The George Eliot Project | Wrap Up & Ranking

00:00 Intro
00:46 Background
02:48 Ranking
18:02 Final Thoughts

[Bryndisdaugtherofgunnar]

So far I've only read Middlemarch, which I loved, but now I definitely want to read more by her. Excellent video 😊

[Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

Ohhh I'm excited abt your new project!!

[Thecatladybooknook_PennyD]

I love that you did this! I've read 3 novels and Scenes. So far Daniel Deronda is my fav with The Mill on the Floss being a close second. I'll be working on a few more later this year. There's definitely something there that I love despite the pacing issues.

[melissahouse]

This was a great (& funny) GE wrap up & yes i have *very* similar feelings to you re the three ive read; 1. Romola 2. DDeronda 3. Middlemarch (major pacing issues), you're not selling me on MOTFloss (& its the one remaining on my shelf) 😆🧐 I also love the 18th century so i may jump in vicariously (?) with u next year i have a ton of related stuff 🤓Gonna finally watch the DD adaptation this weekend in honour of your completed project 🤗💞☺

[katiejlumsden]

Totally agree that she does not know how to pace!

[denisadellinger]

Rereads: Let's not and say we did. I liked Adam Bede. I think I read Daniel Deronda. I know I saw the adaptation. I do want to read Romala. I was singing the name Theophrastis Such''s name in a base voice knowing you were going to mention him first. You have to use humor for the urbane. Looking forward to the 18th century project. I'm reading Maria Edgeworth like that only not in order.

[JosephFrancisBurton]

Elizabeth, I caught your project somewhere around mid-way, but I am going back occasionally to listen to your older videos. I know how strange it feels to complete a major project like this, so big CONGRATULATIONS on that..!! I also finished my own George Eliot project about 3 months ago, and mine took about 6 1/2 years to read every novel, essay, poem, short story, book review and translation that George Eliot ever published during her lifetime. OK, I confess I only read 2 of her 3 translations - I found her translation of Spinoza's _Ethics_ to be unreadable, but I justify not reading it by the fact that it was not published until about 100 years after her death HAHA. I was not aware that George Henry Lewes hid unfavorable reviews from her, thank you for sharing that trivia, and really I am not surprised - you are right, she seems to have stressed over her novels a great deal. My ranking and yours have a lot of similarities, but a few differences: I did not rank Theophrastus Such as I do not consider it a novel, but I DID include her epic poem The Spanish Gypsy in mine. I split up the three short stories in Scenes of Clerical Life, since they were originally published separately and attributed anonymously ('George Eliot' did not appear as an author until Adam Bede, when the publisher John Blackwood demanded a name, even a pseudonym, from George Henry Lewes). Daniel Deronda was also at the top of my list, and I agree with you also that it is a near masterpiece. Fascinating that Mill on the Floss gets worse on each re-read! I loved that novel, but I had never read any George Eliot before starting my own project. I also agree with you that Middlemarch is not her best novel, in fact I think it is wildly overrated, in fact I think a lot of the people on YouTube who claim they love it so much are fakers. Thank you for uploading these videos to this challenging reading project - I really enjoyed hearing the thoughts of another George Eliot fanatic. Since you asked for it, here is my ranking from least to personal favorite:

Brother Jacob
Mr Gilfil
Silas Marner
Janet's Repentance
The Lifted Veil
Middlemarch (yeah this one is low on the list)
Amos Barton (my pick for the best short introduction to George Eliot)
Romola
The Spanish Gypsy
Adam Bede
Felix Holt the Radical (I agree with you, this novel is surprisingly great)
Mill on the Floss
Daniel Deronda.