The Middlemarch Readalong Week 6

I am SO SORRY! I really wanted to post every week, but life just got the better of me. The third term has begun with a bang. At the moment, I have exactly 2 weeks of teaching left before our Matrics leave to begin the spiral of exams that will bring them to the end of their school careers. On top of that, for the past 3 weeks, I have been juggling parent meetings, external moderation and all the other joys that arrive with the beginning of a new term (I even had a wonderful 13 hour day at school!). I'm sorry. But had I decided to post something it would have read like this: I thought Lydgate was errrrrrrr... what did I think? Who was I thinking about? I know I had a thought... lkrjdghkwjsbhfjhghdvasdv zbnc (me falling asleep on my keyboard). (All the posts that have been popping up on my blog were posted more than 3 weeks ago and set on a timer. I was sorry to see that my prediction of this insanity was right.)

So, my thoughts on the end of Middlemarch. Be warned. Spoilers everywhere! I really enjoyed it. And from what I have read of other comments, I am unusual in liking the finale. No, not everyone lived long lives, not everyone got the ending they deserved. But I liked that it felt conclusive - even though I was very fond of Lydgate.

Although Rosamond had me fuming and stomping around, and venting to my mom (who is now four chapters from the end, as I type this), I 'forgave' her a bit by the end. Yes, she still remained horrifically shallow, but at least she wasn't going around ruining Lydgate's chances of getting out of debt - the debt she helped put him in! (That chapter ... I could have spat blood!)

I was really pleased that Dorothea ended up with Will. She seemed happy in the end. (I am still a bit convinced that she would have made a good wife to Lydgate though. Just saying.) Someone, somewhere in the comments of one of the earlier posts, commented that Eliot was showing the reader how harmful an unhappy marriage could be in those times. I think Will was a much better match for her than Casaubon. (But then, most people would have been a better match than him.) I also enjoyed James's reaction to her marrying Will in the end. (I wondered when I read this whether Featherstone's will was foreshadowing the negatives that could come out of Casaubon's will. Just a thought.)

I must confess that besides my outright hated for Rosamond, the other character that I ended up not really caring for was Dorothea's sister. While her heart might have been in the right place, I found her forgettable (I can't even remember her name), and I thought that her ways to help Dorothea were more self-serving and more to her liking than her sister's. Possibly it is just that she didn't understand her sister. But coming from the reader, who by the end of the book knew many of the people in Middlemarch almost intimately, I thought her choices silly.

Fred and Mary! I was so happy for them. They were the couple that might not have been, and they ended up working out better than all the others. Perhaps Eliot was suggesting that working hard for a relationship, and not relying on just a pretty face, are likely to be far more effective methods of choosing a life partner. (Ahhh! If only Lydgate had learnt from his first 'love'!)

Since I haven't posted in the past 3 weeks, I also just want to add how unexpected I found the angle with Ruffles, Bullstrode and Will. I didn't see any intrigue coming and I found it a pleasant surprise.

OK. That is me. I know I really do have a lot more to say, but it is late and I have work tomorrow, and I still need to prep Hamlet before I hit the sack. Nighty night all. And An Armchair By The Sea, thank you for hosting this readalong. I really enjoyed the book you picked, and I enjoyed seeing what everyone thought.

The Middlemarch Readalong Week 3

This post marks the midway point of Middlemarch by George Eliot, and the readalong hosted by An Armchair by the Sea. Once again, a warning for spoilers to all those who have not read Middlemarch as yet. Do yourself a favour. Go and read the book. It might be long, but it is easy to read and a lot of fun.

Featherstone! What can one say about him and his will! What a man! And I don't mean that in a nice way. He had all his relatives jumping through hoops while he lived, only to completely eliminate them from his will in the end. (Although there was definitely a feeling of a nest of vultures just hanging around while he was dying). I felt very sorry for Fred Vincy - although, if he manages to make his own way in life, I will like him more. Mary Garth must be feeling horrible and very guilty at this point in time, should Featherstone's dying wish have been to destroy the most recent will, and leave the money to Fred. Oh... and I suppose I have to at least mention the appearance of that distasteful character, Mr Raffles. I think he takes the prize for being the slimiest character so far.

This week saw many developments in the political situation. I thought all the manipulation to get Mr Brooke to improve the living conditions for those on his land rather entertaining. Of course, as Mr Brooke is not a character I would like in real life (although he seems quite fun to read about), I was quite happy at the treatment he received from his tenants when he went to discuss the poaching issue.

