Middlemarch Readathon: Book 2 – Old and Young
Paul’s thoughts on Book 2 of Middlemarch
Hasn’t January just flown by? I thought at this stage of the Middlemarch readathon I might start to feel a bit daunted with so many pages ahead. Far from it: I have really looked for the times when I can pick up my battered old Penguin copy of the book and spend time with George Eliot’s characters. For me as a reader it has been a real pleasure, although I am learning to breeze over some of the more Victorian wordy descriptions & dialogue and resist reaching for the dictionary on some of the less familiar words.
In Book 2 we are introduced to Dr Lydgate in a little more detail, and then plunged into the small-town debate over who will become the next hospital chaplain: Farebrother or Tyke. Although George Eliot is making points about the politics and religious debates of the early 1830s, I couldn’t help feeling that not much has changed. If you attend (or, more likely these days, Zoom into) a parish council meeting or a local group meeting almost anywhere in the UK, I am sure the pettiness, harassment and backbiting can still be found! In Middlemarch, Bulstrode’s true colours begin to show, and his hold over the lives of many of the Middlemarchers is definitely going to feature throughout the book. I am sure we all know people like him, either personally or by reputation.
Romance is never far away. You can’t help but feel sorry for Fred Vincy, being rejected by Mary Garth, and concerned for Lydgate’s potential infatuation with Rosamond Vincy. This is one of George Eliot’s great strengths, in my opinion: strong characterisation and then weaving the characters’ complex relationships. No more so than the honeymoon from hell in Rome for Casaubon and Dorothea, as the reality of her situation gradually dawns on her. Well, we knew it probably wouldn’t go well, didn’t we? Then Eliot spins her web and introduces Ladislaw as a potential diverting love interest. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds: will it save Dorothea from the loveless marriage? We’ll have to see.
I think Eliot particularly enjoys writing about Casaubon; there are some great descriptions in this section, such as this:
“… for no man was more incapable of flashy make-believe than Mr Casaubon: he was as genuine a character as any ruminant animal… How was it that in the weeks since her marriage, Dorothea had not distinctly observed but felt with a stifling depression, that the large vistas and wide fresh air which she had dreamed of finding in her husband’s mind were replaced by ante-rooms and winding passages which seemed to lead nowhither.”
Peter from our book group has created two fabulous documents for me to share, which I think will enhance your reading pleasure for the rest of the readathon. One is a list of the main characters that feature, and the other is a family tree of how they interrelate with each other. You can view them by clicking the links below:
So how are you all getting on? Are you rushing ahead, desperate to see what happens next, or have you hit one too many paragraphs of Victorian prose? Do let us know in the comments section.
© Paul Jeorrett 2022
2 Replies to “Middlemarch Readathon: Book 2 – Old and Young”
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Hello fellow Middlemarchers I have just finished reading book two. Poor Dorothea I had a feeling it wouldn’t go well with Casaubon but I so wanted to be wrong! What a honeymoon! I think Casaubon has realised he prefers the singleton lifestyle and Dorothea has recognised she made a big mistake. Ladislaw seems to be a kindred spirit so I’m intrigued to see what develops there.
Being a political animal I love the intrigue around the appointment for Chaplain. How many times I wonder does the best person not get the job! I’m looking forward to more politics developing.
I am so grateful to Peter for the character list it has saved me flicking pages backwards so many times and allowed me to enjoy reading the book much more! Thank you to Peter
I’ve found resting the book on a pillow saves the wrist ache! Onwards to book 3!
I’ve really enjoyed book 2, and reading it for the book club has made me take a harder look than I did when I previously read the book. I do wonder if this is colouring my feelings though. I enjoyed development of the characters, and the introduction of new characters, but did find the description of Lydgate very long .
I’m not sure I agree with Paul that Fred is a someone to feel sorry for. Both the Vinci’s are rather spoilt and use charm and good looks to manipulate people. I would say the major theme of this particular book is manipulation, either through charm or money or even Casaubon using his picture of an ideal wife and Dorothea’s Naivety . I found that interesting in the current climate, because we can all think of people who are using power and position to get their own way ! I do quite like it though, it’s almost a contest of opposites, the people who get by through their wits and those who are a bit more head in the clouds. There’s a lot of that going on.
I do wonder about Eliot’s own views on marriage, because she’s not painting a great picture of a couple on honeymoon, and if it’s coloured by the periods expectation that women can only aspire to be wives. There’s definitely a feel of marry in haste, repent at leisure, and neither of the Casaubon’s seem to have got what they expected. I think there’s also a bit of a judgy feel to this book, with lots of comments about Dorothea and Rosamund being too educated for their own good, Dr lydgate being too new, and lots of gossip about what makes a good dr, what makes a good vicar etc.
I’m looking forward to the next book , and seeing how everyone else’s take on it