Book Three

Middlemarch

George Eliot

Jun 2022 – Nov 2022 · 8 books, 86 chapters

About the book

Robbie's copy of Middlemarch by George Eliot, a Penguin Classics paperback. The cover shows a nineteenth-century landscape painting of a country path beside trees, with a small figure walking along it.
Robbie’s copy
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Middlemarch was published in eight parts between December 1871 and December 1872. Mary Ann Evans, writing as George Eliot, was fifty-two when she finished it. She was living unmarried with the writer George Henry Lewes, an arrangement that scandalised Victorian society and was the most settled partnership of her life. Subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life”, the novel is set in a fictional Midlands town in the years around the 1832 Reform Act. Virginia Woolf called it “one of the few English novels written for grown-up people”.

Introduction by Robbie

My own reading experience of Middlemarch was interesting. I made several runs at it and never somehow felt compelled enough to press on. But then, as is good with long novels, I tried again on holiday (I’m honestly not sure now where I was), and the novel, with time to find its rhythms properly, absolutely took me up and I loved it.

I know that my mother had always loved George Eliot. Reading for her now, I was struck by how brilliantly Eliot writes conversations between people: those little bids we make to be understood, to show some contrition, that are misunderstood or ignored. How we can be talking to each other but not really hearing. It is a thought that comes up in George Saunders’ astonishing book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, and I hope I will get permission to include that one day too.

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Episodes

182 recordings · Listen in order or pick a chapter

Prelude

  • Middlemarch — Prelude 1 Jun 2022 · 4 min

Book One: Miss Brooke

  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 1 2 Jun 2022 · 20 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 2 3 Jun 2022 · 17 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 3 4 Jun 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 3 5 Jun 2022 · 17 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 4 6 Jun 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 4 (to end) 7 Jun 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 5 8 Jun 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 5 (to end) 9 Jun 2022 · 15 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 6 10 Jun 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 6 (to end) 11 Jun 2022 · 14 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 7 12 Jun 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 8 13 Jun 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 8 (to end) 14 Jun 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 9 15 Jun 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 9 (to end) 16 Jun 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 10 17 Jun 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 10 (to end) 18 Jun 2022 · 16 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 11 19 Jun 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 11 (continued) 20 Jun 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 11 (to end) 21 Jun 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 12 22 Jun 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 12 (continued) 23 Jun 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 1, Chapter 12 (to end) 24 Jun 2022 · 21 min

Book Two: Old and Young

  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 13 25 Jun 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 13 (to end) 26 Jun 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 14 27 Jun 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 14 (continued) 28 Jun 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 14 (to end) 29 Jun 2022 · 4 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 15 30 Jun 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 15 1 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 15 (continued) 2 Jul 2022 · 4 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 15 (to end) 3 Jul 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 16 4 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 16 5 Jul 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 16 6 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 16 (to end) 7 Jul 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 17 8 Jul 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 17 (to end) 9 Jul 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 18 10 Jul 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 18 11 Jul 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 18 (to end) 12 Jul 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 19 13 Jul 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 20 14 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 20 15 Jul 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 20 (to end) 16 Jul 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 21 17 Jul 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 21 (to end) 18 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 22 19 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 22 (continued) 20 Jul 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 22 (continued) 21 Jul 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 2, Chapter 22 (to end) 22 Jul 2022 · 3 min

Book Three: Waiting for Death

  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 23 22 Jul 2022 · 15 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 23 (to end) 24 Jul 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 24 25 Jul 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 24 (continued) 26 Jul 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 24 (to end) 27 Jul 2022 · 4 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 25 28 Jul 2022 · 15 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 26 29 Jul 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 27 30 Jul 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 27 (to end) 31 Jul 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 28 1 Aug 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 29 2 Aug 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 29 (to end) 3 Aug 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 30 4 Aug 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 30 (to end) 5 Aug 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 31 6 Aug 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 31 (to end) 7 Aug 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 32 8 Aug 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 32 (to end) 9 Aug 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 3, Chapter 33 10 Aug 2022 · 12 min

