middlemarch revisited

I did in fact finish this, if you don't count the chunks I skipped over. The novel was a different animal in those days, more inclusive, you might say. I'm opposed to abridgments on principle, but I might reconsider for Middlemarch.

Somewhere around page 200 or 250 I began to care more about these people. Dorothea seems like a flake when she's introduced, but she, along with the other main characters, has depth, complexity, and even likeability. The author provides insight into long-term relationships and what makes them work, or not work. Eliot delves into the nuts and bolts of romantic love, marriage, and family relationships. I especially like the way she treats even her less admirable characters with a little empathy.