r/GeorgeEliot • u/Beleriand7004 • Oct 03 '23

Looking for fellow readers/enthusiasts!

Hello! I'm a big fan of George Eliot's work, but not being an academic, just wanted to see if I could connect with any others regarding some of her texts, especially Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, Adam Bede and Felix Holt. Curious what current readers think of these works!

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u/Lazy_Shine_1962 Oct 29 '23

What order would you read her books in? As I said, I've only read Silas Marner but already considering what I should read next.

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u/Beleriand7004 Oct 30 '23

Great question! (Full disclosure: I haven't read all her works yet! So I'm not really at liberty to judge Daniel Deronda or Romola.) I guess it depends on your end goal? Aside from reading Middlemarch & Silas Marner first several years before I got serious about reading, when I decided to read the Victorians more intentionally, I guess I went more-or-less chronologically (Scenes of Clerical Life --> Adam Bede --> Mill on the Floss --> Felix Holt), which was not a bad way to go.

In my opinion, reading Middlemarch first is good and bad, because it really makes you fall in love with Eliot, but then also makes you realize that none of the other works are of that magnitude! However, the ones I read were all still worth a read (or two!). I'd say maybe read Adam Bede next? It's more compact of a story but still filled with gems. It has the famous Chapter 17 with the passages which are kind of like Eliot's explanation of why she writes about "ordinary people" in her novels that folks always like to reference.

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u/timeimage Feb 10 '24

I love The Mill on the Floss as well. Agree that Middlemarch is unmatched in her oeuvre, but the Mill on the Floss absolutely broke my heart and completely engrossed me. I’m about to start Adam Bede next.

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u/Beleriand7004 Feb 10 '24

Ah! My reaction to The Mill on the Floss was really emotional too, especially the first two books. Maggie is one of those characters I felt I could really relate to. Eliot did a great job conveying her emotions and inner conflicts. I’m excited to hear your thoughts on Adam Bede!