Book Four: Three Love Problems

  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 34 11 Aug 2022 · 17 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 35 12 Aug 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 35 (to end) 13 Aug 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 36 14 Aug 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 36 15 Aug 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 36 (continued) 16 Aug 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 36 (to end) 17 Aug 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 37 18 Aug 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 37 19 Aug 2022 · 25 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 37 (continued) 20 Aug 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 37 (to end) 21 Aug 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 38 22 Aug 2022 · 18 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 39 23 Aug 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 39 (continued) 24 Aug 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 39 (to end) 25 Aug 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 40 26 Aug 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 40 (continued) 27 Aug 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 40 (to end) 28 Aug 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 41 29 Aug 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 42 30 Aug 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 42 (continued) 31 Aug 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 4, Chapter 42 (to end) 1 Sep 2022 · 10 min

Book Five: The Dead Hand

  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 43 2 Sep 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 43 (to end) 3 Sep 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 44 4 Sep 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 45 5 Sep 2022 · 15 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 45 (continued) 6 Sep 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 45 (continued) 7 Sep 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 45 (to end) 8 Sep 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 46 9 Sep 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 46 (to end) 10 Sep 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 47 11 Sep 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 47 (to end) 12 Sep 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 48 13 Sep 2022 · 21 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 49 14 Sep 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 50 15 Sep 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 50 (continued) 16 Sep 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 50 (to end) 17 Sep 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 51 18 Sep 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 51 (continued) 19 Sep 2022 · 15 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 51 (to end) 20 Sep 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 52 21 Sep 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 52 (to end) 22 Sep 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 53 23 Sep 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 53 (continued) 24 Sep 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 5, Chapter 53 (to end) 25 Sep 2022 · 14 min

Book Six: The Widow and the Wife

  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 54 26 Sep 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 54 (continued) 27 Sep 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 54 (to end) 28 Sep 2022 · 14 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 55 29 Sep 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 56 30 Sep 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 56 (continued) 1 Oct 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 56 (continued) 2 Oct 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 56 (to end) 3 Oct 2022 · 16 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 57 4 Oct 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 57 (to end) 5 Oct 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 58 6 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 58 (continued) 7 Oct 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 58 (continued) 8 Oct 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 58 (to end) 9 Oct 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 59 10 Oct 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 60 11 Oct 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 60 (to end) 12 Oct 2022 · 19 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 61 13 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 61 (continued) 14 Oct 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 61 (to end) 15 Oct 2022 · 16 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 62 16 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 6, Chapter 62 (to end) 17 Oct 2022 · 17 min

Book Seven: Two Temptations

  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 63 18 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 63 (to end) 19 Oct 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 64 20 Oct 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 64 (continued) 21 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 64 (to end) 22 Oct 2022 · 17 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 65 23 Oct 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 66 24 Oct 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 66 (to end) 25 Oct 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 67 26 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 67 (to end) 27 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 68 28 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 68 (to end) 29 Oct 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 69 30 Oct 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 69 31 Oct 2022 · 13 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 70 1 Nov 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 70 (continued) 2 Nov 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 70 (to end) 3 Nov 2022 · 12 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 71 4 Nov 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 71 (continued) 5 Nov 2022 · 15 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 7, Chapter 71 6 Nov 2022 · 14 min

Book Eight: Sunset and Sunrise

  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 72 7 Nov 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 73 8 Nov 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 74 9 Nov 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 74 (to end) 10 Nov 2022 · 16 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 75 11 Nov 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 75 (to end) 12 Nov 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 76 13 Nov 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 76 (to end) 14 Nov 2022 · 17 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 77 15 Nov 2022 · 6 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 77 (to end) 16 Nov 2022 · 3 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 78 17 Nov 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 79 18 Nov 2022 · 5 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 80 19 Nov 2022 · 14 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 81 20 Nov 2022 · 8 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 81 (to end) 21 Nov 2022 · 16 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 82 22 Nov 2022 · 9 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 83 23 Nov 2022 · 18 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 84 24 Nov 2022 · 11 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 84 (to end) 25 Nov 2022 · 10 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 85 26 Nov 2022 · 7 min
  • Middlemarch — Book 8, Chapter 86 27 Nov 2022 · 10 min

Finale

  • Middlemarch — Finale 28 Nov 2022 · 16 min
  • Middlemarch — Finale 29 Nov 2022 · 16 min