Rosamond and Lydgate! They got married. I had all sorts of bad feelings about that. Rosamond seems manipulative, turning on the tears when it would suit her. And the fact that Lydgate has put himself in so much debt is not a good thing. In fact, all the hinting (or blatant statements actually) about how expensive it was going to be to maintain a girl like Rosamond does not bode well for the dear doctor. Rosamond seems far more interested in the fact that his uncle, Sir Godwin, has a title. I think we are about to see our second unhappy marriage.

And then, finally, Dorothea, Casaubon and Will Ladislaw. I was shocked when Casaubon sent Will the letter requesting that he leaves Middlemarch. What audacity! I was pleased that Will stood up for himself. I was also pleased that Will ended up working for Brooke. He seems good with words, and he seems to be doing well in that line. But between Dorothea's attempts to try and make things fair for Will, and Will's presence, I suppose it doesn't take a leap of the imagination to see why Casaubon was convinced that something was happening between the two. When Casaubon sees Lydgate and Lygate confirms that Dorothea knew that he could die soon, I suppose his suspicion would grow more too. I find it interesting that many folks have said that they wished Dorothea would be more assertive, while study guides (sorry, refreshing my memory - my notes are illegible in many places) claim that Casaubon would have been disappointed in her as a wife as she is too assertive. I suppose in those days, women were expected to do nothing but agree (and have babies). I think Dorothea was trying to make the best of a bad situation. There was nothing to be achieved in fighting Casaubon.

Well, those are my thoughts. I hope that I can post next weeks timeously. School starts tomorrow, and the first two weeks of the term are always crazy-busy!

The Middlemarch Readalong Week 2

The next installment of the #EliotAlong, or for those who like things a bit more specific, the Middlemarch readalong hosted by An Armchair by the Sea.

Apologies for the late update! It is the last week of my holiday, and of course we all know that a holiday is time off one's paid work, to catch up on all the other work around the house. In other words, I was busy.

I am going to confess right here, that I am writing this from the notes I made - because I finished Middlemarch at the beginning of the second week. I just couldn't wait. I was so involved in the story, I just couldn't slow down. But I will keep this spoiler free for those who are participating in the readalong. For those who aren't, be warned, there are spoilers everywhere!

In this part, we get to meet a whole lot of people. While I normally dread this in books, because I am a lazy reader and hate remembering names, this was no where near as disorientating as it could have been. Eliot introduced the characters slowly, and gave a nicely rounded backstory (of what was interesting) so that I was happily aware of who I was reading about later because these characters came across as real people, with hopes, dreams and a history.

First off, (because I see now that my notes are actually inadequate at jogging my memory as to what exactly happened - it is a collection of my thoughts and responses to events) I am going to stick to the big things. Dorothea, Casaubon and Will Ladislaw. I predicted trouble. Jealousy never bodes well for a relationship - especially when it is a relationship you can't walk out on. I think the setting for a discontented marriage was also set in stone with the portrait scene. Casaubon was more enamoured with his own portrait than with the one of Dorothea. I reckon that shows his self-centred side. Surely if he was in love with Dorothea, he would have wanted to admire her portrait instead. But then, this is not stretch really. The unhappiness of Dorothea during the honeymoon is no secret. I am also very aware of the contradictions between Casaubon's words and actions. Very often he will refer to Dorothea as 'his love', but his manner will be cold. Nope. Nothing good can come from this. And of course, there is Mr Ladislaw who seems absolutely brilliant in comparison.

I found Fred Vincy ... How do I put this? I thought he was a nice but a bit stupid. Man, was I hoping he would get everything sorted out. One bad thing followed by another, and I felt mortified for him. I like the sound of Mary Garth. In fact, I like the sound of all the Garths. My note here went something along the lines of hoping things turn out all right for them.

On to Lydgate. I really liked the sound of him. I could completely see why he would be having issues as a young doctor with more modern ideas in an old town with crazy ideas on recovery. I can see that Rosamond has her eye set on him. She seems sweet, but my note here states that I was unsure on her. (It read like this: But ... ??)

I can see that I am going to have huge problems going by my notes (which get even vaguer as I got more involved in the story) for the next installments. I will try my best though. I am so pleased to have read this though. It started me on a 'Kill my TBR Classics' marathon.

The Middlemarch Readalong Week 1

So week 1 of the #Eliotalong, hosted by An Armchair by the Sea, is finished, and boy, do I have some thoughts.

WARNING: SPOILERS!

