Daniel Deronda by George Eliot

[solosundance]

Publication date: 1876
Edition: Penguin Classics, 1986
Length:  883 pages
Source: second-hand bookshop

Summary from the jacket:  With her hero Deronda, [Eliot] set out to come to terms with the English Jews, a society-within-a-society which her contemporaries seemed to be either oblivious of, or to hold in contempt.  With her heroine, Gwendolen Harleth

Comments

[inverarity]

I haven't read any George Eliot, but I saw the Daniel Deronda Masterpiece Theater miniseries, which I thought was very good. (The most memorable character for me was Gwendolen's brute husband -- I really, really wanted to see her do something un-Victorian like cut his throat while he was sleeping.)

Thanks for the review -- I just read some Dickens and I'll have to check out Eliot one of these days.

[solosundance]

Although it's not a short one, I'd highly recommend Middlemarch - just a fabulous book! And it's on the 1001 isn't it? It must be! *runs off to look*

[christina_reads]

Nice review! I read this book last year and really enjoyed it, although Middlemarch definitely remains my favorite Eliot.

[solosundance]

oh I agree, I think I'd put Middlemarch right up in my top whatever :) Lovely stuff! I've never tackled Felix Holt or Romola which I guess would be good to do sometime.

[yael_heiman]

I read this one a few years back and I didn't think much of it. I didn't like Deronda's reaction to his self-revelation at the end of the book.

[solosundance]

you mean his reaction to finding out about his parentage? I just felt sad that his mother sent him away a second time...

[yael_heiman]

I didn't understand his sudden pride in finding out about his roots. Ethnic pride is something that makes very little sense to me, especially pride for a culture in which you never grew up.