How to Read Middlemarch by George Eliot (10 Tips)

📚 Read Middlemarch in Serial Form with Hardcore Literature: / about
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📖 Middlemarch Serial Reading: tinyurl.com/45rv965c
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0:00 the reputation of Middlemarch
1:14 choosing a worthy edition
2:00 instalments vs single volumes
3:00 writing in the margins
5:30 noting the chapter epigraphs
8:00 persevere & take your time
8:48 cracking the prelude to the novel
9:20 Eliot's psychologically complex characters
10:20 read the novel as essay
12:20 read into the Age of Reform
16:20 reading Middlemarch serially
17:00 the publishing history of Middlemarch
19:50 reading complimentary writers
21:00 Wordsworth's Romantic Manifesto
22:38 read to enlarge your sympathies
23:45 journal upon your impressions
24:45 discuss the novel with other readers
27:45 share your thoughts on Middlemarch

[@ellensee4660]

I took Middlemarch on holiday to read many years ago and was so absorbed in the book whilst reading on the beach i failed to notice the tide coming in. The book was thoroughly drenched and I spent days in frutration drying it out before I could continue reading it. I loved it.

[@wordswordswords8203]

lol. Great story. Yeah, it's soooo good.

[@bayz8739]

I am a non-native English speaker and reading a chapter of Middlemarch is unbearably difficult to understand both the English and context. I took so many minutes just to read a page of it. I read the Oxford edition with explanations to many terms in the book and it’s still not easy. I rarely had this feeling when I read Victorian English books. However I just finished the first book and I really really am fond of it. After watching your video, I think I will stop here and go back to understand deeper each chapter. Wish me luck, this is going to be my biggest read this year!

[@felix__93]

How are you doing mate?

[@cmshaw52]

Start with the Mill on the Floss

[@donnaleone3818]

Did you finish the book?

[@SammieMousie]

I'm currently reading Middlemarch for a year long book club, and as a native English speaker, it is one of the hardest books I've read. Though, I adore every moment of it, and I'm only 1/3 of the way through. I've read pretty dense books before but there's just so much to unpack in Middlemarch and so much that I know I'm missing that Eliot unintentionally makes me feel dumb. It makes me really appreciate all the research she must have done to crate such a story.

[@carokat1111]

Responding to an old message, but there's an excellent TV mini-series starring Juliet Aubrey and Rufus Sewell which is an excellent introduction. Watching it first - it's accurate but condensed - really helps to understand Middlemarch.

[@barbaravoss7014]

Your enthusiasm is infectious. You are making the classics irresistible. Thank you!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That is so kind of you, Barbara :) Thank you so much!

[@wordswordswords8203]

I am currently reading Middlemarch. It took me about 50 pages to get into the writing style and story but now I'm hooked. My God, what a brilliant woman and beautiful writer. It's quite the page turner, too, once you get a ways in. I've been reading it for a couple of months and I'm currently on page 450 something. So good. I'm a slow reader for the most part, anyway. So what. It's not how fast you read, it's that you enjoy it and get the most of out of that you can. Oh, yes, I agree about finding a book you are comfortable with physically. It's over 700 pages so I think I paperback is the way to go. That's what I have. Yeah, I thought Dorothy Brooke was based on George Eliot or had many similarities.

[@leslie4551]

Here’s the original publication schedule: Book 1 was published December 1, 1871; Book 2 on February 1, 1872; Book 3 in April; Book 4 in June; Book 5 on July 29; Book 6 in October; Book 7 in November; Book 8 in December, 1872. I am starting today.

[@allonepeace5967]

I read Middlemarch at University, then again a couple of years ago, bc I remembered how much I'd loved it. Now I'm excited to read it yet again, with your tips in mind. I am so inspired by your passion for literature and the depth of your understanding of the allusions and background embedded. I'm the only one in my family or group of friends who loves literature. So, I am particularly gratified to feel included in your conversations; it's something I now realize how very much I have missed! Thank you.

[@catedee5012]

I just finished Middlemarch. I took it on based on this video. It was excellent and satisfying. Thank-you!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wonderful! Congratulations on finishing it :) I'm so happy you enjoyed it!

