I find that commentators I’ve listened to so far tend to not discuss how Lydgate was the author of his own demise in many ways. In a big ways. There’s that scene at the beginning where he’s involved with the French dancing girl which was disastrous, and let’s remember he himself fell into debt and made his own choices. in the end he -compromised his own in just about every way including working for rich people and giving up his scientific research. Yes, Rosamund was not a good match for him personally, but he did make her believe they were going to have a very different life and she was disillusioned. I think that’s fair. Remember at the beginning of their marriage and even in their engagement He was spending freely and in many ways he lacked sense. Yes, by all means Dorothea would have been the perfect wife for him, and what a great team they would’ve been - going out there and changing the world together. BUT She had her strong views, and he had his weakness for pretty women. Alas!
Having just finished reading Middlemarch, I really enjoyed your discussion. I was blown away by the depth of Eliot's exploration of the characters' motivations and inner lives, and her compassion for all of them... She didn't write with judgment or superiority when writing about characters' flaws, more as an observer of human behaviors. Absolutely brilliant. Also, you raised an interesting point about Dorothea and Lydgate being bookends of a sort. They absolutely were! Thanks for giving me a new view of these 2 characters to appreciate.
Just read this book for the first time. Great analysis!!
I find that commentators I’ve listened to so far tend to not discuss how Lydgate was the author of his own demise in many ways. In a big ways. There’s that scene at the beginning where he’s involved with the French dancing girl which was disastrous, and let’s remember he himself fell into debt and made his own choices. in the end he -compromised his own in just about every way including working for rich people and giving up his scientific research. Yes, Rosamund was not a good match for him personally, but he did make her believe they were going to have a very different life and she was disillusioned. I think that’s fair. Remember at the beginning of their marriage and even in their engagement He was spending freely and in many ways he lacked sense. Yes, by all means Dorothea would have been the perfect wife for him, and what a great team they would’ve been - going out there and changing the world together. BUT She had her strong views, and he had his weakness for pretty women. Alas!
Grrrr8 job,,,,,,, u were amazin,,,,
Having just finished reading Middlemarch, I really enjoyed your discussion.
I was blown away by the depth of Eliot's exploration of the characters' motivations and inner lives, and her compassion for all of them...
She didn't write with judgment or superiority when writing about characters' flaws, more as an observer of human behaviors.
Absolutely brilliant.
Also, you raised an interesting point about Dorothea and Lydgate being bookends of a sort. They absolutely were! Thanks for giving me a new view of these 2 characters to appreciate.
Its been a minute, glad to see you uploading again
brilliant. what edition is this?
It was a gift, from a set made by Juniper Books!