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Silas Marner Audiobook
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(3.67) - 18 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Silas Marner, which first appeared in 1861, is a tale about life, love, and the need to belong. Accused of a crime he didn't commit and unjustly forced from his home town, Silas the weaver lives a reclusive and godless life, finding love and companionship only in material objects. It takes the theft of his gold and the discovery of an abandoned infant to remind him of the importance of human relationships and faith.
Author George Eliot carefully weaves the interaction of plot and character, and, in so doing, depicts Silas Marner's redemption and rebirth through his love and protection of the orphaned girl and the possibility of losing her. Throughout the book, Eliot also takes the opportunity to voice her feelings about industrialization, religion, and social class distinctions.
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"I loved Silas Marner and can't wait to read Middlemarch. The forces of good and evil, the powers of class, the choices one makes, the beauty of the world, the kindness of some people, the karma in life... I loved the plot and characters."
— Wendy (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“I think Silas Marner holds a higher place than any of the author’s works. It is more nearly a masterpiece; it has more of that simple, rounded, consummate aspect…which marks a classical work.”
— Henry James -
“A complex, sympathetic portrait of a good man who was forced by his tightly circumscribed society into being a loner, an embittered outsider.”
— New York Times -
“Proof that a life going badly wrong can, by good fortune and an answering faith and determination, be put triumphantly right.”
— Independent (London) -
“A tale of betrayal, gold, and love, encased in the elegant symmetrical structure so popular in traditional English fiction.”
— School Library Journal -
“This novel about redemption and renewal is an excellent example of Victorian literature as well as a perfect illustration of Eliot’s elegant and incisive prose.”
— Michelle Bailat-Jones, writer and translator
Silas Marner Listener Reviews
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" I read this for the Underground Book Club at work. I was surprised how much I didn't enjoy this book. It has a good, lyrical beginning which gets you absorbed quickly, but the middle third is quite slow and hard to care much for. The last third then flies by really fast - it's almost unnaturally fast-paced. Eliot's stance on religion and morality is clear - she believes morality to be something apart from religion. The ending is a bit too optimistic in my opinion and betrays the complexity and darkness portrayed in the beginning. "
— Yoon-ho, 1/23/2014 -
" I had a hard time paying attention to this book. Despite the fact that it was short, it took a long time for me to read it. I felt like the story kept beginning and then starting over with new characters and a new plot just as I was finally getting into the narrative. Part 2 of the book (the very end) kept my attention the whole time. I felt like the book should really have focused on that part of the story and cut out more of the back stories on other characters. "
— Keri, 1/21/2014 -
" Could read is again right away - the devil is in the detail "
— Des, 1/20/2014 -
" fIRST CLASSICAL BOOK I LOVED "
— Wafa, 1/19/2014 -
" An excellent tale of human nature. Highly recommended. "
— Robert, 1/13/2014 -
" Yes, I read it in high school. Everyone hated it - but I did find the story touching. "
— Nancy, 11/17/2013 -
" very hard to get in to, but it was great after I made it past the first few chapters. "
— Alexis, 11/8/2013 -
" Had to read this as a freshman in high school and have read it at lease 20 times since. "
— Sera, 1/13/2013 -
" George Eliot rules the fascinating and selective world between Victorian fantasy and true modernism, and Middlemarch is one shining example of her expertise. Not just a good reads these are, but some of the very best. "
— Laura, 9/16/2012 -
" Good - reading the intro made me think that a devoted George Eliot scholar could probably convince me it was great. "
— Carina, 5/19/2012 -
" This was a really cool book. I was excited to read it because it is my mom's favortite. I learned many things from it, especially since we studied it in class. It is so sweet how Eppie turns Silas' life around by her goodness. "
— Aja, 4/9/2012 -
" I had to read this for A Levels. I try to appreciate literary classics as much as possible but I absolutely hated this. The moralistic tone of the novel did not sit well with me; neither did the empty characters. "
— Yalan, 12/7/2011 -
" character, plot, action, emotion, dialogue - this novel has it all at the very highest level. what an excellent book! "
— Tom, 2/22/2011 -
" Read for my class on the 19th Century Novel. I quite liked it. The part in which Silas discovers Eppie actually made me tear up. "
— Keriann, 8/14/2010 -
" Cute little story, quick and straightforward, that I ended up enjoying a little more than I expected. Like most nineteenth century lit, it drags a bit for me, but overall it's all so sweet that I enjoyed the read more than I expected. "
— Joel, 7/17/2009 -
" I love George Eliot. I just do. This novel doesn't have the same breadth and scope as Middlemarch, but Eliot has such an amazing eye for human nature--quirks, foibles and motivations--that I really enjoyed it. Plus it isn't so long. :) "
— Saysha, 3/14/2009 -
" Silas Marner and Middlemarch are terrific. The Mill on the Floss is very good, but depressing as hell. Adam Bede is above-average. "
— Sdprince, 11/14/2008
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 Rosalyn Landor
Rosalyn Landor is an English-born television, theater, and multiple-award-winning audiobook narrator. Her television credits include Love in a Cold Climate, Rumpole of the Bailey, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has won numerous Audie awards and AudioFile magazine Earphones awards.