[@The_Dong_With_TheLuminous_Nose]

Why don’t you have a billion subscribers? Just brilliant.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Robin :)

[@christopherhoward7740]

Hi Ben, you have produced another great video. One thing I appreciate about you and your channel is the deep level of thought and insight that I find lacking in many other book-tube channels. I am glad that there is someone out there who shares my love of great literature. I read the Penguin Classics edition of “Middlemarch” for the first time in January 2021. I spent about 5 weeks reading it and trying to savor every facet of the book (as I also did this year with “Swann’s Way”). I enjoyed Eliot’s omniscient narration interspersed throughout the story. Casaubon is a character who stands out in my memory. I am not sure if Eliot intended to portray him humorously, but his obsession with research on an esoteric subject was to a degree funny to me. Eliot seemed to imply that those who have so-called “book knowledge” but do not have the ability to connect on an emotional level with others are missing out on what is most important in life. More recently I have read “Silas Marner”-I would have to say that Eliot has become my favorite English novelist-and I have a copy of “Daniel Deronda” that I hope to read in 2022. By the way, I haven’t figured out why Penguin chose a marble bust for the cover art-I always try to decide how the cover art ties to the story.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Chris. That really means a lot to me :) What a great way to have started your year - 5 weeks of immersion in Middlemarch is wonderful! And congratulations on deep-reading "Swann's Way" - how did you find that? I'm thrilled that you've mentioned Eliot's omniscient narration. She does some incredibly subtle things with narrative - one moment we have her voice, the next moment we're suddenly inside, say, Celia's interior, or we find ourselves dropped into Chettam's consciousness. It's like a close-up magic trick. And I feel the same way about Casaubon as yourself - perfectly put. I would love to hear how you get on with Daniel Deronda, and I'm elated to hear that Eliot has become a favourite of yours!

[@karenschulz8331]

This is my second read. I loved this book as I identified with each character and was so surprised. I also love the sentence structure in the 1800's. I love reading slowly and absorbing all details. This is a perfect book for that! I am in my car. Had to pull over and write this! So, in car, could not read my book and decided to find it on KZbin,at a rest stop and stumbled onto this commentary and can't believe how my thoughts parallel exactly, writing in margins, in a notebook, wishing my husband was reading it too so we could discuss it. I was considering buying my own copy and noticing a penciled note of mine in the li brary copy I had read years back! So, thank you for the suggestion of what type of publication of the book to buy! Great sharings!

[@dianahope8776]

I'm just a few chapters into Book 1 and it is obvious that Marian will bring us all to account in more ways than one! What an observer of humanity, she is!

[@patriciajaburek-mcrae4336]

Upon looking at the length of the book, I was truly daunted. I really did not think I could commit to such a book. I began listening to the book and I felt mentally drained. However, as I had heard you refer to this book as being the best book written in English I decided to listen to some reviews etc. so that I could be less stressed about not understanding the story. I find that When I listen to a story over many times that each time I get more out of the story. For example, I watched “Great Expectations” by Dickens on TV before reading the book. This allowed me to get an idea of the plot etc before reading the book. Of course I found the book so much more interesting as the many characters were so well developed and the societal issues going on made you think about what it would be like to live there with them all. The characters were my friends. Your tips have helped me prepare for reading this book and I thank you so much.

[@wpunique]

We used to call it Middlemargin! One of my fave books

[@Galdra]

Middlemarch my favourite novel of all time.

[@judan1998]

If anyone is looking for an audiobook version I would HIGHLY suggest the Naxos version narrated by Juliet Stevenson (who played Dorothea in the BBC production). Stevenson is a brilliant narrator, giving dozens of characters their own unique voices, while capturing Eliot's sardonic narration perfectly. Actually anytime there is a version of an audiobook narrated by Stevenson, go for it.

[@janetsmith8566]

She ruined north and south for me, but then everyone is different.

[@cynthiaespinoza4514]

Thank you for this video! I first read Middlemarch years ago by audio and didn't care for it, but now I'm ready to try again in book form, more slowly with your tips. Happy New Year!

[@marktyrrell8892]

I just finished Middlemarch and loved it. Even more so because it's the 'sort of book' I never thought I'd read and I expected it to be hard going but it really wasn't. I found Eliot's psychological insights wonderfully perceptive and thought provoking.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Congratulations on finishing Middlemarch! I'm so happy you enjoyed it so much :) You've made me want to return to it myself immediately. Such a masterpiece!

