Middlemarch by George Eliot on Free Audio Book Download

With Middlemarch, George Eliot weaves several narratives together to make a coherent statement on the changing values, goals, and social dynamics of Britain during the 1830s. It follows Dorothea Brooke as she struggles to define herself chiefly within the confines of a stifling marriage, witnesses idealist Doctor Tertius LydgateвЂ™s as his ambitions crumble due to personal vice, and chases after the wayward Fred Vincy as he tries to define his destiny in order to win the heart of his childhood friend. Throughout this huge novel, Eliot uses the peculiar dynamics of small-town life that are still recognizable to modern readers as a way to explore the status of women, the value of religion, the limits of ambition, and much more. Within the narrative, Eliot also sets up an oppositional structure that scrutinizes how rural England was grappling with national democratic reform after centuries of dominance by a landed elite. This deftly handled, delicately rendered masterpiece of English literature is still popular, yet sometimes may be overlooked when compared to more visible works by Dickens, the Brontes, or Austen. We feel Middlemarch deserves to be put at the top of the list for anyone interested in the English novel and especially for fans of the the aforementioned authors. Download this free unabridged audio book from Librivox.