Author Description
Writing At The Very Moment When The Foundations Of Western Thought Were Being Challenged And Undermined, George Eliot Fashions In Middlemarch (1871-2) The Quintessential Victorian Novel, A Concept Of Life And Society Free From The Dogma Of The Past Yet Able To Confront The Scepticism That Was Taking Over The Age. In A Panoramic Sweep Of English Life During Thr Years Leading Up To The First Reform Bill Of 1832, Eliot Explores Nearly Every Subject Of Concern To Modern Life: Art, Religion, Science, Politics, Self, Society, Human Relationships. Among Her Characters Are Some Of The Most Remarkable Portraits In English Literature: Dorothea Brooke, The Heroine, Idealistic But Näive; Rosamond Vincy, Beautiful And Egoistic: Edward Casaubon, The Dry-as-dust Scholar: Tertius Lydgate, The Brilliant But Morally-flawed Physician: The Passionate Artist Will Ladislaw: And Fred Vincey And Mary Garth, Childhood Sweethearts Whose Charming Courtship Is One Of The Many Humorous Elements In The Novel's Rich Comic Vein. Felicia Bonaparte Has Provided A New Introduction For This Updated Edition, The Text Of Which Is Taken From David Carroll's Clarendon Middlemarch (1986), The First Critical Edition. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
The narrative centers on the intersecting lives of residents in the provincial town of Middlemarch as they navigate personal ambition, social expectation, and the shifting political landscape of 1830s England. Dorothea Brooke, an idealistic woman seeking intellectual fulfillment, enters a restrictive marriage with the scholar Edward Casaubon, while the ambitious physician Tertius Lydgate struggles to balance his medical aspirations with a problematic marriage to the status-conscious Rosamond Vincy. The novel employs a third-person omniscient narrator to examine the internal motivations and external pressures acting upon these characters. Through a series of interconnected subplots, the text explores the tension between individual desire and the constraints of a rigid social structure.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Omniscient third-person narration providing deep psychological insight
- Detailed exploration of the 1832 Reform Bill era
- Multi-stranded plot structure involving numerous families
- Focus on the intersection of science, religion, and politics
- Extensive use of irony to highlight character flaws
- Realistic depiction of provincial social hierarchies
- Integration of philosophical reflection within narrative prose
- Balanced portrayal of both tragic and humorous character arcs
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics frequently highlight the novel's exceptional psychological depth and its ability to capture the complexity of human motivation. Discussion often centers on the author's meticulous attention to the nuances of social interaction and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters. Many observers note that the pacing is deliberate, favoring character development and thematic exploration over rapid plot progression. The work is widely recognized for its intellectual rigor and its capacity to mirror the broader concerns of the Victorian era. Readers often find the interplay between the various social classes and the detailed character studies to be the most compelling aspects of the reading experience.
Page Count:
898
Publication Date:
2008-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191560693
ISBN-13:
9780191560699
Fiction
Classics
Historical
Social Commentary
Victorian
Realism
Schools & Teaching
classic
Literary
Education Teaching
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