Book Review: Middlemarch, a Forgotten Classic

As a former English teacher, I have probably read many of the so-called classics that the average reader may have gladly pushed aside. For years, I would choose one such novel to read each summer, attempting to cover those great novels I had somehow missed over the years. Now retired, I still try to read at least once a year from the lists of classics and generally surprise myself by which ones I like and which ones I wish I had continued to not read.

The latest classic I discovered was George Eliot’s Middlemarch. I was not familiar with the book at all until only recently when I read an article proclaiming it to be one of the finest books every written. The novel appears on many lists of great books and is generally considered one of the best examples of the Victorian novel. Overall, I was impressed by the novel and enjoyed the reading. If you are a fan of the genre, I would encourage you to give it a try.

The biggest obstacle for many casual readers will be the language. Written in the 1870s and running well over seven hundred pages, it can be a demanding read. Those unfamiliar with the historical period may also find themselves bogged down by the political and social issues of the day, but it is the characters who will draw you to the story and hopefully, hold your interest. Despite a somewhat slow start and some long wordy sections, eventually, the narrative picks up and as the storylines begin to overlap and converge, a number of great characters appear.

Dorothea is the obvious star of the novel, a young woman ahead of the time in many respects. Despite her flaws, she is a genuinely good person who wants to make the world a better place. Dr. Lydgate, who Eliot originally conceived as the novel’s main character is also fascinating. He too dreams of improving himself and those around him with medicine as his chosen field. Unfortunately for both, their personal lives are less than ideal. Both find themselves in unhappy marriages, wed to partners who see the world much differently than they. Surrounded by a collection of minor characters who live and love and interact around them, Dorothea and Lydgate do their best to find purpose and meaning in their lives.

I won’t give away any major plot points, but I will say that there were several things that bothered me about the resolution. I generally prefer a realistic ending to a contrived happy ending, but I confess to being confounded by Dorothea’s actions by the end. I felt that Lydgate deserved better and others less in many respects, but overall, I will say again, I liked the book.