It is not possible to be involved with a book discussion without discussing the book. So should you have plans to read Middlemarch at any point in time, just back away from this post and pick up the book! Or better yet, come and join us in the readalong! The more the merrier!

You can find the post Bex put up with these questions here.

1. Is this your first encounter with George Eliot? How are you finding it? Did you have any preconceptions about Eliot or the book before you started?

Yip. I am a newbie to Middlemarch. I was expecting a heavy, dull slog with inaccessible language and limited plot (I have no idea why I thought the latter, I just did.). After I got past the initial hurdle (the first few pages), the reading became much easier. I have enjoyed Eliot's sense of humour and her observations (which can be funny too) which show quite a lot of insight into humans and how they think.

2. How do you feel about Dorothea?

Ooooo. Tricky. There are somethings I really like about her. I like that she isn't shallow; that she could see beyond Casaubon's plain ugly looks and appreciate him for his intelligence. I really like that she wants to develop her own knowledge, which was evident in her choice of husband and in her research for the housing project. In fact, the housing project was interesting of itself. I know that James Chettam allows her to do this when he was hoping to marry her, but she seemed only interested in the project to improve people's lives (or perhaps for her own interest). I must admit that I also liked that she dressed down. It was as though she was trying to make the point that she was not just a pretty girl. In fact, it would seem that she was trying to not be seen as pretty but as something more - clever - emphasising what she thought was important.

But, I fear she has made a big mistake in marrying Casaubon. Although I know that in those days, women did marry because 'of what they would get out of it', because that was the sole purpose really for marriage, (Thank you 21st century!) I do not know if she is going to get what she wants from Casaubon (she wants the learning more than the man, in my opinion). If nothing else, Casaubon's lack of passion in the build up to his marriage to Dorothea, seems a bad beginning:

Hence he determined to abandon himself to the stream of feeling, and perhaps was surprised to find what an exceedingly shallow rill it was. As in droughty regions baptism by immersion could only be performed symbolically, Mr. Casaubon found that sprinkling was the utmost approach to a plunge which his stream would afford him; and he concluded that the poets had much exaggerated the force of masculine passion.

― George Eliot, Middlemarch

I will confess to have done a bit of reading up on this: the comparison to Milton does not bode well for her either. Apparently Milton's daughters did not enjoy working under their father.

Mihály Munkácsy’s 1877 oil painting “The Blind Milton Dictating Paradise Lost to His Daughters.”

To quote from Deborah Milton (which you can find in an essay here): I often confused his bitterness concerning all that had gone amiss in the great world with his domestic discontents, being more familiar. Was it my mother who had brought about the Fall and troubled times? Was my childish failure to obey his every with the reason for the turmoil in the streets and his displeasure?

I really do sympathise with Dorothea though. I think it must have been a horrible time for women, when they were left with a bare education and nothing to stimulate their intelligence. But more about that later. For now, I am thinking she is going to regret her decision. I hope she doesn't end up in a similar position to Milton's daughters, who were apparently left with nothing after he died.

3. Who is your favourite character so far and why?

That's a tricky one. I have only met a few characters so far. I suppose, Dorothea is my favourite, but that is because she is the character I have got to learn the most about and I have a lot of hope stored up for her character. She could prove to be a disappointment.

I think Lydgate, the new doctor, sounds like he could be an interesting character too. Not that we have heard much about him as yet. His character's arrival is showing some of the political aspects of the novel. But I am interested in what he is planning on doing too.

I can, however, say that I am not fond of her uncle, Mr Brooke. My initial impression of him is that of a know-it-all, and like a certain potions master, I find that trait insufferable. Look at this passage for example:

"You are an artist, I see," said Mr. Brooke, taking up the sketch-book and turning it over in his unceremonious fashion.
"No, I only sketch a little. There is nothing fit to be seen there," said young Ladislaw, coloring, perhaps with temper rather than modesty.
"Oh, come, this is a nice bit, now. I did a little in this way myself at one time, you know. Look here, now; this is what I call a nice thing, done with what we used to call brio." Mr. Brooke held out towards the two girls a large colored sketch of stony ground and trees, with a pool.

― George Eliot, Middlemarch

He seems to be an expert on everything, and my experience with people like that is that they generally are very far from being experts. But maybe that is my own bias getting involved. But I doubt it. Just look at the diction: 'in his unceremonious fashion'. Doesn't that just reek of his entitlement?

