The Mill on the Floss

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 19 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in 19th-century England, this great novel of domestic realism sympathetically portrays a young woman's vain efforts to adapt to her provincial world.

Maggie Tulliver, whose father owns a mill perched on the banks of the River Floss, is intelligent and imaginative beyond the understanding of her community, her relatives, and particularly her brother Tom. Despite their opposite temperaments, Maggie and Tom are united by a strong bond. But this bond suffers when Tom's sense of family honor leads him to forbid her to associate with the one friend who appreciates her intelligence and imagination.

Later, when Maggie falls in love with the handsome and passionate fiancé of her cousin and is caught in a compromising situation, she fears her relationship with Tom may never recover.

Public Domain (P)1993 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Great audio for great book.

Nadia May is an amazing storyteller. She gets into the characters' minds and represents their speech beautifully and beliveably. I highly recommend this audio version of this novel.

As for the novel itself: Although I was obligated to read it for a Victorian literature class it is a great read. It provides a unique picture of Victorian England's countryside. And Eliot is a master at capturing voice and of depicting childhood from a child's point of view.

The story is centered around the coming of age of Maggie Tulliver -- an clever, idealistic girl who longs for knowledge, acceptance and love.

This is a semi-biographical work so, it's a must-read if you want to know more about Eliot.

Good listen

I liked this story alot, and will definately listen to it again. The reader is very good.

not Eliot's best

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars, because most of the novel is classic Eliot, but I found much of the first third almost as "narrowly oppressive" as the life and characters she described - a little too much repeated exposition. The remainder contained Eliot's usual insights in to the human condiiton, advocacy of women, a pleasant 19th century love story, but a better than conventional ending.

The Book Only Needs a Better Ending

Of course, Nadia May did a fine job narrating this book. I really got miffed at Ms. Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot)'s ending to The Mill on the Floss. It was some years before I could bring myself to open another of her books. In contrast, Charlotte Bronte graciously allows the reader to decide between a bitter or a sweet ending to Villette, Ms. Evans doesn't give the reader any room for ambiguity. Finally, I decided to exercise my sovereign power as reader to decide upon an ending more to my tastes. Having settled that issue, I was free to enjoy Middlemarch, Silas Marner, Adam Bede, et al.

In my version, the brother and sister survive to marry the persons of their dreams and live long and prosperously. So there George Eliot (Mary Ann or Marian Evans)! I like my ending better. And further, you are dead and can't do anything about it.

A masterpiece

I’ve long said Middlemarch is the best novel ever written. This might be #2. How did I let so many years go by before coming to it?

(Performance excellent too.)

Wonderful book, awful narration

I had to stop after the second chapter, for the fear of totally ruining the pleasure of listening to George Eliot's book. The screeching, croaking voice of the narrator was impossible to bear, and it prevented me from understanding what was going on. I bought the version narrated Laura Paton, and it was a wonderful listen. George Eliot's vividly and realistically depicted characters came to life in all their richness.

Not her best

The worst Eliot novel I have read.

Couldn't understand the accent of reader

I stopped listening in 1st chapter. Would be better if not so cockney