The Mill on the Floss, first published in 1860, tells the story of Maggie Tulliver and her brother Tom as they grow from children to young adults in the small rural town of St. Ogg's, England. Intelligent and passionate, Maggie yearns to develop her mind and break free of the constraints of her provincial village. Though she loves her brother above anyone else, Tom's rigid, pragmatic personality often conflicts with Maggie's headstrong nature, with increasingly tragic consequences. A classic novel of development, The Mill on the Floss is George Eliot's most autobiographical work. Through the characters of Tom and Maggie, Eliot examines themes of gender, education, and personality formation, and her portrayal of the town of St. Ogg's is both a brilliant depiction of provincial narrow-mindedness and constraining social norms and an intelligent commentary on the changes to rural life brought about by the forces of industrialization. The Mill on the Floss is an enduring portrait of love, family, and individuals striving to create their own destinies, one whose words and characters resonate as vividly today as they did for Eliot's first readers.
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"Some people really dislike the prose of George Eliot, but I disagree. This was the first novel of hers which I read and I thoroughly enjoyed. The plot is entertaining and she has great character development. I also remember going to my professor and saying that I wanted to write about nature, religion and something else (probably romance) in this novel, and then realizing that there was no way that a roughly six page essay could encompass all of those topics. I really enjoyed watching how these characters relationships with others affected their emotional journeys throughout the book. A great read."
— Liz (5 out of 5 stars)
" Loved listening to this on audiobook. I found the ending a little disappointing, but overall I enjoyed the story. "
— Ktb, 2/8/2014" A wonderful read, although I felt the ending was very abrupt. "
— Jen, 1/29/2014" The main character is so alive! "
— Dave, 1/27/2014" Beautifully written, but I really was bummed by the ending. I won't read it again, the poor girl. "
— Iris, 1/25/2014" So good, but also so frustrating!! "
— Trish, 1/24/2014" Great characters, difficult but entertaining language. Fun read, good story, but tragic. Bad things keep happening and at times narrator tries to be too profound. I thought there were too many metaphors throughout the narration (interestingly, the author says early on that metaphors are a sign of intelligence. coincidence?) I liked probably would have given it a 5 except that I didn't like the ending! Too dramatic and ties up too neatly. "
— Marisa, 1/21/2014" What a fantastic read! The 19th century English litterature lover that I am had been wanting to read this book for ages. I really enjoyed Eliot's beautiful writing and her depiction of Maggie & Tom's relationship. "
— Sarah, 1/18/2014" This book is too long and I never really felt for the characters so when tragedy happens I didn't care --I just wanted the book to be over. "
— Gretchen, 1/13/2014" This book doesn't seem to have a plot at first, but then it gets really good, and I wrote a paper on this and got an A so I remember it fondly. "
— Lori, 1/11/2014" I gave up for now. I really want to read this book, but it is one of those texts that I have to be in just the right mood to appriciate and absorb. I'll come back to it. "
— Faye, 11/28/2013" I thought Maggie came off as a huge brat. "
— Eccentrix, 10/10/2013George 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.
Hannah Gordon is a Scottish actress who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television work, including My Wife Next Door, Telford’s Change, and Upstairs, Downstairs. In addition to her television performances, she has also lent her voice to several audio books as well as narrating Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf in a Christmas concert with the Corinthian Chamber Orchestra in London.