Middlemarch

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Length: 35 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Dorothea Brooke is an ardent idealist who represses her vivacity and intelligence for the cold, theological pedant Casaubon. One man understands her true nature: the artist Will Ladislaw. But how can love triumph against her sense of duty and Casaubon’s mean spirit? Meanwhile, in the little world of Middlemarch, the broader world is mirrored: the world of politics, social change, and reforms, as well as betrayal, greed, blackmail, ambition, and disappointment.

Dorothea Brooke is an outstanding heroine; Middlemarch is filled with characters that are vivid and true, comic and moving. It is one of the greatest novels in the English language.

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Public Domain (P)2011 Naxos AudioBooks

Masterpiece of English literature read perfectly

Never cease to be amazed and enamored with Juliet Stevenson's reading...and with such exquisitely crafted prose it brought tears to my eyes during even the most mundane parts of the story. Not the most quest-filled adventure of all time to say the least, more of a dramatic slice of life, but it did have a beginning, middle and end that were most enjoyable ;-)

Wonderful rendition of a great novel

The narration of this classic novel was so wonderful. Juliet Stevenson is a great character actress and she plays all of the myriad large and small roles to perfection here. This is one of the greatest novels in the English language, and she does it justice. Brilliant!

An essential Victorian novel, superbly read.

What made the experience of listening to Middlemarch the most enjoyable?

George Eliot must be one of the most gorgeous prose stylists who ever wrote in English. Her psychological insights are astounding. But just looking at the many pages and the small print in the book itself is daunting -- so it's lovely to have it read to you by a first-rate reader.

What other book might you compare Middlemarch to and why?

I think the brilliant novels of Edith Wharton -- especially "The House of Mirth." But, because of the complex double- and triple-plotting, something by Dickens is probably the closest match. To me Eliot is superior to Dickens.

Which character – as performed by Juliet Stevenson – was your favorite?

Stevenson is a superb reader, but I think her male voices are a bit exaggerated and often do not fit my visual image of the characters. Her female voices (surprise!) are the most effective. This temptation of readers to "act" everything out is often more of a distraction than an asset.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire saga of Dorothea Casaubon is a moving feminist statement, but Eliot carefully balances this with the saga of the young doctor, Tertius Lydgate. The plotting is amazingly good.

Any additional comments?

One of the great books in English. Belongs on a Top Ten list.

Juliet Stevenson FOR THE WIN.

Any additional comments?

I listen to a lot of audiobooks and this one -- oh, this one is, unquestionably, the best.

Juliet Stevenson manages to make language that is forbiddingly inaccessible to many who attempt to sit down and read Middlemarch, amazingly vital and natural. Scenes that feature a bunch of old men talking about land grants suddenly become funny! She has an uncanny ability to create such a variety of distinct, emotionally realized characters, combined with an unparalleled mastery over incredibly difficult language.

I have to admit, I opened up a copy of Middlemarch after listening to this, and I was astonished. Stevenson's performance is so natural, accessible, and perfectly communicates the meaning and intention of the language, that I had no idea how difficult the book really was. A masterpiece of the English language - and an incredibly rewarding story, yes, yes - but it's Stevenson's performance that elevates this audiobook to a level of sublimity. I can't say enough good things about it.

One of the best books I've ever read/listened to

The book is very long and there were times that it drug a little, but this can probably be attributed to my mainly listening to it in the car in traffic. Having never read George Eliot, I can truthfully say that the way she constructs a story, interweaves numerous characters, establishes distinct personalities and backstories as well as clever dialogue was ingenious. She is, in my opinion, right up ther with Dickens and Tolstoy in terms of the construction of a novel. But, what really made this so enjoyable was the performance of Juliet Stevenson. She is masterful at different voices and bringing the story to life. I think she's one of the best narrators I've heard. I am glad to have experienced Middlemarch. I had it in my library for months before finally listening to it. I'm so glad I did.

Masterwork!

Need I say more? It’s George Eliot!
So let me touch on the narration. Juliet Stevenson did an excellent job. By that I mean her narration of each character breathes personality into them. You can identify the character speaking simply by their voice; she is that consistent! If you took away all the identifications of she said, he said, so and so said”: you’d still remember who by name the character voice speaking.
This is a delightful book. The author definitely understands human nature. I loath an author who doesn’t get at least human nature right in a work like this.
I nearly felt like I was there, a visitor inside the story. Nearly, but happily remained a spectator observing their world from the outside. I do not know if achieving full immersion is so important to you but you will like observing with entertainment and delight as well.

Excellent performance

What made the experience of listening to Middlemarch the most enjoyable?

Juliet Stevenson is an excellent narrator. Her pace was just right and her portrayal of the various characters, male and female, was superb. Would search out other audiobooks just for her narration.

Which scene was your favorite?

Am about 3/4 of the way through, don't have a favorite scene yet.

Any additional comments?

Middlemarch has been on my "to read" list for a long time. Have also wanted to see the BBC adaptation, but wanted to wait and read the book first. Listening has been a great experience because of the story and the narrator. Wish I knew more about the history/politics of the setting, which I might have gotten through the notes when reading the book, but have understood enough to enjoy the story. Will go back and research later. Have been surprised at how funny some of George Eliot's dialogue is.

A wonderful narration

There is no need to comment on the book. It stands on its own. However, I must praise the narration by Juliet Stevenson. I have only recently begun to listen to rather than read books as a matter of convenience, and I was quite surprised to find how engaging the experience is, having previously only listened to nonfiction. All of the different accents and tones employed by the narrator for each character were truly novel and, thus, made the novel so much more accessible and enjoyable.

Middlemarch and Beyond

Any additional comments?

Middlemarch by George Eliot was definitely not what I expected. I assumed that it might be somewhat Avant-garde, and maybe it was at the time. It was unusual for a woman to be an author at that time, hence the pen name George Eliot taken by Mary Ann Evans. In 2014, however, the book would not be considered eccentric or Avant-garde. It reminds me a lot of books written by Louisa May Alcott, who was born about twenty years after Evans.

Middlemarch, as a novel, was very long and from another period in time. It was enjoyable, but also a bit overwhelming. After listening to the 35+hour audio book, I have to admit that I liked Middlemarch and all of its citizens. I came to understand and like all of the main female characters: Dorothea Brooke, Mary Garth and Rosamond Vincy, in particular. Their stories of love, disillusion and resolution are universal. The political and societal changes that were beginning in Middlemarch were also occurring in England and beyond. Other themes also occurred throughout the book.

I would highly recommend reading My Life in Middlemarch either before or after reading Middlemarch. It really gave me a better understanding of the significance of Eliot’s writing and of Middlemarch itself. I do intend to do some more reading on Eliot and Middlemarch. I found a graduate paper titled: “Louisa May Alcott and George Eliot on Class, Gender and Marriage”, written by Elizabeth Michelle Meyers in December 2010. I’m going to read it, because I think it will be an interesting read and may help me better understand the works of both authors. I’m sure there are other sources that would be equally valuable. For me, just listening to Middlemarch was not enough. I’ve gained a lot from going beyond the book itself, and my journey is not over yet.

Impressive performance by Juliet Stevenson

This 900 page novel, hailed as perhaps the greatest of its era, may seem a daunting exercise to read off the page. But the vocal performance is so masterful that it serves to bring the story to life in a compelling and accurate way. The narrator seems uniquely sensitive to the written intentions of the author. And it is no surprise to hear the characters delivering a line that whose performance is then almost immediately described in the text. Possibly one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to.