[@marktyrrell8892]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy That's great to hear :)

[@maryk446]

I'm going to say what I don't think has been said about Middlemarch before (at least I haven't heard it yet.) You would think that Dorothea and Dr. Lydgate would be a perfect match for each other (both were young, idealistic, unable to achieve their goal to do something big to improve people's lives, and both were suspected of having done immoral things toward the end of the story (Dorothea of having committed adultery or at least of being glad that her husband had died so she could now marry Will Ladislaw - and Dr. Lydgate, of killing Raffles for money, or at least looking the other way while Bulstrode killed him) You keep waiting for both of them to fall in love and run off with each other, leaving the narrow-minded and judgmental town of Middlemarch behind. But this never happens. And while Lydgate does share characteristics with Dorothea, he is not the man in Middlemarch who is her male equivalent. In my opinion, the male Dorothea is actually Caleb Garth. Although he is not available to her, as he is both married and way too virtuous to ever cheat on his wife, you'll notice that Caleb's virtue puts him in the "almost too good to be true" category. And like Dorothea, he has only one seeming flaw - naivete. Dorothea's naivete was her interest in building a cottage industry at Lowick, a childishly utopian plan that cost far more money than any one person even a "rich" one could afford. And Caleb's naivete was in thinking it made any sense to sign a loan for Fred Vincy, a young man who was known to be irresponsible and unwilling to bring in money. Caleb and Dorothea even share the trait of wanting to give people second chances and see a warped character reformed. Caleb is relatively civil and kind when he has to decline Bulstrode, telling him that a man may have done evil and wish to rise above it. Dorothea, when told that Lydgate's character may have been corrupted, claimed that it could then be healed and restored. Sorry for writing so much. I just had to get this off my chest!

[@thomaslowry7079]

I love long comments and yours was excellent. I read Middlemarch years ago and your comment brought everything back to life. What a mystery love is! Trying to determine who would be the best match for someone requires someone more sure of themselves than I. Perhaps someone like Jane Austen's Emma!

[@cherylynlarking191]

Wow! This site is the best one I have ever experienced. Such an informative, articulate presentation. All the book club members will certainly follow. I am definitely going to follow religiously. A blessing for all serious readers. Thanks so much.

[@valdeane6435]

Hello! I came across your channel yesterday and watched a couple of your videos which led me to this one. You have inspired me to pick up Middlemarch again! I read it at University 30 odd years ago! I didn't particularly enjoy it at the time and could never quite understand why so many people say it's Eliot's best or their favourite work. I love George Eliot - my favourite being The Mill on the Floss. I wish this video was around when I first read Middlemarch! I'm sure I would have read it differently! I'm sure as a student at the time, I probably read it within a week - so I am going to take my time, take your advice - and read it slowly!

[@Wisdom1944]

Yay!!! for Middlemarch!!! This will be my third time/attempt to read it. I had truly planned to give up after the failed 3rd. Then I found you! Reading in chapters makes sense! In the 1950s, The Legend of Davy Crockett was serialized in the Detroit News. I was in 3rd grade! I not only loved reading each installment, but I cut them out and pasted them into a scrapbook! I still have it. This is why Im enjoying your discussions. I hope to be ready to jump into one of the Book Discussions soon. But I will commit to reading the first 3 chapters of Middlemarch. Thank you.

[@Wisdom1944]

...for

[@lalaholland5929]

I have just found your channel this week. You are full of enthusiasm and knowledge. Many thanks for your encouragement. Read it at university. It is wonderful to have background of the time. I have done geanealogy and it has tied in well with uni in the past - from navy records in war against Napoleon to literacy and later advancement. Had two generations of 19th c book canvassers and have some of those books still - back when people cared for their things even with rereading..

[@joanndavis1450]

Thank you for posting these tips and sharing your vast knowledge with us. I am inspired to read a few books that you suggest. You remind me of some of my fav professors. There is a library book sale coming up - fingers crossed.

[@boosey87]

Perfect timing. I picked up Middlemarch this week with hopes of starting it early in the new year. Thank you.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice one :) let me know what you think of it!

[@DressyCrooner]

I am now reading Middlemarch and plan on reading it serially as this video recommends. Loving it so far.

[@enywulandari8717]

My most fave novel until now. Love this a lot.

[@scoutdarpy4465]

I definitely plan to read Middlemarch next year alongside the bookclub. Speaking of the bookclub, I got all my books prepped and ready to go! Looking forward to it, Ben!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice one! I’d love to hear what you make of it :) And that’s amazing to hear you’re prepped and ready to go. There are few things quite as exciting as having one’s books for the year ahead waiting for us!

[@susanturners5324]

Read Middlemarch many years ago but can’t wait to reread with you. It was one of my favorite books! However, older and hopefully wiser I believe there is much more to her insights than I initially observed. Thank you. Happy reading!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'd love to hear what you make of it this time around, Susan. You'll definitely find so much in there on your reread as you'll be bringing so much of your lived experience and wisdom with you :)

[@heatherdorsey4770]

I was teaching overseas and the school library was mostly the Grat Books and Classics. I was swept up in Middlemarch as I traveled through Indonesia and Australia. Nothing like enjoying the beaches of Lombok as you read a novel set in Victorian Englad. I look forward to rereading this book using you suggestions.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That’s such a great story! Middlemarch definitely has that power :) I now find myself longing to recline on a distant beach with a thick masterpiece!

