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Adam Bede by George Eliot - 4* - My Review

“Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds, and until we know what has been or will be the peculiar combination of outward with inward facts, which constitutes a man's critical actions, it will be better not to think ourselves wise about his character."

Published in 1859 and set in the fictional rural English village of Hayslope in 1799, this is the story of a town, focusing on two women and two men of different temperaments. Adam Bede is smitten by pretty Hetty Sorrel, a farmgirl, who dreams of becoming a lady of wealth and leisure. She is attracted to the squire’s son, Captain Arthur Donnithorne. Arthur does not mind a dalliance but is not about to marry a woman of lower social standing. Dinah Morris is a Methodist minister – a woman in this role would have been quite rare for the time. Dinah’s kind compassionate nature is contrasted with Hetty’s flightiness and frivolity. Adam’s serious principled disposition is contrasted with Arthur’s reckless selfishness.

To say this is a love triangle is to sell it short. It is a novel of many dimensions, including changing times on the cusp of a new century, restrictions due to social class, the role of women, religion, education, infatuation, shame, and manslaughter. Strengths of this book include the depth of the psychological development of the characters the depiction of their gradual transformations. It conveys an emotional depth that echoes through time. The story touched me deeply, especially in the climactic scenes. If I have one criticism, it is the denouement, which seems long and dragged out. Though definitely Victorian in its tone and style, it has the trappings of a timeless story of human nature. I enjoyed it very much.

I remember loving this when I read it (many many haircuts ago!) but I can’t remember a thing about the story. Definitely worth a re-read :)

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I'm not a crier, but I shed a tear or two - amazing writing that has stood the test of time. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the ending being so long after the climactic scenes. There is also the elaborate Victorian writing but that doesn't bother me too much.

Great review. I've been meaning to read her for a long time.

Thanks! I also enjoyed Middlemarch but it's a doorstopper.