Middlemarch

De: George Eliot

Narrado por: Juliet Stevenson

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2011 Naxos AudioBooks

George and Juliet - the magic of Middlemarch

My first exposure to Middlemarch was as a teenager when my older brother read it to me. He was studying it at University and I was still in school. I loved it and the book became one of my favourite books after Pride and Prejudice.

Then I watched the BBC serialisation of Middlemarch when I was a bit older and it meant more to me and I loved that too.

But the Juliet Stevenson version is quite simply the one that was meant by George Eliot. It is masterpiece. I will treasure it for ever. The fact that one single human being can interpret the nuances of tone and texture of so many personas is remarkable. I am not sure who is the more remarkable artist; George Eliot or Juliet Stevenson. I fell in love with Juliet Stevenson when I happened upon a small English movie called something like deeply madly and I knew she was a star.

Stevenson brings Middlemarch to life

I loved this novel and felt as though I knew every character from the nuanced reading of Juliet Stevenson. I would gladly listen to any book she reads and hope that "Daniel Deronda" will be among her next projects.

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.

One of the greatest novels performed impeccably

Outstanding on every front. The psychology of every character illuminated gradually by Eliot could be lifted and placed in the modern era and there might be just at home.

Beautifully read. Juliet Stevenson brings all of the characters to life.

Now that I’ve listened to this reading the whole way through a couple of times, it has become a habit to pick chapters and listen again. We just had a hurricane here and I escaped to Middlemarch. This is an unforgettable book read carefully and wonderfully. Don’t miss it!

I’ll never give another book a five star

George Elliot has spoiled me rotten with the beauty of her language. And what a beautiful story it is! I cried when it ended

long is not bad when well written and read

Would you listen to Middlemarch again? Why?

not right away,

What did you like best about this story?

everything

What does Juliet Stevenson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I wouldn't get through it without it's being read. Stevenson reads beautifully. Great handling of voices. Very clear, very alive.

Who was the most memorable character of Middlemarch and why?

Lots of memorable characters. Dorothea is of course the main character, but I found the doctor and his wife even more interesting and touching.

so good

worth a listen while you read the book,I'm very happy that I read this classic

Narration at its Brilliant Best

Where does Middlemarch rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top

What was one of the most memorable moments of Middlemarch?

It's rather like choosing which part of a quilt keeps me warmest, the book has many memorable moments and is very difficult to single out just one.

Have you listened to any of Juliet Stevenson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love that you ask about Ms. Stevenson's "performance", rather than her "narration". I have not listened to any of her "performances", but I most certainly will. It is utterly amazing to think that such a fine performer would undertake a labor of recording such a lengthy work. It is a testament to the importance of elocution for an actor. Stevenson's ability to create, and maintain, believable "voices" for different characters in the book is absolutely astonishing. She even has a knack for creating a voice for an old man and a younger man. Her portrayal of old, befuddled Brooke is amazing and quite comic. Listening to her, one realizes the talent and skill which contribute to fine acting. Watching performances, great actors make the creation of characters seem so effortless. When one listens, one focuses simply on the vocal skill of the actor, which in the case of Stevenson, is so very gifted.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh yes, I laughed several times and sometimes it brought a tear to my eye. Eliot's prose is some of the finest written. Also, she was able to create such very likeable characters.

Any additional comments?

I am finding that I am choosing audiobooks not only for the content, but for the quality of the narration. To have accomplished actors such as Stevenson "perform" a book of this quality is an experience not to be missed. It's an art form unto itself.

THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE

Superb narration of a beautifully written novel. Midway through the book I started to have that familiar pang of anticipation that the book would eventually end and I would not be able to slide into this delicious vision of words and people and events that avoided cliche descriptions of what people were simply wearing and suspended the reader in the midst of what was happening externally and internally. Sublime listening experience.