[@joelruys9604]

Great that you should post this, I've just been reading middlemarch. Slowing down to live with the characters is a great tip, thanks

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Happy reading, Joel!

[@sabrinae.6361]

Excellent tips and great insight, thank you.

[@stephaniehopkinsartist]

Middlemarch is among my favorite classics. I've read it several times since the 1990s and still think about the story often.

[@soumavagoswami7487]

A Humble Tip: While reading through the book, I tried to keep a track of the characters by drawing family charts and connecting them. **Middlemarch is one of my favourite works of literature. Incredibly complex characters. Masterful descriptions of their mental state by Eliot along with really helpful lessons on life. Absolutely Genius.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Brilliant tip! It's also worth looking up illustrations/paintings of the different characters. Really helps one become familiar with them!

[@brianbuch1]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy This might help me and others with aphantasia. I have no "mind's eye". I can't see anything that isn't before my open eyes. Of course, unless put out with the author's collaboration, illustrations of characters will cast in stone one particular person's idea of the character. That can be limiting.

[@josephbaxter2417]

I'd love to see a video like this on War and Peace. I actually finished The Brothers Karamazov a couple hours ago and it's my first experience with Russian literature. It's definitely made me want to give the copy of war and peace I've had sitting on my shelf for the past few years a go, but it still looks so incredibly intimidating.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

War and Peace and The Brothers Karamazov are definitely on my agenda for videos hopefully in the new year :) As you managed to crack Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece, no need to be intimidated by War and Peace - I believe you’ll be able to get into it and enjoy it rather swiftly. Anna Karenina is also very much worth a read!

[@wpunique]

I read War and Peace during lockdown. What. A. Book.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

@@wpunique Nice one, Steve! Fantastic lockdown reading experience right there!

[@roniquebreauxjordan1302]

Especially now!

[@JaxBespoked]

If you've already conquered the Russian naming conventions (i.e. understanding patronymics and diminutives from finishing BK), you've done half the heavy lifting needed for tackling W&P. I think you will find it an easier read.

[@Sweetlife9999]

Thanks for the tips! On my TBR for 2022!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice one, Varsha!

[@sheilagibson982]

You are my new favorite KZbin channel, (I am sharing them with my friends).

[@susanturners5324]

Thank you so much you have made my reading even more enjoyable. Middlemarch is truly wonderful! I wish that I could have known George Elliot. Actually by reading her books I do know her.

[@a.g.2790]

Awesome video... I LOVE George Eliot & Middlemarch.💗 It was the first novel I read from her.

[@catjohnson007]

Thank you for this! Wow.. You have cheered me on. I will tackle this book! TY again.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm so happy to hear that! I'd love to know what you make of it :) Happy reading!

[@donnaleone3818]

Excellent video. Glad I took the time to listen. I started Middlemarch a month ago. My edition does not include an Introduction, so I feel like I am missing a lot of context. I’m in the second volume and was tempted to give up, thinking “why do I care?” Your advice has made me realize that I need to do a little more work in order to get more out of the book. Too bad I didn’t know about the book club nine months ago. Seems like a wonderful resource.

[@floriandiazpesantes573]

What a lucky purchase, the folio. Well deserved. Thank you for this energetic video, Benjamin.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Florian :) The Folio was such a nice bargain!

[@jeffreyharris1483]

Just finished Middlemarch in Middlenovember. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@FinallyMajor]

Came here before embarking on my first read of Middlemarch. I feel prepared and supremely excited. Thank you for the reminder to break these books up!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm so happy to hear that! I hope you enjoy your journey through George Eliot's masterpiece! I'd love to know what you make of it ☺️

[@francisconogueira6850]

I absolute love your videos 📹

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Francisco :)

[@shreyavatsana]

Brilliant video!As a literature student i have been wanting to read this for a long while now. But i kept proacstinating because of the size of the book and lack of time on my part. I'm picking it up again and this video sounds very helpful for my journey ahead. I'll update my reading here as i go, to keep myself accountable ☺️

[@artvandelay4545]

I really love this novel and author. I've read Middlemarch twice and I thought about the book so much i had the entire plot in my head to go back and forth with. That's when I was younger, I could not do that now.

[@massonman9099]

Just started it, avoided it so long. Over one hundred pages in now and am blown away by the writing!

[@utkarshpanwar8067]

Reading Middlemarch has been such a fantastic journey. Its the prowess of George Eliot's pen that made me empathize with all the characters. I absolutely loved reading the chapters about Dorothea and Mary Garth.

