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Summary: Another Eliot winner.
Review: The truly amazing thing about George Eliot is her ability to make readers not just care, but actually ache for the characters in her novels. The tale of Maggie Tolliver has to be one of the most gut-wrenching in the whole of English literature. Unlike earlier reviewers, I found her trials totally believable, given the time in which she lived -- a time when women had absolutely no rights and were generally at the mercy of their fathers, brothers and husbands. I did not find the fact that Maggie's sense of duty, honor and decency forbade her from eloping with her cousin's fiancé the slightest bit implausible. What is sad is that modern-day readers mistake her nobility for "wimpishness."
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Summary: A Minor Work by George Eliot
Review: There is nothing like an obtuse, clotted introduction to impede a good book. For George Eliot's "The Mill on the Floss," The introduction contributes nearly 50 pages of dense literary criticism that numbs the head, darkens the spirit, and creates grave doubts that this book is worth reading for anyone with less than a doctorate in English literature. There is nothing better than reading a good novel. Likewise, there is nothing worse than reading literary criticism that employs the obscurantist principles of the type that infect this introduction. After threading a path through these paragraphs that loom like mountains of iron, it is presumed one is ready to embark on Eliot's novel.George Eliot, a.k.a Mary Ann Evans, wrote several novels in the mid 19th century. "The Mill on the Floss," written in 1859-60, is not considered one of her better novels. That distinction falls to "Middlemarch," a book that is often referred to as "the best English language novel ever written." Others compare Eliot to Dickens, with the astute observation that Eliot's prose is loftier and her plots are composed with a greater intellectual ability. Wherever your preferences may lie in regards to 19th century English literature, Eliot's novels will find their way to your bookshelf. She's an important enough figure in the English literary canon that an opinion on her writings is an absolute necessity. Eliot's writing is a large tapestry woven with biblical, classical, and English literary threads, as paragraph after paragraph, page after page, unfurls into a beautifully formed whole. Characters and atmosphere are masterfully etched in ink and paper as Eliot constructs a story exposing the contradictions and capriciousness of English provincial life in the 19th century. The ornate prose and intellectual brilliance found here can quickly overwhelm the literary novice. This is not a book for speed-reading or a quick weekend read. Passages must be reread and thought about in order to draw out Eliot's intentions. "The Mill on the Floss" tells the story of two families, the Tullivers and the Dodsons, with special emphasis on Maggie and Tom Tulliver. The story covers over a decade of trials and tribulations within these two families, from the bucolic innocence of childhood on the banks of the Floss, to the bankruptcy of the Tulliver family and their subsequent exile from the family home of Dorlcote Mill. Roughly the last half of the book examines the travails of Maggie, as she falls in love with Phillip Wakem, the hunchbacked son of the lawyer who brought about the ruin of the Tullivers. Maggie's intentions with the enemy bring on the wrath of brother Tom, who has sworn to his father to oppose the Wakems with every ounce of his strength. When Stephen Guest (the beau of Maggie's cousin Lucy) suddenly woos Maggie, the connections become even more tangled (Guest is such an annoying addition to the story that Penguin saw fit to include an essay at the end of the book entitled, "The Placing of Stephen Guest," in an attempt to justify his presence.). Tom and Maggie reconcile in an ending that is both redemptive and poignant. A surprising element of the novel is its humor. It is not the staccato, rim shot humor one finds in America, but a slow, ingratiating British wit that builds over the course of dozens of pages. This humor is most apparent early in the story, when characters are introduced and Eliot examines the troubles of childhood. By the time things begin to decline for the Tullivers, the humor disappears from the story. This use of humor is unexpected from such an august figure as Eliot. What is even more surprising is the use of British vernacular in the dialogue of the characters. This may be due to Eliot's love of Sir Walter Scott, an author who made copious use of Scottish accent in his fictional novels. Regrettably, this "British brogue" doesn't work as well here as it does in Scott's work. All too often, the dialect drops out of dialogue, leaving the reader to wonder how the characters can switch between perfect English and provincial slang. Perhaps Eliot's novel is best summed up in her statement, "I am telling the history of very simple people, who had never had any illuminating doubts as to personal integrity and honour." There is honor and integrity, such as duty to family and stoicism in the face of harrowing losses. However, this is ultimately a sad book, and quite effective in showing how social norms and narrow mindedness can ruin lives and create needless sorrow. This may not be Eliot's best work, but it definitely deserves due consideration by lovers of classic literature.
