Marghanita Laski, and is taught on a university course in America together with novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Daisy Miller.
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A Sweet Romantic Tale
- By Curatina on 11-23-11
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The Way of All Flesh
- By: Samuel Butler
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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This brilliant satirical novel, tracing the life and loves of Ernest Pontifex, has continued in popularity since its original publication in 1903. Every generation finds in The Way of All Flesh a reaffirmation of youth's rightful struggle against the tyranny of harsh parents and its admirable will for freedom of personal expression.
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classic satire- would make Jon Stewart laugh
- By Connie on 06-04-08
By: Samuel Butler
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Le Pere Goriot
- By: Honoré de Balzac
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Honoré de Balzac uses his classic style of detail to describe a most controversial setting in his novel Le Pere Goriot. The story takes place in Paris just after the fall of Napoleon in 1819. The story focuses on three characters, Rastignac, a student who wants to try and make it big in the capital, Vautrin, an interesting and funny character who is also quite mysterious, and the main character, Goriot, that carries a heavy burden that only a loving parent would endure.
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A minor masterpiece
- By Indi Rock on 03-04-18
By: Honoré de Balzac
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Anna Karenina
- By: Leo Tolstoy
- Narrated by: David Horovitch
- Length: 38 hrs
- Unabridged
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Anna Karenina seems to have everything - beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky.
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Beautiful story, amazing narration
- By Marcus Vorwaller on 08-02-08
By: Leo Tolstoy
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Lady Audley's Secret
- By: Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Abridged
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A fast-paced Victorian thriller that will delight audiences today as it did 100 years ago, Lady Audley's Secret has subterfuge, kidnapping, jealousy, and fraud, all thrown into the mix and shaken up for good measure.
A mystery which keeps a listener guessing until the last moments, this production is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys playing detective.
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Narrator creates the listen
- By connie on 02-06-12
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The Idiot [Blackstone]
- By: Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 22 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Prince Myshkin, is thrust into the heart of a society more concerned with wealth, power, and sexual conquest than the ideals of Christianity. Myshkin soon finds himself at the center of a violent love triangle in which a notorious woman and a beautiful young girl become rivals for his affections. Extortion, scandal, and murder follow, testing the wreckage left by human misery to find "man in man."
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Intense and painfully sad
- By Tad on 04-27-12
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Middlemarch
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Set in the 1830s, this ‘study of provincial life’ introduces us to young, idealistic Dorothea Brooke, who accepts a proposal from scholarly Edward Casaubon, hoping to forge a loving partnership of intellectual equals. But on honeymoon in Rome, she swiftly becomes disillusioned. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she finds solace in her friendship with Casaubon’s cousin, Will Ladislaw - only for her controlling husband to suspect her of betrayal and set out to test her loyalty.
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Outstanding!
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Middlemarch
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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; and the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamund and pioneering medical methods threaten to undermine his career.
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Disappointed: this is not a never-ending story
- By M. Leavell on 01-23-16
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Middlemarch
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- Length: 36 hrs and 52 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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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 fulfilment 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.
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Beautifully done!
- By Mark Elkins on 02-06-20
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
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George Eliots mest ambitiösa roman Middlemarch är en komplex berättelse om idealism, lojalitet och uppslitande kärlek. I en engelsk småstad under 1800-talets första hälft får vi följa den unga idealisten Dorothea Brooke som är olyckligt gift, och den charmige men taktlöse Dr Tertius Lydgate som även han har problem på det äktenskapliga planet.
By: George Eliot
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The Mill on the Floss
- By: George Eliot
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- Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
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Overall
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The Mill on the Floss is one of the great works of English literature. It is perhaps the most autobiographical of all Eliot's novels. The relationship between its heroine, Maggie Tulliver, and her brother, Tom, closely resembles that of George Eliot and her own brother, Isaac. The subject of sibling affection was clearly a deeply poignant one for George Eliot - she also wrote a series of beautiful and evocative sonnets entitled 'Brother and Sister'.
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Fiona Shaw makes George Eliot endurable
- By Starr on 04-21-16
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 31 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
At the center of Middlemarch is Dorothea Brooke, a thoughtful and idealistic young woman determined to make a difference with her life. Enamored of a man who she believes is setting this example, she traps herself into a loveless marriage. Her parallel is Tertius Lydgate, a young doctor from the city whose passionate ambition to spread the new science of medicine is complicated by his love for the wrong woman.
