The Mill on the Floss

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 18 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The Mill on the Floss, first published in 1860, tells the story of Maggie Tulliver and her brother Tom as they grow from children to young adults in the small rural town of St. Ogg's, England. Intelligent and passionate, Maggie yearns to develop her mind and break free of the constraints of her provincial village. Though she loves her brother above anyone else, Tom's rigid, pragmatic personality often conflicts with Maggie's headstrong nature, with increasingly tragic consequences. A classic novel of development, The Mill on the Floss is George Eliot's most autobiographical work. Through the characters of Tom and Maggie, Eliot examines themes of gender, education, and personality formation, and her portrayal of the town of St. Ogg's is both a brilliant depiction of provincial narrow-mindedness and constraining social norms and an intelligent commentary on the changes to rural life brought about by the forces of industrialization. The Mill on the Floss is an enduring portrait of love, family, and individuals striving to create their own destinies, one whose words and characters resonate as vividly today as they did for Eliot's first readers.

Public Domain (P)2011 Tantor

Hated it ! Can I have my money back?

I could not understand one word the narrator said! I stopped listening after the 1st 10 minutes. I did try 2 different times because I thought it may have been my state of mind the 1st time, but it was just as bad the 2nd time. The Cockney english accent was just too difficult to understand, and frankly I just didn't think it was worth it. Can I have my money back?

FAMILIES

George Eliot is a woman by the name of Mary Anne Evans. The name George Eliot hides and explains a double standard that existed before Adam and Eve and continues through today. George Eliot transgressed morality in the 1860s by living with a married man, until his death, when writing “The Mill on the Floss”. “The Mill on the Floss” is semi-autobiographical.

Very little social stigma follows men for illicit love affairs but no review of Eliot’s work escapes her association with George Henry Lewes. (As noted in Wikipedia: George Henry Lewes was an English philosopher and critic of literature and theatre. He became part of the mid-Victorian ferment of ideas which encouraged discussion of Darwinism, positivism, and religious skepticism.) Lewes became an important part of Eliot’s awakening as a literary artist; a role given substance by her life and experience with Lewes; not that Lewes was the source of her inherent ability, but an ability that could have been constrained, if not lost, in the social conventions of that day if not for Lewes’ support.

This is a wonderful classic that has as much to say about today as it did when it was published in 1860. Eliot’s book is not meant to change human nature (as if any book could), or the way we raise our children, but it helps explain why things happen as they do.

Normally a tactile read not a listen

I enjoyed this story, but honestly felt it lost something in the narration. The reader wasn't bad, it is jist that some stories and characters are so vivid in your mind that the voice distracts from the story. Not an enjoyable listen, but a great sad story.

A little strange, but likable.

Not a barn burner by any measure, but a good look at life in a different age. Good narration, I had no difficulty understanding the various accents used and done quite will by Ms. McCaddon. The story is slow but well made, though the ending is puzzling. Overall the book left me with a mildly positive impression, I could not, however, recommend it with much zeal. Still not a bad listen.

Classic English Novel

I was interested until the very end... which was disappointing! But, still a good story.

Mill on the Floss

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

No. See below.

Any additional comments?

Despite the bucolic title and setting, the recording was apparently accelerated to the point of hardly being able to follow it. It was probably not the narrator's doing. The producer probably wanted to save on recording time, a not unreasonable desire. However, it detracted significantly from my enjoyment of the book.

Reader unacceptable!

Reader’s voices were unpleasant & often incomprehensible. I will likely read the paper book some day.

Only for those who love Victorian writng

ETA: Eliot can write. She has a great vocabulary, but so does a dictionary.


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I finished 3 minutes ago. I will write the review later..... but this is just to explode!!!! The ending sucks. TERRIBLE ending. I think that is one of the worst endings I have ever come across. The ending is unbelievable and soppy. (view spoiler) There must be something wrong with me. I simply have no idea how others can like this book, and many, many do. Any hope I had for giving this book two or three stars is gone. I will write more and try and explain after I have cooled down.

TERRIBLE BOOK, just my personal opinion of course.


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I am shocked that I react so differently to most others who read this book. I can understand that others like Victorian literature, while I don’t. I find it too wordy, too convoluted and too moralizing. Very rarely do books of romance appeal to me; so few books are capable of capturing true love in all its ins and outs. Finally I am disappointed with the main character, Maggie Tulliver. I wanted to shake her. She was incredibly self-effacing. You saw this from page one. Her inability to make up her mind about what she wanted for herself and from her life, her inability to make choices and stick with them, this is what brought about her own downfall. No, I do not feel sorry for her; I am mad at her.

The narration by Wanda McCaddon was excellent. You knew exactly who was speaking at each moment.

My reviews are highly personal. They reflect only how I personally react to a book. It is clear that Eliot can write; she has complete control over her words. Sometimes I would smile and say that was cleverly put, but on the whole her style does not appeal to me, and the ending tipped the balance from OK to bad.

Wanda McCaddon is amazing

What made the experience of listening to The Mill on the Floss the most enjoyable?

Wanda McCaddon's reading was just an absolute delight to listen to. She's right up there with Jim Dale in terms of using different voices for all the characters. I will definitely look for more books narrated by her.

What about Wanda McCaddon’s performance did you like?

Everything.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Well, it's 18 hours, so no.

I couldn't understand the narrator...

I know Wanda McCaddon is extremely talented and many followers just love her. Yet she performed TOO well. She nailed the accents so perfectly that for the life of me I could not understand a word they were saying. About 20 minutes into it, I simply gave up. I'm sure this is an amazing novel to read... I think this is one of those times where the audiobook isn't the way to go. Such a bummer. I was looking forward to it, too...