Middlemarch
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Middlemarch
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Narrated by:
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Maureen O'Brien
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Written by:
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George Eliot
About this listen
George Eliot's most ambitious novel is a masterly evocation of diverse lives and changing fortunes in a provincial community.
Peopling its landscape are Dorothea Brooke, a young idealist whose search for intellectual fulfilment leads her into a disastrous marriage to the pedantic scholar Casaubon; the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamund and pioneering medical methods threaten to undermine his career; and the religious hypocrite Bulstrode, hiding scandalous crimes from his past.
As their stories interweave, George Eliot creates a richly nuanced and moving drama, hailed by Virginia Woolf as 'one of the few English novels written for adult people'. Middlemarch explores nearly all matters of concern to modern life, portraying an entire community and every class within it. Full of irony and suspense and even richer in character it shows how individual lives are shaped by and shape the community. Within Middlemarch, we find Eliot's ability to expand the audience's compassion and imagination.
George Eliot was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Her novels, largely set in provincial England, are well known for their realism and psychological insight. When Middlemarch was released Eliot was considered England's finest living novelist with many critics still regarding this novel as the finest in English.
A BAFTA winning adaptation of Middlemarch aired as a television series in 1994.
Narrator Biography
Maureen is an English actress and author best known for playing the role of Vicki in Doctor Who where she starred alongside the original Doctor, William Hartnell. She then went on to appear in The Legend of King Arthur, Casualty, The Duchess of Duke Street, Taggart, Cracker, A Touch of Frost, Heartbeat and Jonathan Creek. In 1985 she made a rare film appearance in the comedy She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas opposite Julie Walters.
Maureen has also appeared in a number of stage productions, for example, The Relapse (Old Vic), The Merchant of Venice (Old Vic), The Archbishop's Ceiling (Bristol Old Vic) and Othello (Bristol Old Vic).
Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about Middlemarch
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tracie McIntyre
- 2022-04-22
Just WOW!
This wise and subtle classic is beautifully narrated by Maureen O’Brain. Pure story telling enjoyment!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-06-11
One of the Great Novels.
Goodness, what a surprise find.
Written by a woman under pseudonym, to be published in 1871, and as influential as Artemisia Gentileschi.
This book, fecund and stirring, held my attention as a very male reader, for its entire duration, leaving at its end, moist corners in my eyes, at the parting of great friend.
I can’t recommend it highly enough. And the narration sparkles with life.
Spot on team!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian N.
- 2023-03-25
A masterpiece
How had I not heard about this novel in 60+ years of reading? Wonderfully deep and evocative insights into human emotions and behaviour, prejudice and misanthropy, virtue and folly. Echoing Virginia Woolf’s comment about it, Middlemarch makes the more famous English novels from the 19th century (Jane Eyre, etc.) seem like children’s stories by comparison.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katsy
- 2022-01-29
Simply Wonderful
A deep and moving story with complex characters undergoing very realistic development. Great psychological insight and societal analysis. At the end, poetic Justice makes it all delightful. The narrator outdid herself and made the listening extremely enjoyable.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Emma
- 2021-10-14
slow at times, but worth reading
good narrator, moments of brilliance scattered throughout sometimes overly wordy passages. not Dickens, but still good.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Haiku_Queen
- 2024-01-15
Enjoyable background noise
I listened to this long quaint story while doing artwork. It was entertaining. I confess, however, after listening to the full 32 hours I still could not keep the characters and relationships straight.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rei
- 2022-05-24
Amazing Classic
This story is a great read and listen, even to readers today. The writing is an elegant enjoyable listen especially if you are a fan of poetic prose, but may require a bit of patience for some readers. Is it ever worth it though with star crossed romance, strained marriages, crisscrossed family ties and lots of drama.
Fantastic reading, the difference between characters were distinct and enjoyable. Overall a great fit to the novel.
It must be admitted, as great as this read is, be warned some elements have aged like milk.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-09
Great novel and outstanding narration
I was unsure about this at first but I was quickly drawn in by the wonderful writing, Tremendous skill and insight. The narrator is fantastic - incredible mastery of the prose and her ability to capture characters and accents is unmatched in my experience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2021-02-04
Stellar Performance of a Towering Masterpiece
I came to this reading of Middlemarch having already read it several times, so I knew what to expect. One of the greatest novels ever written. But the performance gave it an unimaginably greater quality. Not one false utterance. it magnifies the genius of George Eliot. in decades of listening to audiobooks, I have rarely if ever encountered such a stellar performance. Worth ilevery penny of your money and every minute of your time.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T.U
- 2021-10-15
One word - HYPNOTIZING
Gorgeous prose and a tremendous insight into the human psyche! What a treat! Superb narration too!
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1 person found this helpful