[@MH-yj4mm]

Love this! Omg everything you say is golden…

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you :)

[@keithlongley362]

I'm so pleased I came across your channel, I've read some real humdingers in the last two years, Dostoevsky and Cervantes being my favourites. Easier reads like Charles Bukowski I value just as much. Have you read him?

[@joey4992]

Great stuff, as per!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you!

[@24434sa]

Nice Setup!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you!

[@JAHinHK]

Agreed on perseverance. It took me three attempts to breach pages 75-100. It was only around halfway that I started enjoying this book and now feel I will be sorry(ish) to complete it at my current 70%.

[@emmahardesty4330]

Thank you. I was just getting ready to read Middlemarch again. May I recommend for your perusal and comments, Kristen Lavransdatter by Sigrid Unset. Wonderful set of three titles.

[@ritawilbur6128]

My sisters are I are tackling this book this summer. We are all teachers, so are off for the summer. While I am intrigued by your idea of serial reading, I'm not sure we'll use that method. I'm halfway through the first book and am enjoying it so far. Look forward to more!

[@TheWhitehiker]

Again, on the beam, Benjamin; thanks much.

[@joeomalley2835]

Thank you so much for this video. Awesome pointers and tips about this challenging and deep classic. I have The Modern Library edition (2000) paperback and it's quite an amazing edition in my opinion. Oxford World Classics of novels are always good too. I love your point about taking notes. I used to write in the books, but have started to just take notes on novels in a notebook. But I think it is a great strategy to write out thoughts in real time as you read. This is a very complex work and I appreciate the level of sophistication that Eliot brought to the table writing this novel. Also, I see quite a few parallels with this and Thomas Hardy also, one of my favorite classic authors. Anyhow, awesome and helpful video. Take care!

[@maryk446]

I'm such a Middlemarch fan that I actually looked up the chemist Davy and the poet Southey, two scholars who were just mentioned very briefly in the TV series. Arthur Brooke mentions at dinner that he once met the poet Wordsworth. I was as astonished as if he'd said he'd conversed with Shakespeare. Then I remembered that Middlemarch was set in a time when people who had been contemporaries of Wordsworth were still alive.

[@dominiclondesborough3222]

Thanks Benjamin for this fantastic video on Middlemarch. I started reading the introduction last night (Penguin Classics Edition!).

[@carrollwilliams8861]

I just finished Middlemarch and have been concurrently reading Persuasion by Austin. I enjoy victorian novels and period pieces. It took me about three weeks to read it. I had started it several times previously, but I was determined to read it because of your encouraging video. I am very glad I read it. We hear about media influencers in popular culture. Yours is truly worthwhile. Have a lovely day.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Congratulations on finishing Middlemarch! It's a wonderful novel, isn't it? I fall more deeply in love with it every time I read it. I'm so happy I was able to encourage you to dive in. And thank you so much for your kind comment, Carroll :) I really appreciate that!

[@devinfuller4045]

Wow 3 weeks! Impressive. After I finish Crime and Punishment I will be diving into The Illiad, of mice and men, and middlemarch. I am very excited! Is it true if you like middlemarch you will probably enjoy Jane Austen’s work?

[@stephenperera7382]

I am going to read Middlemarch after I finished the sublime selected poems of JOHN keats from Penguin Classics. I bought a beautiful hard cover Everyman's Library Classics series hard cover version of Middlemarch.

[@philipswain4122]

One of my favourite books of all time. This and The Odyssey

[@GinaStanyerBooks]

I love finding used copies with notes in the margin. I hope that you end up annotating the Folio Society edition!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I think I will :)

[@helentyetalkin1490]

Amazing! Thank you so much!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're so welcome! Thank you for watching :)

[@helentyetalkin1490]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy to be honest, I think Middlemarch may have remained on my 'one day I must read that' list, had I not stumbled across your film. Were it not for the tips about taking note of the epigraph and coming back to it at the end of the chapter, underlining and annotating, and reading out loud to oneself! - I would not be enjoying it as much as I am and would perhaps not persevere with it.

[@MarilynMayaMendoza]

Thank you for your very helpful video as I am about to embark on the penguin hard Back edition of Middlemarch. I intend to read it in cereal for him and write in the book like you suggested because I do that anyway. I’m a native speaker with four years of college but am daunted by Tomes. Aloha

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You are so incredibly welcome, Marilyn :) Thank you so much for watching. I envy your journey into Middlemarch. You have a wonderful story ahead of you and some truly unforgettable characters to meet! I would love to hear what you think of it!

