However, (and I'm sorry to post another slightly negative review), it was probably not the best George Eliot to start with. The introduction acknowledges that this work is atypical for Eliot - it was written in 1859, but not published until 1878, and it is certainly not as popular as her other "classic" novels.
It takes the unusual theme of ESP and clairvoyancy; Latimer, the principle character discovers one night that he has powers in this area, and has a vision of a "pale, fatal eyed woman". He later meets her and discovers that she is the fiancee of his brother. He gets visions filled with warnings but is unwilling to take action on them. The most interesting concept for me in the book was the way that Eliot explains how it is human nature to end up getting involved in situations that one knows one should be avoided; this takes on an even weightier message given the clairvoyancy involved for Latimer.
There is another George Eliot VMC, Brother Jacob.
Two Virago covers, both featuring the same image, presumably meant to imply Bertha? My copy is the later one.
I've been looking at this one for a while but it just isn't calling me. It does seem untypical of George Eliot. I read and loved the opening of Brother Jacob, only to have it disappear. I suspect its fallen down behind my desk. Such are the perils of reading small volumes. And do try the big books one day - I love them!
ReplyDeleteGasp and shock all round - never read any Eliot?! Daniel Deronda is superb, Middlemarch was good but over long. This sounds incredibly atypical of the usual Eliot fare - don't let it put you off!
ReplyDeleteThis is the only Eliot I've read, though I have a few others on the shelf. The Lifted Veil made me curious to read more of her. I also found it interesting that Latimer was completely aware of the situation yet made poor decisions anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid a bad experience of English literature GCSE meant I never did A Level English Lit (which I would probably have loved) and thus never really had the chance to read classics. If I'm honest, until this year, when I got ill, my reaidng mostly consisted of chick lit, childrens books with the odd bit of contemporary literary fiction. It was only when I began reading so much that I couldn't take so much fluff!
ReplyDeleteWell I have read some Eliot, and still fail to get on with her, your review confirms my suspicion that she's probably not really for me.
ReplyDeleteHayley - I can't absolutely say this, but I don't think Eliot should be judged from this one book. That is what the introduction led me to believe anyway.
ReplyDeleteI have read The Lifted Veil or Brother Jacob but honestly can't remember which (I own both of them which is causing the confusion); I'm pretty sure it's this one due to the supernatural theme.
ReplyDeleteI have also read Middlemarch and agree with Rachel that it is good but overly wrong.
Overly wrong?! Love the typo :) I wonder how many other long books that could be applied too ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope to have better luck with Brother Jacob.
Haha - Freudian slip! Hmm, The Children's Book perhaps? ;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any George Eliot either and it's one of those things I feel quite ashamed of. I grabbed one of those cheapy Wordsworth books by her a few months ago, Scenes of a Clerical Life, which is 3 longish stories which I thought sounded rather good. I plan to give those a go soon so I can least say I've read something by her.
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