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Scenes of Clerical Life Audiobook
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(3.02) - 513 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
George Eliot's brilliant fiction debut contains three stories from the lives of clergymen, with the aim of disclosing the value hidden in the commonplace.
"The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton" portrays a character who is hard to like and generally despised—until his suffering shocks others into fellowship and sympathy.
In "Mr. Gilfil's Love-Story," young Caterina is courted by two opposite men: Wybrow, who is capable of loving only himself, and Mr. Gilfil, whose love is selfless.
"Janet's Repentance" recounts a conversion from sinfulness to righteousness, achieved through the selfless endeavors of an evangelical clergyman.
Written more than a decade after her break with the Christian faith, these tales represent Eliot's search for a "religion of humanity" compatible with the best qualities of Christianity.
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"Broken up into three short novellas. The beginning of each new story lost my interest, but by the end of each I was totally riveted. This was especially true of the last story about Janet Dempster, which was a hope filled story about overcoming domestic violence and substance abuse. "
— MaryAnn (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The exquisite truth and delicacy, both of the humour and the pathos of those stories, I have never seen the like of.”
— Charles Dickens -
“As one comes back to [Eliot’s] books after years of absence, they pour out, even against our expectations, the same store of energy and heat, so that we want more than anything to idle in the warmth.”
— Virginia Woolf -
“May leads the pack…bringing subtleties and shadings to her interpretations that few can equal.”
— Whitney Scott -
“It is a first-rate novel, and its author takes rank at once among the masters of the art.”
— Times (London)
Scenes of Clerical Life Listener Reviews
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" George Eliot bliss at its beginnings. Excellent characters "
— Martina, 12/11/2013 -
" Not a lot of action, but the novels contain some excellent sentences. "
— Dan, 12/7/2013 -
" Broken up into three short novellas. The beginning of each new story lost my interest, but by the end of each I was totally riveted. This was especially true of the last story about Janet Dempster, which was a hope filled story about overcoming domestic violence and substance abuse. "
— MaryAnn, 1/8/2013 -
" A wonderful book, full of humanity, vivid characters and exquisite writing. "
— Tom, 11/10/2012 -
" Delightful vignettes of life in late eighteenth century rural England. Over two hundred years later, Eliot still provokes feeling and visual clarity that crosses generations and countries. The woman was a magical writer. "
— Denise, 3/6/2012 -
" I somehow managed to leave The Golden Notebook at our favorite breakfast joint. Wanting to read but lacking a book, I picked up this Eliot volume last night. Absolutely wonderful so far. "
— Courtney, 8/19/2011 -
" I loved this. George Eliot is incredibly clever and I think totally understands people and their inner workings. The third story (this is three short-ish stories) had a verrrrrry long beginning but once it got going, it was worth it. "
— Lyndsey, 6/1/2011 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of George Eliot's first works. It is hard to say which of the three novellas I liked best. "Janet's Repentance" and "Mr. Gilfil's Love-Story" had characters I identified with and had sympathy for. "
— JoAnn, 11/11/2010 -
" These vignettes are merely okay - Eliot's definitely written better. "
— Jessica, 9/21/2010 -
" I loved this. George Eliot is incredibly clever and I think totally understands people and their inner workings. The third story (this is three short-ish stories) had a verrrrrry long beginning but once it got going, it was worth it. "
— Lyndsey, 8/8/2010 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of George Eliot's first works. It is hard to say which of the three novellas I liked best. "Janet's Repentance" and "Mr. Gilfil's Love-Story" had characters I identified with and had sympathy for. "
— JoAnn, 8/3/2010 -
" A wonderful book, full of humanity, vivid characters and exquisite writing. "
— Tom, 5/30/2010 -
" Not a lot of action, but the novels contain some excellent sentences. "
— Dan, 1/3/2010 -
" These vignettes are merely okay - Eliot's definitely written better. "
— Jessica, 7/24/2007
About George Eliot
George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann, or Marian, Evans (1819–1880), was an English Victorian novelist of the first rank. An assistant editor for the Westminster Review from 1851 to 1854, she wrote her first fiction in 1857 and her first full-length novel, Adam Bede, in 1859. In her writing, she was chiefly preoccupied with moral problems, especially the moral development and psychological analysis of her characters. She is known for her sensitive and honest depiction of life and people in works that are acclaimed as classics.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.