[@sheilagibson982]

I was reading this to my husband and I realized that something she wrote as a dig, I then said, “so this is why people read literature”. I thought, if she was alive I was thinking that she could live with me and I would take care of her so she could just write.

[@maggygwire]

So much more excited about reading this now. I will take my time and read something else alongside. ‘War of the worlds’ at the moment then probably ‘The Woodlanders’. Thanks 🙏

[@carokat1111]

My favourite book, which I have read on numerous occasions. But I have never approached it serially, and you have whetted my appetite to do that! Great tips, thank you.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wow, thank you so much! You've completely made my day ☺️

[@carokat1111]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you, for all your wonderful videos.

[@DressyCrooner]

I want to read this so much. I recently watched a brilliant documentary on George Eliot and I have had Middlemarch sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of years now. Reading Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd right now but I hope to read Middlemarch very soon. I also really want to read The Count of Monte Cristo so there's that. Eliot and Hardy are considered to have a very similar style so reading them together would actually be a great idea.

[@nikkivenable3700]

Is the documentary of Eliot on KZbin? I really want to watch it.

[@DressyCrooner]

@@nikkivenable3700 Yes it is! It shouldn't be hard to find!

[@BrandonSmith-ko6qq]

I hope you decided to read it! I read it earlier this year and it hasn’t left me. Not sure it ever will. Easily one of the best books I’ve ever read

[@DressyCrooner]

@@BrandonSmith-ko6qq Yes I did! I have been reading it according to the serial reading schedule.

[@tonirose6776]

Hardy is my favourite writer. I tried Middlemarch, and found no crossover in their styles whatsoever. And I found Middlemarch hard slogging. Benjamin says this happens at the start, but encourages us to persevere. I just couldn't.

[@sherryfyman7066]

Hi Ben - I just discovered your channel recently and love it. I've gotten so much out of your suggestions. I first read Middlemarch 50 years ago when I was in graduate school. I remember that it made a huge impression on me but I couldn't quite remember how. After listening to your Deep Reading video I decided to go back to Dorothea for a deep (re)reading. I'm taking all your suggestions - stopping to find out why Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy might be excerpted as an epigraph, what is it about Jeremy Taylor that would have inspired Dorothea, why was she impressed by Pascal’s Penseés? I'm keeping a journal and reading serially. I've never read a book like this before. The best part was that I've come across the three pages that hit me with a wallop. During their honeymoon/work trip in Rome, disillusionment begins to set in. "...the large vistas and wide fresh air which she had dreamed of finding in her husband's mind were replaced by anterooms and winding passages which seemed to lead nowhither." "Poor Mr. Casuabon himself was lost among the small closets and winding stairs..." She then of course hits him with the kill shot: "All those rows of volumes - will you not now do what you used to speak of? Will you not make up your mind what part of them you will use, and begin to write the book which will make your vast knowledge useful to the world?" I abandoned graduate studies soon after reading Middlemarch because I was afraid of becoming an Edward Casauborn. My reading is provoking a really wonderful and profound consideration. In some/many ways, yes, she was Dorothea but she was also Edward. If, as you say, she did tons of research, perhaps she was directing those questions to herself as well: "when are you going to stop researching and actually put yourself on the line?" I love how, in Chapt 15, she takes a big turn and reveals herself as the omniscent narrator and breaks down the 4th wall of literature (so to speak) to talking directly to the reader: "At present I have to make the new settler Lydgate better known to anyone interested in him that he could possibly ber even to those who had seen most of him since his arrivale in Middlemarch." Melville also speaks directly to the reader at times in Moby Dick, those are some of my favorite passages. I hope she has a darn good reasong for gossiping about Lydgate and his infatuation with Madame Laure! Shame on her.

[@lalaholland5929]

Thank you Sherry for your comments.

[@donnaleone3818]

I enjoyed reading your contribution to the book and video!

[@sherryfyman7066]

@@donnaleone3818 ❤️

[@eduardocabredonora3510]

I just finnished Middlemarch yesterday. In general, i think its a literature masterpiece, now I really want to continue with another work by george eliot.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That’s amazing! Well done on finishing. I completely agree with you - masterpiece is the word! The Mill on the Floss and Silas Marner would both be worth a read for your next Eliot :)

[@eduardocabredonora3510]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy thank you !! Im excited to read more George Eliot books !!!

[@joemack959]

Silas Marner is the sleeper. I've memorized the third Chapter just because it's so perfect.

