Silas Marner; the Weaver of Raveloe (original 1861; edition 1898)

That was fine. Good. Nice. Pleasant. I really liked a lot of the writing, which was often witty and perceptive, surprisingly modern-sounding and good enough to keep me interested throughout what is, I guess, a fairly slim book (just under 200 pages in large print, although the print wasn't as enormous as some large print can be) but the overall plot was fairly pedestrian. As a result, this only gets 3 stars and goes on my pile of books to get rid of, as I won't be needing to read it again. I might, however, pick up other George Eliot books, should they cross my path, on the basis of the quality of the writing. ( )

This is a book which countless teenagers have been forced to read as part of the school syllabus. For some reason I didn't have to read it when I was at school. I'm glad that's the case, because I've a feeling this would not have appealed to me very much when I was a teenager.

As has been the case when I've read other novels by George Eliot, it took a while for me to become fully engaged with the narrative. But once the links between the various characters became clear, listening to the audiobook (beautifully narrated by Nadia May) became a joy. Essentially a story about the redemption which can come through love, the novel has something of the fairytale about it. Eliot might be criticised for sentimentality, but this is ultimately a feel-good story with an important moral. Added to this are Eliot's deft characterisation, elegant prose and the sure manner in which she evokes Victorian village life. Overall, listening to this was a most enjoyable experience.

( )

The introduction writer was correct - this novel is rather like Thomas Hardy but *not annoying*. Possibly because the characters are actually likable and understandable in their motivations.

Generally a fun, moving little tale. I found Dunsie a cartoonish villain and the disposal of Eppie's mom rather heartless, but I loved the themes of chance and choice that thread through these characters lives - they can't control their lives, but whenever they give up their moral agency, bad stuff happens.

I also loved the narratorial voice at the beginning. It was like George Eliot was telling me a bedtime story. ( )

Good one ( )