Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life (Oxford World's Classics) [Hardcover]

George Eliot (Author), A. S. Byatt (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Oxford World's Classics | Publication Date: June 10, 1999

A. S. Byatt provides an introduction to one of the most popular novels in English literature, George Eliot's Middlemarch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent text--one of the best editions of any 19th century novel available in paper."--Alexander S. Gourlay, University of Nebraska

"Like the other World's Classics, this is a good text in a well-designed format, with adequate but unobtrusive editorial aids and introductions, biographical information, notes--at a fair price."--Robert D. Beckett, Southwest Missouri State University

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

A. S. Byatt won the Booker Prize for her novel Possession (1990), and her other books include Babel Tower (1996), Angels and Insects, and The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (1998).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 944 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192100297
• ISBN-13: 978-0192100290
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #734,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born Mary Ann Evans, Victorian novelist George Eliot (1819-1880) is the author of a number of remarkable works, including the masterpiece Middlemarch.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be intimidated--it is truly transcendent, March 1, 2010

By 

Sophia (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Middlemarch (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

I must admit that I was intimidated for years by this novel. It sat on my shelf for ages, neglected in favor of "easier" books to read. Once I started it though, I couldn't put it down.

I generally read really quickly, but you really should take your time with every word of this novel. Otherwise you miss sentences like the following:

"If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence." !!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING.

Not to mention a lushly romantic plot that really tears you apart. I couldn't believe how breathless I was during the interactions of two of the main characters. Deeper messages aside, this was an emotional experience. I read Middlemarch like I read novels that will not be in print more than 10 years. So don't be intimidated by the density of the prose like I was!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just about perfect...a classic story with a lot to think about..., January 31, 2011

By 

Angela Wolf "bookangel" (Hamburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Middlemarch (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

I have been wanting to read this classic for a long time, and I've finally done it. Why did I wait so long?

Middlemarch is primarily the story of Dorothea Brooke - a woman who wants to make the world a better place at a time when women were not encouraged to have ideas outside of their own homes. This ardent desire leads her to make some poor choices, and some admirable ones.

This book is also a story about marriage. We see how Dorothea's marriage turns out - her sister Celia's marriage (Celia is the typical woman of her day), Rosamund's (the spoiled town beauty) marriage, and the marriage prospects of Mary Garth, a poor working girl.

The author helps us to get inside the minds of her characters, which helps us to decide if we like them or not, or if we've made similar choices too. Often I found myself sympathizing with a character I initially disliked, because I was helped to see their emotions.

It's very much a grown up book. If I had read this in my teens I would not have gained as much from the reading. There's no "and they lived happily ever after" here - Eliot keeps the story grounded.

If I had to sum up Middlemarch, I'd say Eliot gives us an inside view of the lives of women in her day. There's also quite a bit of political talk, helping us see what it must have been like to live in England while so much was starting to change.

For me, this book was just about perfect. One day I'd like to re-read it because I know there are some things I missed this time around.

Recommended for those who like classic literature with a lot of depth. Some have called this book "Jane Austen for grown-ups" and while I love Jane Austen very much, I think I have to agree with that.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars And after Middlemarch..., December 19, 2000

By 

Ted Ficklen (Saint Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Middlemarch (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

George Eliot hasn't yet gained the modern pop success of Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, but I think its only a matter of time before she catches on in a big way and we see a big. lush movie version of Middlemarch.

For now, dont be put off by her novels of great Victorian size. If you are used to the broad comic brushstrokes of Charles Dickens, you will find Eliot a much subtler artist. She paints very subtle shades of emotion and morality.

If you have already read Middlemarch, you should seek out Virginia Woolf's essay on Eliot in her book, The Common Reader. Also, Eliot figures highly in Sandra Gilbert's study of Victorian literature, The Madwoman in the Attic.