Middlemarch

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 31 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Named for the fictional community in which it is set, Middlemarch is George Eliot's rich and teeming portrait of provincial life in Victorian England. In it, a panoply of complicated characters attempt to carry out their destinies against the various social expectations that accompany their classes and genders.

At the center of the narrative is Dorothea Brooke, a thoughtful and idealistic young woman determined to make a difference with her life. Enamored of a man 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.

Epic in scope and unsurpassed in its study of human nature, Middlemarch is one of the greatest works of world literature.

Listen to the classics: peruse our full list of titles by George Eliot.

(P)1994 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the few English novels written for grown-up people." (Virginia Woolf)
"One of the most profound, wise, and absorbing of English novels...and above all, truthful and forgiving about human behavior." (Hermione Lee)
"No Victorian novel approaches Middlemarch in its width of reference, its intellectual power, or the imperturbable spaciousness of its narrative....No writer has ever represented the ambiguities of moral choice so fully." (V.S. Pritchett)

marvellous

This is such a brilliant reading of one of the great english novels - the reader captures the regional dialects perfectly, and under her hand the characters come to life (LOVE Mr Brooks!!). I can't imagine it being done more proficiently. For those that don't know the novel it is a penetrating look at human frailties and strength, love, greed, and above all how selfishness can drive and destroy. Worth every penny -not only do you get value for money, but you also get to feed your soul.

Well Done!

Middlemarch is a monster of a book! I had to read this for a class and if I had not had audible to make the best use of my time, I would never have succeeded. I had been reading it for awhile before I purchased this audible version. The narrator made this book come to life for me! It is a difficult read in the first place, but with the help of Nadia you just might make it! Her accent and voices for different characters is very helpful! The first half of the novel is very slow, but picks up toward the end. If you stick it out, its well worth it. Definitely not a page turner, but very thought provoking and delightful - worth every effort!

Don't give up on it - listen to the end!

Middlemarch is incredibly well written - so much so that you'll often rush over to whatever you're listening on and "bookmark" certain phrases.
However, it starts out slow and there are a lot of characters.
But, if you stick it out, it really is an excellent 'read.'
It is actually the only audiobook I've gone back and listened to more than once.

DeathMarch

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I love Eliot, but this book is so long-winded, subtle, and complex that I missed key plot points.

Has Middlemarch turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I enjoyed Tess and Deronda.

Was Middlemarch worth the listening time?

This is an acclaimed book, but I'm not sure why. There are too many others that I could have filled this time with.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful reading voice, but I finished and had no idea what the author's message was because of the length and structure of the book.

work of genius

nobody can use the English language this well anymore. what brilliantly complex and subtly informative sentences.

Entertaining English Lit

Bought because I love the narrator. The story dragged a little in the middle but had greatly developed characters.

19th Century English Provincial Life

Would you consider the audio edition of Middlemarch to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mary Grant - steady & sensible. George Eliot's strength is how completely each character is drawn.

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

She does a great job of giving each character in the book.

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

It is not an emotional book, but interesting plumbing the depths of the interior life.

Any additional comments?

It's long but the characters draw one in to the stories of their lives.

meh

meh, took too long to get going. though i could understand someone loving it. thanks

I am TRYING

I am trying, really trying to follow this book. I am trying really trying to care what happens in the next chapter or sentence.

I have never read George Elliot...so, I felt I SHOULD. Now, I am not adverse to difficult literature, but this is just painful. I would rather spend the rest of my life listening to French New Wave writing from the 50's (where it takes 50 pages for the character to open a door)

For technical reasons I had to re-load the book on my itunes, I had to figure out where I had left off and I was SURE that I had listed to at least two segments, but, well I am still only 1/2 way through the first download....with 3 1/2 left to go. I hope to eventually get through the whole thing. Wish me luck!

I want my credit back!

I can't believe that I wasted my credit on this one, and I can't believe that I actually stuck with it till the end hoping that it would get better. I must be a fool. The whole story is just about a neighborhood and a few particular families. It wasn't even one of those books that capture human nature at it's finest with great insight into the soul. It was so boring.