***Group Read: Middlemarch Books 3-4

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***Group Read: Middlemarch Books 3-4

Tämä viestiketju on "uinuva" —viimeisin viesti on vanhempi kuin 90 päivää. Ryhmä "virkoaa", kun lähetät vastauksen.

1billiejean
elokuu 2, 2010, 9:57 pm

Please place your comments here for Middlemarch Books 3 and 4.

2ALWINN
elokuu 10, 2010, 3:41 pm

Okay I think I am a bit ahead of everyone but here I go. Book 3-- WAITING FOR DEATH

In Book 3 we are really beginning to really know Mr Casaubon and that he is an old boring little monster. There is nothing like feeling all of your insecurities and then taking them out on someone else that just wants to love you. I am really being to really feel for Dorothea because I honestly think she meant well by want to help her husband in his life mission as much as possible and instead her husband treats her more like a dog to kick around at will.

I rather like Mr Lydgate I havent really put my finger why I like this character but glad that he has been paired up with Rosamond. All though Rosamond sound like she will be very high maint and a bit spoiled.

Now lets visit Fred Vincy, I almost feel sorry for this poor young guy but then again I dont. It sounds like to me that he was lead to believe for most of his life that he would be Mr. Featherstone's heir and so with that he has taken the high road with his young life and not taking life to seriously, but all the blame can not be put on Fred I think his parents had a very strong hand in that also. And so everything in Fred's life is put on hold until the old man dies. But beside that he is a very likeable guy and you just want him to stop being so lazy and do something w his life.

Last but no least the dried up old man Mr. Featherstone. What an evil old bag this man is and not that impressed with his siblings either they all remind me of a bunch of vultures flying overhead just waiting. So I was not sad when he was finally gone. However Mary should of just done what the old man asked for. Yes the old man played games with other peoples emotions with the different wills and not that I think that was right but the people that was waiting for the old man to die to see what was left for him deserved to be played with.

Has far as the "frog face" person that ended up getting everything I havent really formed a like or a dislike about him yet but alittle on the sneaky side. So happy reading everyone.

3george1295
elokuu 13, 2010, 8:50 am

Finished book 3 early this morning. So far a very interesting tale. Not a lot of action, but the inter-play between the characters is catching. I have this feeling that things are going to start falling apart.

4billiejean
elokuu 14, 2010, 11:54 pm

I just finished book 3 tonight. I loved the title of this part: Waiting for Death. It should have been so obvious to me, but it wasn't. I kept wondering who was going to die. First Fred got sick and poor treatment from the first doctor made him worsen. But he finally improved. Then Mr. Casaubon had the heart attack or whatever that could return to kill him at anytime. What would happen then with Ladislaw? Then we see that Mr. Featherstone is quite ill, and I thought, "Oh, right! I should have realized that from the first." The ending to this book was quite exciting with the old man and Mary Garth at 3 am.

I also felt kind of sorry for Fred, trying to make good on his debt by selling his horse. Maybe things will turnout ok for him down the road. And I have a lot of sympathy for poor Dodo. Luckily, she has her sister nearby for companionship.

Wonder what will happen next?
--BJ

5ALWINN
elokuu 16, 2010, 9:13 am

Well I have slowed down on my reading to others to catch up I am on the last book. So now I am only reading one chapter a day. I also started the group read for Gone With the Wind love it, but my poor book is falling apart.

6billiejean
elokuu 16, 2010, 11:54 am

I just finished Book 4 and am now halfway through the book and thoroughly caught up in the lives of the characters. What is it with Casaubon? He seems determined to sabotage his marriage. I tended to agree with Mary that Fred will be better off without the inheritance. His self-esteem will rise if he earns his way. And what of this mysterious Rigg and Raffle?
--BJ

7ALWINN
elokuu 16, 2010, 6:09 pm

So I take that this is not a re-read for you then.

8billiejean
elokuu 16, 2010, 11:45 pm

This is my first time to read Middlemarch. I am also reading Gone With the Wind, and this is my second time to read that one.

So I don't know what will happen with Fred and Mary or Dodo and Will and Ed (?). And I wonder about Rosy and Tertius. Celia's marriage is looking pretty good right now.

Interesting how Mary's refusing to help the old man resulted in Fred getting disinherited. Hope he doesn't find out about that!!!
--BJ

9billiejean
elokuu 17, 2010, 12:41 pm

By the way, here is the link to the next thread for Books 5-6:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/96133&newpost=1#lastmsg

See you there!
--BJ

10tjblue
elokuu 25, 2010, 9:09 am

I am a bit behind, only on page 140. The one thing I am realizing by reading English novels is how our speech is influenced by the Brits. As a child I grew up hearing some of the expressions and sayings. My paternal grandmother often talked about taking a physic and I often heard the term clodhopper used. Granted, they were some of the first people here. But I had wondered where these came from since my family is German and Danish. Most of my family came here in the early to mid 1800's, even some not until 1900.

11billiejean
elokuu 25, 2010, 9:15 am

I noticed that Eliot used the term "sketchy," which my daughter uses all the time!
--BJ