Friday, November 22, 2019

Happy 200th Birthday, George Eliot!


Mary Ann Evans was born on November 22, 1819. She grew up in Warwickshire, England and moved to London in 1851 where she met George Henry Lewes. Though they never married, she and Lewes lived openly together for 24 years, a daring move in Victorian times. More importantly, Lewes encouraged Mary Ann's writing. Under the name George Eliot, she published her first novel in 1859. Five more classics followed. Eliot became the foremost woman novelist of her day. She died in 1880 at the age of 61.

George Eliot in Love by Brenda Maddox is an excellently written biography of this amazing writer. It details the most important moments in her life and gives you a sense of what kind of person she was. I really liked it, almost as much as I love these three favorite novels by Eliot, and these favorite quotes:



"Love once, love always."




"It is never too late to be what you might have been."







"And, of course, men know best about everything, 
except what women know better."












"It will never rain roses: when we want to have 
more roses, we must plant more roses."






Happy Reading!

20 comments:

  1. My first experience with Silas Marner was in a Classics Illustrated comic book, next was in high school (much longer, no illustrations). Lovely choice of quotes, Lark.

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  2. I agree; those quotes are perfect. Happy Birthday to George and Mary Ann.

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    1. I like collect quotes and George Eliot has some great ones.

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  3. I've only read Middlemarch and The Mill on the Floss will probably my next title from Eliot.

    I also just heard about ANOTHER biography of Eliot by Kathy O’Shaughnessy that came out this year that I would like to maybe try as well as George Eliot in Love by Brenda Maddox. My only worry is that with author biographies, sometimes they spoil the plot of the books.

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    1. Maddox does talk about the different plots of some of Eliot's books, but not in such great detail that it would spoil reading them.

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  4. Those quotes are wonderful. Love them! George Eliot in Love sounds like a super interesting read. Happy Birthday to George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans!

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    1. George Eliot in Love is an interesting read. :)

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  5. That is a daring move for the times! I've never read anything by Eliot, but I will check out the biography your favorites. Love this quote: "And, of course, men know best about everything,
    except what women know better." :)

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  6. Such great quotes! I may have to hunt up the Brenda Maddox, it sounds like fun.

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  7. I love all of those quotes. :)

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  8. Your post is making me want to re-read The Mill on the Floss. Loved that novel!

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    1. I've always loved that one, too. :) Thanks for commenting!

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  9. Hi Lark, I ilke that quote "it's never too late to be what you might have been". George Eliot such a great writer and next year I must read Middlemarch which many consider to be one of the finest novels ever written.

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  10. Those are wonderful quotes. I cannot believe I have not read anything by George Eliot and I even have a couple of her books on my shelf. Ugh, must fix that!

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    1. Silas Marner is short; start with that one. :)

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