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2 Chapters and your hooked
- By Wanda S Sauerland on 01-14-09
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
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- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Charles Edwards, Full Cast, John Heffernan, and others
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Set in the 1830s, this ‘study of provincial life’ introduces us to young, idealistic Dorothea Brooke, who accepts a proposal from scholarly Edward Casaubon, hoping to forge a loving partnership of intellectual equals. But on honeymoon in Rome, she swiftly becomes disillusioned. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she finds solace in her friendship with Casaubon’s cousin, Will Ladislaw - only for her controlling husband to suspect her of betrayal and set out to test her loyalty.
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Outstanding!
- By Christine on 09-15-23
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Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
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- Length: 32 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
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; and the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamund and pioneering medical methods threaten to undermine his career.
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Disappointed: this is not a never-ending story
- By M. Leavell on 01-23-16
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
- Penguin Classics
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Aubrey
- Length: 36 hrs and 52 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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 fulfilment 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.
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Beautifully done!
- By Mark Elkins on 02-06-20
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
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- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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George Eliots mest ambitiösa roman Middlemarch är en komplex berättelse om idealism, lojalitet och uppslitande kärlek. I en engelsk småstad under 1800-talets första hälft får vi följa den unga idealisten Dorothea Brooke som är olyckligt gift, och den charmige men taktlöse Dr Tertius Lydgate som även han har problem på det äktenskapliga planet.
By: George Eliot
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The Mill on the Floss
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Fiona Shaw
- Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Mill on the Floss is one of the great works of English literature. It is perhaps the most autobiographical of all Eliot's novels. The relationship between its heroine, Maggie Tulliver, and her brother, Tom, closely resembles that of George Eliot and her own brother, Isaac. The subject of sibling affection was clearly a deeply poignant one for George Eliot - she also wrote a series of beautiful and evocative sonnets entitled 'Brother and Sister'.
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Fiona Shaw makes George Eliot endurable
- By Starr on 04-21-16
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 31 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
At the center of Middlemarch is Dorothea Brooke, a thoughtful and idealistic young woman determined to make a difference with her life. Enamored of a man who she believes is setting this example, she traps herself into a loveless marriage. Her parallel is Tertius Lydgate, a young doctor from the city whose passionate ambition to spread the new science of medicine is complicated by his love for the wrong woman.
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2 Chapters and your hooked
- By Wanda S Sauerland on 01-14-09
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
- By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch is a novel by the English author Mary Anne Evans, who wrote as George Eliot. It first appeared in eight installments in 1871 and 1872. Set in Middlemarch, a fictional English Midland town, from 1829 to 1832, it follows distinct, intersecting stories with many characters. Issues include the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism, self-interest, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. Despite comic elements, Middlemarch uses realism to encompass historical events.
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Horrible narration, which makes the book dull
- By Anonymous User on 10-04-23
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch
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- Unabridged
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Middlemarch is a recognized masterpiece that explores the complex social world of 19th century England. It is concerned with the lives of several ordinary people, albeit ones with high social standing. The novel explores the very fabric of Victorian society in the 1800s, showing how various human passions, heroism, egotism, love, and lust, interrelate within this society.
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Engrossing, non-stuffy entertainment!
- By Jennifer on 06-21-06
By: George Eliot
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The George Eliot Collection: Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, and The Lifted Veil
- By: George Eliot
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- Unabridged
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Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880), known by her pen name George Eliot, was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Her novels are known for their realism and psychological insight. Four of them are included in this volume: Middlemarch, Daniel Deronda, The Mill on the Floss, and The Lifted Veil.
By: George Eliot
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Middlemarch (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: George Eliot
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- Unabridged
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Young, ardent Dorothea Brooke defies her sister by wedding the much older Reverend Edward Casaubon, blindly hoping to assist in his scholarly pursuits. Tertius Lydgate, a progressive doctor, new and unwelcome in provincial Middlemarch, is charmed into marriage with the selfish and shallow Rosamond Vincy, a disastrous mismatch of his own. Soon blatant stubbornness, unruly jealousy, blind idealism, and calculated blackmail threaten to upend the Midlands village and lay waste to happy endings.
