Victorians! discussion

For those who have finished the book so please feel free to dicsuss all aspects including spoilers.

Finished Middlemarch. The last chapters really rushed to the ending. Alot of action in the last books. I agree that the middle of the book lagged a bit, but I guess that it was necessary to understand alot of information that would make the ending more understandable. I find it interesting that Eliot really paints the picture of people who had more idealistic expectations and goals to somehow not obtain what they were going for. They did not fail, but also did not live up to their expectations. ie. Lydgate and Dorothea. They instead, seemed to settle for 2nd best and were happy with their lot. I am wondering why she made an emphasis of this.
Still, the actions of Dorothea were a shear delight to read. She was trully selfless in the end and really looking out for people. Changed my opinion of her from the beginning of the book. In the end I believe Fred and Mary obtained a good life. Though they seemed to be the characters that were not shooting for any big goals in particular. Maybe this is trully the idea of what Middlemarch is as a place?
All in all it was a good read. And I did get sucked into it regardless of the middle part that seemed to drag on. I am now curious about Eliot's other books and how they compare.

" I find it interesting that Eliot really paints the picture of people who had more idealistic expectations and goals to somehow not obtain what they were going for. They didnt fail, but didn not live to their expectations. ie. Lydgate and Dorothea. They instead, seemed to settle for 2nd best and were happy with their lot. I am wondering why she made an emphasis of this."

I thought that this is one of the main themes of the book; people who themselves do not lead epic lives that they aspired for in their youths, but who continue to work for the good of mankind in obscurity. The last paragraph is a moving paean to them.

Sandybanks wrote: "" I find it interesting that Eliot really paints the picture of people who had more idealistic expectations and goals to somehow not obtain what they were going for. They didnt fail, but didn not l..."

Yes, it does seem to be what she was hitting on. Is that something that Eliot felt within herself or rather about herself? Or just something she admired.

Also in going over all the characters I was thinking on who was my favorite character that in the end stood out the most for me. I would definitely have to put Dorothea.

Scott, I have never read her biography, so I don't know what she was thinking when she wrote Middlemarch. But my feeling is that she did feel a little like Dorothea, although she ultimately became a successful novelist. And that she did sincerely admire the 'little' people who toil in obscurity to keep the world going.

Scott wrote: "Also in going over all the characters I was thinking on who was my favorite character that in the end stood out the most for me. I would definitely have to put Dorothea."

Yes, me too. There are some critics who think that Eliot put her on a pedestal, but I don't think so. Eliot could pretty harsh on her, especially at the beginning of the novel. If there is any character who Eliot was sentimental about, it must have been Mary Garth (and the whole poor but decent Garth family, too).

Sandybanks wrote: "If there is any character who Eliot was sentimental about, it must have been Mary Garth (and the whole poor but decent Garth family, too)..."

I absolutely agree with you on this one, I thought so too.