[@anthonyhocking9118]

Greetings from South Africa. I have a paperback edition somewhere on my shelf, but for some reason or other I read "The Mill on the Floss" first. Which sort of made me feel I've had enough of Ms Evans😊. But your video has made me decide to get into Middlemarch, especially after your suggesting it be read in serial form. Great series, Ben.

[@blossom357]

I wouldn't typically pay any mind to a video about "how" to read anything.. just open up the damn thing and read it, right? But I've tried this book multiple times and just don't get it. I might crack and watch this. I love Woolf, who loved Middlemarch, so it feels like I should also love Middlemarch. My current problem with the book is I have this feeling every other line is being written with the intention of being quotable, as though she knew she was "writing a classic." Dostoyevsky, to use another classic author as an example, also has many quotable lines, yet that feels more effortless. I can't get past the feeling Eliot was trying to write something great.

[@DJF7819]

Recently subscribed to your channel, I have to say, I am currently binge watching every video you have made! I am debating right now whether or not to join the hardcore book club, I think you are and would be an amazing teacher/lecturer. I have one question however. What is your take on the Count of Monte Cristo, I don't remember you talking about it much in any of your videos, I may have missed it. For me, personally, it's one of, if not, my favourite novel thus far.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wow! It’s great to have you watching and reading along, David :) And you would certainly be warmly welcomed to the club. The Count of Monte Cristo is a wonderful read - exhilarating, gripping story. I have the Robin Buss translation beside me right now in chunky penguin paperback. Your comment has reminded me I’m due for a reread!

[@DJF7819]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Because of your videos, and some other BookTuber videos, I am about to take a deep dive into Shakespeare as well. I am extremely excited I must say. I think I am going to be pairing my Shakespeare reading with some Harold Bloom material, do you think this is a good way to go about studying Shakespeare? Also, what should I read first, the Brothers Karamazov, or Les Miserables?

[@bluestar.8938]

Thank you : )

[@StephG26]

I am nearly finished my first read of this book. I was intimidated to start reading it, but it sucked me in from the first few pages. Middlemarch is delightful. Even if you weren't reading it with the intention of extracting a deeper meaning from it, it would still be such an enjoyable read.

[@iiling7]

Thank you so much Ben for the most encouraging video to read Middlemarch. If not for this channel, I wouldn't have dared tread on the big classics but over the course of your own journey from inception, you were helping me shape mine as well in the literary world. I am currently into Book 2 and absolutely adore it. And the preface is powerful and beautiful; I read it over and over again as you advised and it says it all! 🙏🏼

[@Ri-Lizzie]

I’m currently preparing for my PhD in English exams, I find I haven’t fallen in love but into deep forms of respect and reverence. I’m an Austen focused scholar (can I say this yet? lol) and I prefer the more performative nature of Austen. But this video has been so helpful to me in encapsulating contextual information around Middlemarch. Thank you!!!

[@jonathanenglish2024]

This is a great introduction to Middlemarch.

[@kevlahead7278]

I've just started reading Middlemarch. No problems yet! I'm reading it on my tablet, a copy of which was obtained via a free download. Decided to read it after reading Adam Bede which I enjoyed.

[@roniquebreauxjordan1302]

Good tips!

[@roniquebreauxjordan1302]

I get it!! There's LOTS to unpack while reading this one! #HappyWorldLitDays

[@deanhill9370]

I love your channel - Middlemarch is a masterpiece but requires a lot of concentration at times.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Dean! I absolutely agree. I actually timed my own reading of George Eliot (without note-taking) and it takes me twice as long as Dickens. A lot of concentration is definitely needed!

[@deanhill9370]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy I think you should read it for pleasure once and then make notes on a second reading. It's one of those books that you should read in chunks as if each chapter is a book in itself. I know people who try to read it over a weekend and it doesn't happen.

[@deanhill9370]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy could I also add that the Norton edition is very good but very small text. It's great for uni.

[@joanshepro7037]

Thank you so much

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

You're so incredibly welcome, Joan :) Thank you for watching!

[@helenfranks4664]

Thank you for for insight and suggestions. M has been on my shelf for many years, unread. This is about to change.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm so happy to hear that! I'd love to know what you make of George Eliot's masterpiece, Helen :)

[@Divinefeminine888]

Just starting with Middlemarch, i chose the Penguin Classics paperback version since I enjoy their previous classic versions, i like their 8 separations which makes it seem less daunting. Im not a novice to long novels but i must enjoy the content and i fear i am bored with the content after only reading the first chapter. I will preserve and read the rest as i made it a personal ambition of mine to read as many classics as possible (female authors preferance), and middlemarch is almost in every top classics list. Thank you for this video it only reignites why i started reading this book in the first place.