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EXCELLENT SUPERB NARRATOR
- By HOWARD SLATKIN on 03-13-22
By: George Eliot
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Persuasion
- By: Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Anne Elliot has grieved for seven years over the loss of her first love, Captain Frederick Wentworth. But events conspire to unravel the knots of deceit and misunderstanding in this beguiling and gently comic story of love and fidelity.
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Juliet Stevenson is Simply Amazing
- By Em on 04-15-12
By: Jane Austen
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The George Eliot BBC Radio Drama Collection
- Five Full-Cast Dramatisations Including Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Anna Chancellor, Caroline Martin, Deborah Findlay, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Original Recording
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The collected BBC radio adaptations of George Eliot’s pioneering Victorian novels, known for their realism and psychological insight. Includes Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda.
By: George Eliot
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Daniel Deronda
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 36 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Meeting by chance at a gambling hall in Europe, the separate lives of Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen Harleth are immediately intertwined. Daniel, an Englishman of uncertain parentage, becomes Gwendolyn's redeemer as she finds herself drawn to his spiritual and altruistic nature after a loveless marriage. But Daniel's path was already set when he rescued a young Jewess from suicide.
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Give it a try!
- By Tucker LaPrade on 01-30-16
By: George Eliot
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Romola
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 22 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in the turbulent years following the death of Lorenzo de' Medici, George Eliot's fourth novel, Romola, moves the stage from the English countryside of the 19th century to an Italy four centuries before her time. It tells the tale of a young Florentine woman, Romola de' Bardi, and her coming of age through her troubled marriage to the suave and self-absorbed Greek Tito. Slowly Tito's true character begins to unfurl, and his lies and treachery push Romola toward a more spiritual path, where she transcends into a majestic, Madonna-like role.
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Listened to it 4 times in a row
- By Theodoc on 12-14-21
By: George Eliot
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- By: Anne Bronte
- Narrated by: Ben Lindsey-Clark, Amanda Friday, Craig Franklin, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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A young widow arrives at Wildfell Hall with her son, Arthur. Clouded in mystery, Helen Graham soon becomes the object of much scandalous gossip. Refusing to believe any of it, Gilbert Markham eventually discovers her dark past.
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It needed a cast or narrators
- By Darrell M. on 04-22-19
By: Anne Bronte
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The Portrait of a Lady
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 26 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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The Portrait of a Lady tells the compelling and ultimately tragic tale of a beautiful young American woman's encounter with European sophistication. Set principally in England and Italy, the story follows Isabel Archer's fortunes as a variety of admirers vie for her hand. Her choice will be crucial, and she is not wanting for advice, whether from the generous-spirited Ralph Touchett or the charming Madame Merle.
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Couldn't get past the terrible American accents.
- By Sarah on 04-07-17
By: Henry James
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Adam Bede
- By: George Eliot
- Narrated by: Georgina Sutton
- Length: 20 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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George Eliot's first full-length novel Adam Bede is a profound rendering of 19th century English pastoral life. This timeless story of seduction and betrayal follows the virtuous carpenter Adam Bede, whose world is soon disrupted when the all-too-beautiful Hetty betrays him for another villager. Her actions precipitate a turmoil of tragic events that shake the very foundations of their serene rural community.
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Great narration
- By mom of teen on 03-20-19
By: George Eliot
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Wuthering Heights
- By: Emily Brontë
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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The wild and passionate tale of Cathy and Heathcliff's impossible love for each other and its phenomenal setting on the blasted Yorkshire moors has to be one of the best-known love affairs in literature.
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A bizarre story, an ingenious performance!
- By CourtneyWNY on 02-07-16
By: Emily Brontë
What listeners say about Middlemarch
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Pamela
- 05-25-13
Still relevant in so many ways.
Sometimes a book can have a stronger impact on a reader because of where that reader happens to be in their life at the time that they read it. Had I read 'Middlemarch' when I was younger, I don't think I would have been as moved. I love a writer who creates complex characters who are forced to choose between following their own innate sense of right and wrong or live their lives bound by the demands of societal/religious dogma. The fact that Ms. Evans had to write under the pen name George Eliot because she was considered "too intellectual" speaks volumes.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Kim
- 12-03-18
Really, really long...
