Middlemarch

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Maureen O'Brien

Length: 32 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

George Eliot's most ambitious novel is a masterly evocation of diverse lives and changing fortunes in a provincial community.

Peopling its landscape are Dorothea Brooke, a young idealist whose search for intellectual fulfillment leads her into a disastrous marriage to the pedantic scholar Casaubon; the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamund and pioneering medical methods threaten to undermine his career; and the religious hypocrite Bulstrode, hiding scandalous crimes from his past.

As their stories interweave, George Eliot creates a richly nuanced and moving drama, hailed by Virginia Woolf as 'one of the few English novels written for adult people'. Middlemarch explores nearly all matters of concern to modern life, portraying an entire community and every class within it. Full of irony and suspense and even richer in character it shows how individual lives are shaped by and shape the community. Within Middlemarch, we find Eliot's ability to expand the audience's compassion and imagination.

George Eliot was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Her novels, largely set in provincial England, are well known for their realism and psychological insight. When Middlemarch was released Eliot was considered England's finest living novelist with many critics still regarding this novel as the finest in English.

A BAFTA winning adaptation of Middlemarch aired as a television series in 1994.

Narrator Biography

Maureen is an English actress and author best known for playing the role of Vicki in Doctor Who where she starred alongside the original Doctor, William Hartnell. She then went on to appear in The Legend of King Arthur, Casualty, The Duchess of Duke Street, Taggart, Cracker, A Touch of Frost, Heartbeat and Jonathan Creek. In 1985 she made a rare film appearance in the comedy She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas opposite Julie Walters.

Maureen has also appeared in a number of stage productions, for example, The Relapse (Old Vic), The Merchant of Venice (Old Vic), The Archbishop's Ceiling (Bristol Old Vic) and Othello (Bristol Old Vic).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Classic novel bears re-reading

In my retirement, I’ve finally took up the challenge to read Middlemarch. This is beautifully narrated and enchantingly written. I certainly plan to listen to it again in a year or two, as it is impossible to absorb rich character development in 32 hours.

Slow start, bawling by the end.

I was so invested in the Characters, I’m sad it’s over. I will definitely listen to this one again.

Extraordinary

One of the greatest books in the English language and required reading—or at least listening—for all!

Simply the best

Thoroughly understand now why Middlemarch is held in such high esteem. And it's very well narrated.

longer than it needs to be, but an excellent story

wonderful ending, great character development, profound ideas by the author, surprisingly funny.
rambles fairly often in the plot developments. I would recommend this book to someone who had patience.

So much fun!

Love listening to Stephen Fry anytime, and learning about Greek Mythology from him is a treat!

Perfect

No words can do justice to describe this book.

The audible performance is one of the best I've ever heard.

Magnificent writing, story & narration

Truly a book for the ages, Middlemarch is a masterpiece. I was saddened when it finished. I miss the various and colorful characters brought to life by the brilliant narrator. Overall one of my favorite books and audible experiences of all time.

Compelled me to dive into Eliot's other works

I echo the accolades, both for writer and narrator. I liked the complexity of each character with only a few flats, like Raffles. Feminine characters are breaking from the heretofore desired passivity but with mixed results, to their credit and discredit. On the other hand, even industrialists, politicians and financiers along with the token evil Methodist have a point or two of merit. I also appreciate Eliot's daring inclusion of lower class non-gentry, such as doctors. In fact, I’d recommend this novel to aspiring medical practitioners.
Eliot demonstrates the profound danger of pronouns and circumlocutions when the antecedents are unclear: romantic tragedy. She/ he also prefigures today’s pronominal chaos. I see the story also as a cautionary tale of welcoming outsiders; the community is well advised to be alert. Bulstrode, Rigg, Raffles, Lydgate and Ladislaw bring with them the seeds of their own destruction. Ahh, if only there were more people like Mary Garth in the world!

Essential Reading!!

George Eliot’s work never ceases to amaze me! She so deftly weaves together the lives of her characters and paints their world very vividly. You can’t help but feel sympathy for all of her characters, despite their faults. After you read this (which you most definitely should) you should pick up ‘Daniel Deronda’ My personal favorite of her works!