4. The place of women is mentioned a lot in the first few chapters. Discuss.

As I said in my kick-off post, Eliot chose to write under a man's name as she felt women were not taken seriously as writers. From this I gather she wanted to be taken seriously; that she realised her own value and the value of her writing. Throughout the first section, women's abilities are undermined and their opinions are disregarded. While this is accurate of the times I find it frustrating. What did they expect after keeping women naive and, for the most part, uneducated? Here is another passage by that annoying Mr Brooke that pretty much sums up everything:

"Well, but now, Casaubon, such deep studies, classics, mathematics, that kind of thing, are too taxing for a woman—too taxing, you know."
"Dorothea is learning to read the characters simply," said Mr. Casaubon, evading the question. "She had the very considerate thought of saving my eyes."
"Ah, well, without understanding, you know—that may not be so bad. But there is a lightness about the feminine mind—a touch and go—music, the fine arts, that kind of thing—they should study those up to a certain point, women should; but in a light way, you know. A woman should be able to sit down and play you or sing you a good old English tune. That is what I like; though I have heard most things—been at the opera in Vienna: Gluck, Mozart, everything of that sort. But I'm a conservative in music—it's not like ideas, you know. I stick to the good old tunes.

― George Eliot, Middlemarch

This is also referring back to what I read about Milton and his daughters, who apparently could read and write multiple languages perfectly, but could not understand a word of it. But let me ignore Milton - I have spoken about him enough. Reading a language without understanding it. Talk about a pointless skill. (I can read Korean from having lived in South Korea for three years, but it didn't help at all unless I was on the subway and I was reading the names of the stops. All that happened is that the alphabetic characters went from odd shapes to gobbledygook, as they then made sounds that made no sense.) In other words, Brooke's approved of a completely redundant education. In fact, he then goes on to say that women should only be partially educated in 'the arts' - which was to entertain the men. To have girls be like pretty little Rosamund who could play music beautifully or sing beautifully for guests. But how could one expect more from a woman, when that was the extent of her education? But! Isn't this novels existence then a slap in the face to all men who carried these thoughts - since it was written by a woman?

5. Anything else?

Nope. This post is beginning to feel as long as Middlemarch itself. I know I did have other thoughts, but right now, I can't think of them. If I do, I will add them in here.

Otherwise, I am concerned that I am going to get confused with characters, especially if I stop reading. So, if I get ahead, please don't be disappointed. If I put this down to wait for next week's read, I am going to be completely lost.

The Middlemarch Readalong

Bex at An Armchair by the Sea is hosting a 6-week-long readalong for Middlemarch. Now, I bought my copy of Middlemarch 21 years ago, in my first year of university - because I thought I was one of those people who wanted to read everything highbrow while still managing an English Lit degree's reading list (yip, and I hadn't found the pool pub at that point - how optimistic). Since then, the only thing I have done with this book is move it, dust it and ignore it. I decided, when I stumbled upon this readalong, that it would take something just like this, something public, something that required signing up, something that felt like motivation, to get me to pick it up, and not put it down again. So here we go! My first ever readalong and my attempt to strike Middlemarch off my TBR pile once and for all!

Today is Day 2 and so far, I am on schedule. All I need to do is read two chapters a day. I can do that. I usually read 100 pages a day! (When I am not swamped with work - but I am on holiday now, so let's ignore that place, shall we.)

My first impressions were not bubbling with enthusiasm. I will be the first to admit that it took a bit to get my head around the language. It has been a while since I have read an old classic. All the references to figures in those days, events etc., which require a glance in the back at the list of references, did not help either. It felt inaccessible and daunting. But! I pushed on! The language is now easier, the references have lessened and I am speeding up! Brilliant!

I don't want to discuss much of what I have read so far. After all, what can one really say about four chapters? But, just in case my initial impressions have put you off giving this a try, let me add my second impression. I have been finding some things amusing. Miss Brooke is quite the character. I am looking forward to tomorrow's two chapters to see what she gets up to next. I am also curious to see if the characters are as they seem.

Now on to some expectations (which I am sucking out of thin air for the most part, because I do not know what this book about - inexcusable considering I have owned it for so long). Every time someone says that women can't do this, or can't understand that, my bullshit buzzer goes off. Now, I know that George Eliot deliberately used a man's name because she felt that female authors were not taken seriously. So I am hoping that, expecting that, the female characters in this are not going to be ditsy. I expect them to be strong, clever and have an effect. And I hope that they are going to show this strength, cleverness and effectiveness in different ways. In time (or 6 weeks!) I will know.