If it hadn’t been for the most fabulous narration, I don’t think I could have tolerated this book. It was an intriguing peek into a different era and culture with interesting characters, (and again, I give the narrator most of the credit for that) but I don’t think much would have been lost had it been about 15 hours shorter. I’m glad I plodded through it though.
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5 people found this helpful
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- frank
- 02-05-13
Wish I Had Audible at School (45 years ago)
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, I have already recommended it to my sister, who like myself has now gone soft and is an avid reader (whilst I prefer to listen due to to much time on PC at work).
I have 300+ books in my collection and love to safe 5 STAR Books in my "Audible Bank" to listen too when making my 12 hour journey back home from my work in Saudi Arabia.
I have just finished Middlemarch, and it is one of my prized assets in my "AB", and it will always be on my IPod to listen to again whilst stuck in the Airport.
I checked out Middlemarch on Wiki and could agree with:
“Virginia Woolf gave the book unstinting praise, describing Middlemarch as "the magnificent book that, with all its imperfections, is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people."[4] Martin Amis and Julian Barnes have cited it as probably the greatest novel in the English language”.
George Eliot’s prose is just fantastic and I marvel how she could use such language, which along with the superb narration by Juliet Stevenson made this an outstanding listen for me.
Who was your favorite character and why?
There are so many prominent characters in the book, (and on my first listen I just soaked upt the quality of the language and the narration), that I don't have a favourite character yet. Maybe I will when I listen to it again.
What I liked is the number of characters, the insight into their virtues, weaknesses, flaws, and how the landed gentry interacted with each other.
Have you listened to any of Juliet Stevenson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but I will certainly do what I do some of my other favourite 5 Star Listens (books I wait 5 mins in the car before going to the office and have marked down to read again), I will check out Books with the same narrator. This is what I like about Audible, the narrator can really make the book come to life.
Who was the most memorable character of Middlemarch and why?
The difference between this and the preceding Question is too subtle for me !!
Any additional comments?
My collection of Auible Books, which is very eclectic (Espionage, History, Thriller, Young Adult,Comedy, Biography, Military), is my one vice, and I am always happy to find a Gem like Middlemarch.
I have bought a number of Classic Books from Audible, and so far Middlemarch has been both the best and most enjoyable for me.
Middlemarch is somewhere near my all time favourites:
Tinker, Taylor Soldier Spy
Nobel House
Open (Andre Agassi)
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5 people found this helpful
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- David E. Gregson
- 10-29-12
An essential Victorian novel, superbly read.
What made the experience of listening to Middlemarch the most enjoyable?
George Eliot must be one of the most gorgeous prose stylists who ever wrote in English. Her psychological insights are astounding. But just looking at the many pages and the small print in the book itself is daunting -- so it's lovely to have it read to you by a first-rate reader.
What other book might you compare Middlemarch to and why?
I think the brilliant novels of Edith Wharton -- especially "The House of Mirth." But, because of the complex double- and triple-plotting, something by Dickens is probably the closest match. To me Eliot is superior to Dickens.
Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favorite?
Stevenson is a superb reader, but I think her male voices are a bit exaggerated and often do not fit my visual image of the characters. Her female voices (surprise!) are the most effective. This temptation of readers to "act" everything out is often more of a distraction than an asset.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The entire saga of Dorothea Casaubon is a moving feminist statement, but Eliot carefully balances this with the saga of the young doctor, Tertius Lydgate. The plotting is amazingly good.
Any additional comments?
One of the great books in English. Belongs on a Top Ten list.
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- Zorknot
- 08-27-12
Pulp Fiction...without the violence.
As of the writing of this review, I did not finish the entire novel, only the first download section.
Stevenson's narration was very good. She gave each character it's own voice and was able to convey some of the subtle humor.
What irked me the most about Middlemarch is that it is not a story solely about Dorothea, but rather a series of vignettes that concentrate on different characters that might only have an indirect connection to each other. Just when I was starting to get interested in what the fallout might be from Dorothea's marriage, the focus of the book shifted to new characters and I lost track of things completely. Part of this might because of the audio format, since with a physical book I'd be able to see where things picked up again, and where the new characters came from, but when I got to the end of the first download section and I had to make a decision as to whether to continue or not, I realized that I wasn't getting anything out of it except frustration.