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Summary: This was one of Proust's favorite novels. No wonder.
Review: There were certain passages of The Mill on the Floss, Proust once told a friend, that never failed to move him to tears. No wonder: In its exact and evocative attention to detail, vivid characterizations and profound understanding of human thought and motive, The Mill on the Floss had an obvious and startling influence on A' La Recherche du Temps Perdu. The Mill on the Floss is melodramatic, sure, but melodrama was the bread and butter of Victorian English novelists; compared with David Copperfield, for example, The Mill on the Floss is a model of restraint. George Eliot creates here an indelible portrait of St. Ogg's, an English provincial town whose residents lead lives "irradiated by no sublime principles, no romantic visions, no active, self-renouncing faith." In particular, she creates Maggie Tulliver, one of the most memorable characters in all literature, whose quest for sublime principles and romantic visions puts her into direct conflict with her neighbors and with Tom, her stubborn, unimaginative brother. The book's tragic ending is superbly haunting, and has helped to make it a deserved favorite of readers for nearly 150 years.
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Summary: NOT for Modern Readers
Review: This book should be read by everyone and anyone who is able to appreciate good Victorian literature, George Eliot's THE MILL ON THE FLOSS is one of the greatest creations. Too bad she isn't getting all the hype flowery Austen and quite dull Forster is getting in Hollywood.
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Summary: Great Brother-Sister read
Review: This classic novel depicts the struggles of a brother and a sister throught the rough times of their father's business. But more to the story is the characterization of the brother and sister relationship that is truely sad and tragic. Not only does Eliot prove that she knows human compassion and love, but that she combines true emotionalism with reader involment. This is truely a classic to read if you have a brother or sister.
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Summary: Why George Eliot is a genius
Review: This is a beautifully heart wrenching novel, a talented piece to be ignored in any way whatsoever. It portrays the grimmer side of what should be the typically happy fairy tale
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Summary: Much more than a brother/ sister story
Review: This is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone. While I don't believe that this story can be placed in real life, I think that it does typify the style of literature in this period. In Maggie, there is someone who is truly an innocent, but through her life, teaches herself to take what life gives her and not fight for the things she truly loves. Only at the end, does she realize that she does have to have some kind of passion in her life. However, her duty/need to be accepted by her family tugs her in the opposite direction. In Tom, the duty to family is exemplified--to an extreme. His narrowness drives people away, and although he is to be respected for his drive to overcome, it comes at a high price. It is left to the reader to decide if it was truly worth the cost. Phillip, in my mind, is the hero of the story. Born with a deformity, he is accepted by those one would think would shun him. His outlook is to find passion in everything--for instance, if you don't sing well, don't let that stop you...as long as you are passionate about it, it will be fine. In Maggie, he finds someone that he can care about and who cares about him. Be ready for a great story.
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Summary: Wonderfully Evolved
Review: This is a marvelous study of a character -- George Eliot was a genuine craftswoman -- you cannot help but feel her love for her characters, nor can you help delighting in the way she so finely sculpts them into souls. The story gives us a wonderful heroine - Maggie - and we feel her struggles and her passions. We see her evolve upon her very human path -- we come to love her family and friends, even with their faults. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel - even though it bogged itself down in spots - it was worth trudging through. The ending is beautifully written. I had tears streaming down my face - it was so moving.
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Summary: The Power of Blood ties
Review: This is a wonderful family book. How people you dislike can tear your family appart. The beauty of this book was astounding.
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Summary: almost perfect
Review: This novel begins with an excellent exmaination of childhood and introduces us to a brother and sister who really don't know each other in some fundamental ways. Maggie is a girl with depth and true character and her brother simply considers her rebellious. The novel is a fascinating look at an insular world, social constraints and the place of Woman. I found the family discussions comic and truthful, and Maggie's later struggles very real. The ending left me tired and feeling somewhat manipulated . . .but also weeping. Truly great.
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