Middlemarch

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Nadia May

Named for the fictional community in which it is set, Middlemarch is George Eliot's rich and teeming portrait of provincial life in Victorian England. In it, a panoply of complicated characters attempt to carry out their destinies against the various social expectations that accompany their classes and genders.

At the center of the narrative is Dorothea Brooke, a thoughtful and idealistic young woman determined to make a difference with her life. Enamored of a man she believes is setting this example, she traps herself into a loveless marriage. Her parallel is Tertius Lydgate, a young doctor from the city whose passionate ambition to spread the new science of medicine is complicated by his love for the wrong woman.

Epic in scope and unsurpassed in its study of human nature, Middlemarch is one of the greatest works of world literature.

Listen to the classics: peruse our full list of titles by George Eliot.(P)1994 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the few English novels written for grown-up people." (Virginia Woolf)
"One of the most profound, wise, and absorbing of English novels...and above all, truthful and forgiving about human behavior." (Hermione Lee)
"No Victorian novel approaches Middlemarch in its width of reference, its intellectual power, or the imperturbable spaciousness of its narrative....No writer has ever represented the ambiguities of moral choice so fully." (V.S. Pritchett)

In the middle

This book is set in middle class England in the 1800's. I believe it was written then as well. I was looking forward to listening to this based on the other reviews, but it fell short for me. It was VERY slow and hard to get into. I read a lot of books written in that time era, so I know how to read old english, but the storyline was about as so-so as the name implies. I suppose as a book to preserve the by-gone ways of life, it merits reading, but don't be expecting the greatness of many of the classics.

Great Book, esp. for intellectuals

Non-intellectuals may not be able to relate to Dorothea Causabon. I first read this when I had a long subway commute, so it flashed by me. Others may never make it to the end, which is too bad because the last line of this book is the best (and you don't understand it unless you read those that go before). Give me rarefied antique British drama any day. Our modern world is too complex.

Middlemarch review

Quite a wonderful tale, and beautifully read. Hours of good listening. Highly recommend this book.

Outstanding Novel; Marvelous Performance

This is a classic of English literature for good reason. Sure, it is written in mid-19th C language, but it you pay attention you will be richly rewarded. Profound insights into the themes of marriage and vocation permeate the story. Each major character, and there are many, is well developed and, almost without fail, never stereotyped. The performer, Nadia May, once again is able to convey the personality and nature of the characters by the tone, inflection, and pacing of her voice.

A wonderful look into everyday life of the period.

This is a light read no suspense or murder it is just a tale of the lives of people in a small community. The narrator has an excellent voice for the storyteller. The characters are all so typically self-centered for the period and class.
I love G.E.'s descriptive of every aspect of life and the motives behind the actions of some of the characters are simply astonishing.
I could have asked for a narrator with a little more of a sense of humor. Nadia seemed to have missed the whimsy evoked by commentary the author made at times.
However maybe I only found it amusing from an American stand point and the English are serious (who nows). Well worth the time it takes to listen.

Excellent narrator for a great novel

This is one of my favorite novels and Nadia May's narration was perfect in every way! Would listen to this audiobook again and again.

Wonderful classic

This is a true pearl of all British classics!Delightful description of society tainted with passion and wit, erudite literature but plenty of fun and entertainment! Read masterly too. Loved every second of it!

great book

took a while to get into it but when it did I stayed very strong.

So worth it

I tried to read this book once or twice over the years and just couldn't get into it. I have vague recollections of not resonating with Dorothea, and giving up when she considers marrying Casaubon. But, due to Nadia May's perfect reading, I now consider this novel to be one of my favorites. There was something about May's inflection that helped me to really understand and admire Dorothea, not to mention several other characters with whom I had hitherto been unable to sympathize. In an attempt to avoid giving anything away, I will resist the urge to copy and paste the last paragraph of the novel here, but suffice it to say that I think making it to the last paragraph would make reading this tome worthwhile even if it din't contain all of its other myriad charms. I will definitely be reading more George Eliot (and listening to more Nadia May) in the future.

excellent book, excellent narrator

excellent, thoroughly enjoyed, super long - 4 downloads!- but that only meant more pleasure, things got ever more lovely and interesting as the story advanced, pure pleasure, little shivers at the end :) this is the second book from nadia may i've listened to- she does an excellent job