If you like stories where characters talk about this and that with little or no bearing on the plot of the story, and you have an unnatural interest in the philosophies of Victorian England, this is great stuff. Elliot's characters talk about the rights of women, what makes a good marriage, there is even some mention of the science of the time. But if you want a good arc of a character, and you like a little action in your dialogue, this might not be for you.
There are some definite gems here, and I'll probably finish this sometime, because there's likely to be more. One part of the first section goes into the past of a doctor, who fell in love with a murderess. That was interesting, even though it didn't seem to connect with anything else. It was a lot like the story of the pocket watch in Pulp Fiction.
And in fact, putting aside that the conversations go on far too long to be enjoyable in their own right, the novel is a lot like Pulp Fiction, or more accurately like Slackers or Clerks. What you have is various situations set up that seem to exist for the sole purpose of allowing characters of different viewpoints to talk. Unlike those movies though, there isn't a shock to give punctuation to these dialogues, they just fade in and out like lights on a Christmas tree. Since a lot of the topics of conversation revolve around things that are rather antiquated by now, many of those lights of conversation have lost their luster.
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- Marie
- 08-06-11
Engish is sublime but no head or tail to the story
The English language is really well used, but the whole thing is like a gossip column with very very very boring characters and nasal voices. It is actually boring. Don't waste a credit...
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- Kimberly
- 06-25-19
Good LORD. I CAN’T pick it up.
I’m 60. I’m somewhat a widow. My fiancé passed and I’m trying to find ways to keep my mind active not put it to sleep. I’m aware we each have our preferences but this monstrosity is what nightmares in begone days were made of. Dorethia needs a stiff drink. Her husband needs too many things to include in this critique, and her uncle needs a back bone. If he had had one he wouldn’t have allowed his underage niece to marry a pervert. I don’t know what chapter I was on when I finally came out of my stooper, but I quickly deleted Middlemarch from my device and I’m now paroozing the Audible selections for an action packed story I can sink my brain into without fear of going comatose.
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- Dallas1
- 10-17-15
Mediocre
Beautiful, rich prose. Shows off the English culture, customs of the era and provincial life in depth. However, as my conscious mind does appreciate George Eliot's work and the contribution to the English literature, the work itself did not evoke feelings in me (its characters or plot did not impress on my soul).
The novel missed something... A certain passion, something that connected you to the characters. I almost disliked Dorothea and her beloved. There was not enough fire in them. And they were both so stuck in their own political, social, matrimonial ideologies that it took away from me, as a reader, the pleasure of connecting and experiencing their love alongside them. The same goes for Fred and Mary.
I'm glad I got to read a George Eliot work but I don't think I'll be re-reading this work or any other work by her.
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- Denise Russell
- 10-13-19
Excellent book, unparalleled narration.
This is the first book I read by George Eliot. It is no wonder it was considered her best book and a gem of British literature! Her keen perception of human nature is well depicted in the characters and dialog. I have not wanted to begin listening to another book since I finished Middlemarch so as to not erase the awe George Eliot's writing inspired. It is not lost on me that she was self-educated, lived in the mid-nineteen century and that this book may have contained many autobiographical details.
Now, the narration was brilliant! Juliet Stevenson's performance was the best I have ever heard. What a talent for bringing to life dozens of characters through the change in speech's tempo, sound, and accent. In retrospect, her superb narration seems the only match to such superb writing. I felt transported to the best seat of a theater for 35 hours, having the pleasure of attending the most gifted, priceless performance by a gifted actress. Yet, I was in the comfort of my own home or walking the dog or driving long distances. A feat of technology I so appreciate.
I highly recommend this book and narration - a combination not soon to be forgotten.
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- SavvyShopper
- 09-11-19
Even Juliet can't save this one..
Juliet Stevenson is remarkable, a truly gifted actress and narrator, but even she cannot save this tedious monstrosity of drivel. Absolutely one of the worst written books I have ever tried to listen to. The author goes off on ego stroking tangents as if he's bound and determined to show us he knows ALL the best words, all the big words..no matter that he's being incredibly -boring- on his senseless ravings. Seriously, just give this one a pass.
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