I finally finished it. Every last book, every last chapter, every last word! I have to say I feel a great sense of accomplishment making it through Middlemarch. I thought I would not make it to page 799! I feel much like Diana did when she finished it. It had been sitting on my pile for so long, that when this opportunity came up I thought it would be the perfect time and situation to tackle a book of this length and sophistication. After having read the entire book, I have to say that had I not been in a group and not had some sort of schedule (even though I was behind from week one), I wouldn't have completed it on my own. There are so many levels to this book, that I don't think I could intelligently give you any sort review or summary right now--it is all swimming around in my mind still. I think it is the sort of novel you read once just to introduce yourself to the characters and story and then must read it again to understand all the subtleties. Eliot most certainly can turn a mean sentence. I found that I had to really apply all my attention to the book when I was reading--if I was somewhere where I was easily distracted it was better to read something else. And it is much better to read this in chunks rather than bits and pieces. I can say that my opinions of characters have changed drastically from their introduction to the end of the book. My stumbling blocks were the many chapters of Reform talk...my mind did start to turn to jello at those times.
I do think this will deserve another read at some point in time, but now I want to choose a classic that is very slim and very opposite of Middlemarch! I think I am going to read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited next. How's that for something completely different! I do have to finish my two review books first,however: The Priest's Madonna and Wolf Boy. I hope to get both read by the end of this coming week. I am nearly done with the first and working away on the second! There is certainly never a dull moment in my little book world!