Customer Reviews

Silas Marner (Barron's Book Notes)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read Silas Marner as a sophomore in high school and I still remember it today, as a senior about to graduate. The tale about a lonely old man, Silas, who lost his not only his faith in God but his most supposedly valuable treasure, his gold, learns that nothing can ever take the place of human love and companionship when he adopts Eppie. With her help, he learns to care about more than money, and a thrilling, touching novel is the result. When I was told to read this book, I automatically thought I wouldn't like it, since it was an assigned book. Instead, it has become one of my favorite novels of all time, right up there with Pride and Prejudice, Hamlet, and The Power and the Glory.

Silas, a linen-weaver, is driven out of a small religious community on false charges of theft. He moves to Raveloe, an agricultural village, where he lives a lonely existence, relieved only by the amount of gold he accrues. But one day the gold is stolen. Then on a snowy night, the deserted child Eppie makes her way into his cabin. He adopts her and experiences much joy; his love for Eppie replaces his love for gold. The stolen gold is discovered at the bottom of a pond, and when her real father comes to claim her, Eppie refuses to leave Silas. A powerful and moving story, beautifully told. The opening chapter, in my opinion, has no rival in English, except for maybe Twain's opening chapter in "Huckleberry Finn." A wonderful novel.

I thought Silas Marner was a good book. I was assigned to read it for school and I thought it wasn't going to appeal to me. I found that I enjoyed it thoroughly. It kind of started off slow but after that I couldn't put it down.

It was a boring book from the start. the only good part about it was the second half which was only about 5 chapters. the other 19 or so chapters had to much detail with boring unneccesary detail and facts which nobody in the right sense would care about.