[@pattube]

Here's hoping you don't scribble in the margins of your beautiful Folio edition of Middlemarch - I know I couldn't do it! 😬

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Ha, I wouldn't dare :)

[@osherlip]

Thank you for the recommendation, a day after watching the video i went and buy a copie. I started reading in november 2022 and stoped after 150 pages, thinking the endless plot twist between the 3 major couples in the novel is hard to fallow. I gave the novel a second try this month- February 2023, finish midelmarch in one month.

[@devinfuller4045]

I am just beginning my adventure of middlemarch! I am beyond excited

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Nice one, Devin! I'd love to know what you make of it :)

[@devinfuller4045]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy I most certainly will! I took your recommendation for Anna Karenina and it is now my favorite book of all time! So thank you for that.

[@daveneedham4443]

Another great book: My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead.

[@fairwaywoods]

I started reading Middlemarch about a month ago. The hard part for me at first was keeping up with all the characters. I found it sad for Casaubon and Dorothea to honeymoon in Rome and just go to the library. Anyway, after about the third serial section, I have most of the characters straight.

[@judan1998]

Definitely among my top 5 novels of all time. I very much recommend Rebecca Meade's literary memoir "My Life in Middlemarch" if anyone needs inspiration to get into this novel.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I second your recommendation of Rebecca Meade's memoir, Daniel :)

[@hyacinthh6900]

Having never read Middlemarch, is it best to read the R Meade book before or after reading G Eliot's story?

[@judan1998]

@@hyacinthh6900 I'm sure, since it's been a year since you posted this question, you've already read Middlemarch itself, but if not....I'd say start with Middlemarch itself. If you're not hating it, but finding it a bit difficult to get into, then yes, read Meade's memoir but know that it contains spoilers!

[@hyacinthh6900]

@@judan1998 Gracious no, not read either yet. Have made note of your recs and it's so nice of you to respond. No matter the time frame, much appreciate the super info you've given me. I plan to follow your advice. Thanks ever so much. 💐

[@davet2625]

"Theophrastan archetypes"... i got that. Nice.

[@donaldkelly3983]

My history with George Eliot is short and unhappy. I started with Silas Marner, which was a good read despite its reputation. Then I leapt to Middlemarch and didn't get far. This was a while ago and as the nice lady said, Middlemarch is a novel for grown ups. Four years ago, I tried The Mill on the Floss, read a large section, but did not finish. In 2022, Middlemarch is on my list, along side Dickens and Balzac.The advice sounded good, so I will do my best.

[@indialavoyce95]

I’m going to read it for Victober this year.

[@pamwoodall8073]

Recommend the audio book read by Juliet Stevenson. Really hams up the more colourful characters, brings the book to life and makes you appreciate what a funny book this is. Also makes you want to go back to the text…

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I completely agree! I love her narration :)

[@judan1998]

I second this. She is marvellous at drawing out each character with wonderfully different accents. Anytime I purchase an audiobook of a classic I search to see if Stevenson has done a version.

[@judegrindvoll8467]

Have you tried paper tabs and post its to annotate more expensive editions? I find colour coordinating for language/theme/philosophy etc, easier too with different tabs 😊

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I have indeed :) I love it! I really must do it more often!

[@m.steine]

Benjamin, would you be able to say what year is your Folio edition from? I'm looking for one and I found that Folio has published different editions throughout the years. Since the illustrator differs, I'd enjoy hearing what's the illustrator's name in yours. --Thank you!

[@karenkaren3189]

Probably my favorite novel

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

It's definitely one of my personal favourites! :)

[@shayna2830]

I just started it yesterday and ...oh my fucking lord. After the first two hours, i felt my face hurting a bit. It was due to this little goofy smile i was wearing haha. The prose amd the dialogue and interaction between Celia and Dorothea is just brilliant and fun and almost feels goofy. I realized about 50 pages in, not much has actually happened aside from conversation and a letter of proposal. But i dont feel bored st all

[@susprime7018]

Sorry, read it twice, well didn't finish the second time when it dawned on me that I had already read it. I tried again when it was touted as the greatest novel, maybe so, but just not for me. I loved Silas Marner and The Mill On The Floss, so I, "march to the beat of a different drummer." I also think On Civil Disobedience is more important than Walden, but Walden has the best quotes. That is a very pretty slip cased edition. Thank you for the first class lectures.Thanks for all the images.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

At least you gave it a very fair crack! And you liked her other two great works, so it sounds like this comes down to personal taste. I certainly have my share of great works that I can’t abide despite perseverance. I also completely agree with you about On Civil Disobedience being more important - and more resonant - than Walden!