This is my second George Eliot. I do like her writing. I plan to read all her books sometime, but I did like Adam Bede better.
I almost
quit after 120 pages. I did for awhile
and read another book, then I decided to give it another chance to keep me
awake. I didn’t like the
characters. The story centers on the
Tulliver family. Mr. Tulliver owns the
Mill on the Floss River, which has been in his family for generations. The mill has given him some village
distinction as a successful tradesman.
The family lives comfortably.
Mrs. Tulliver has 3 irritating sisters, who constantly correct and
criticize the children, Tom and Maggie.
The story is Tom and Maggie’s, but more Maggie’s. No one has patience for the little free
spirited child. She always seems to be
in trouble for one non-conforming action after another, like getting dirty,
being outspoken and cutting her own hair when everyone complains about how
messy it is. Maggie is tall with a dark
complexion and black unruly hair. She is
constantly being compared to one of the sister’s fair, petite and proper
daughters, Lucy.
Maggie’s
older brother Tom is favored and plans are made to send him to school when
Maggie is the real scholar. Maggie loves
her brother and longs for his acceptance and attention. Tom has Maggie’s heart but his frequent
censures constantly wound her. The
disappointment in this sibling relationship will plague Maggie to the end. She willingly sacrifices her own happiness
for her brother’s good favor.
The family
wrangling over money and criticizing the children was oppressive in the first
100 pages. I felt that Elliot spent too much
time on developing the characters before anything happened, but I understood
when the plot began to be evident in the last half of the book.
Mr. Tulliver
sacrifices to send Tom to be schooled with a pastor in a semi-private situation. Tom is not happy there learning Latin and
classic literature. He is more at home
in the woods killing rats. Philip Wakum
is Tom’s classmate who is indeed a scholar and an artist. Philip has a hunch back that makes him repugnant
to Tom. Maggie comes to visit Tom at
school and stays on several occasions, developing a connection with Philip. Their minds meet as friends and intellectual
equals, with no thought of Phillip’s looks and disabilities.
Mr. Tulliver
loses the Mill and family fortune in a nasty lawsuit with Philip Wakem’s
solicitor father. This event creates an
intense hate and hostility between the families and ends Tom’s schooling and
the friendship between Maggie and Philip.
Tom and Maggie leave home to work.
Tom’s
childhood friend Bob plays a pivotal role in the story. There is an interesting contrast between this
very poor boy and the rich Aunts, who are stingy, judgmental and non-supportive
to the Tulliver family in trouble. Bob earns a 10 pound reward for stopping a
fire on the wharf. He spends a pound on
himself and comes to Tom and Maggie, in their time of need, to offer them the remaining
9 pounds, because he believes they need
it more than he does. He buys books for
Maggie because he knows she loves them.
Later he brings Tom into his business ventures and ultimately shares his
home with them with no motives for personal gain.
Maggie grows
to be a uniquely beautiful woman, losing her childhood clumsiness, but not her
spunk and free spirit. Her lovely cousin
Lucy has long been her friend and ally.
Maggie leaves her position to visit Lucy and have a needed rest. Lucy is almost engaged to a dashing young man,
Stephen Guest. Stephen is thrown
together with Maggie for the long visit and becomes quietly besot with
her. Philip is also back in the
picture. The plot thickens as Maggie is forced
into a situation to break her brother’s heart (he has forbid her to see Philip)
or her dear cousin Lucy’s if she responds to Stephen’s advances.
The story
ends as a sad and poignant romance. George Elliot continues to write her
philosophical interludes as the story moves along, as she did in Adam Bede,
almost as a Godlike over looker of the events...not as often, but I still liked her insights. I am glad I read it but you must have some
stamina to get through the beginning. 3 ½
stars.
The BBC has
a 3 hour production of the book. The movie
begins with the irritating aunts and they are as hard to take as they were in
the book, only now they scream and hurt your ears. I have a great tolerance for British drama. I enjoyed it, but someone without my patience
or if you haven’t read the book you might not enjoy it as much. It was made in the 70’s and looks quite
dated. But it does follow the storyline nicely.
