( 10 reviews )
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Posted: Apr 28 2009
"Adam Bede" is a bucolic novel, and in its attempt to capture daily life in a small, rustic town in England (circa 1800) it succeeds remarkably well. Unfortunately, its this leisurely portrait of the town and its denizens that made reading the first 300-plus pages something of a chore. My two greatest problems with the story were its lack of plot until that point, and near lack of interesting characters. Adam and Seth are dull, hardworking, self-sacrificing, and would give Jesus a run for his money in terms of saintliness (significantly, they're carpenters). The book spends a great deal of time visiting the different homes in the town, and creating realistic depictions of the people who live and work there. Most are almost as dull as Adam. Hetty Sorrell is the only truly interesting character in the book (although the author continually berates her with moralistic reproaches). Arthur Donnithorne has some interesting moments as well, but he ultimately (and unconvincingly) proves spineless -- sacrificing his own happiness to comply with societal opinion (and to redeem himself in Adam's eyes). Once Hetty's story kicked into gear, the book became increasingly interesting -- culminating in her desperate trek across a larger world she'd never dreamed existed. As someone else noted, Hetty's character bears some resemblance to Mdme Bovary ... and to Hedda Gabler, Scarlet O'Hara, Hester Prynne (after whom she is named), and many other great female literary characters. And, for all its upright characters (and moralizing narrator), the real heart of the book is Hetty's tragic fate. A 17-year old girl, she is essentially a victim of statutory rape (at least by today's standards) who finds herself shunned by family and society when she scandously becomes pregnant. Her unintentional infanticide, and subsequent trial and demise provide a far more telling commentary on the mores of Georgian England than they do on Hetty Sorrell. I suspect that Eliot, to her credit, may be more on Hetty's side than she lets on.
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 14 2009
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans, 1819-1880) has gained the reputation as being one of the finest writers of 19th century England. She is considered to be an equal of Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, or any other writer of her era. Middlemarch is her masterpiece. The present novel was her first major work. Many of her works have rural settings, involve moral values, and feature realistic plots and characters. Eliot was an agnostic but tied to Christian moral values which are an integral part of her stories. Her characters and plots are easier to believe than Dickens, who for example, introduced highly improbable reunions and lost relatives to get closure for his plot in Oliver Twist. And, the characters of George Eliot are more human and realistic than those found in the novels of Jane Austen or those in Charlotte Bronte's highly entertaining Jane Eyre. Also, she has much detail in her minor characters. Unlike Austen, the prose and the relations among characters are straightforward, and one does not have to make a family tree to understand all the characters, nor is there a learning period of 25 to 50 pages needed to understand the prose - as in Austen's Mansfield Park. While her masterpiece is acknowledged to be Middlemarch, many consider her first novel Adam Bede to be an entertaining read. It features Eliot's style and techniques. As described in the introduction, Eliot is the "omniscient narrator...controlling reaction and interpretation with her own illuminating intelligence." The story is a love triangle between two men and a teenage woman, the young, beautiful, naive, and self absorbed Hetty Sorrel. She is very young, approximately 17, obsessed with her beauty, and works at a farm which produces cheese. Adam Bede is one of the men interested in Hetty. He is a carpenter in his twenties. Arthur Donnithorne, the rich young squire and friend of Adam, is the other man interested in Hetty. There is a second female protagonist, Dinah Morris, who is also relatively young and who is a Methodist preacher. Without giving away the plot, the heart of the story is the self delusion or self-deception of Hetty and the other primary characters. They are living in a rural farming community somewhere in north central England. Will Hetty accept the carpenter Adam Bede or do something crazy and run off or have an affair with Arthur? That is the main element of the plot. The story is not exactly a page turner but it is good. In any case, it is an excellent read. Recommend: 5 stars.
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 25 2009
Adam Bede is George Eliot's novel of love and life in the English countryside. Eliot, who in reality was a woman, Marian (Mary Ann) Evans, writes of ordinary people living in the early 19th century and in this case the main events take place between the years 1798 and 1801. In this book the story centers around five young people, Adam and Seth Bede, Arthur Donnithorne, Hetty Sorrel and Dinah Morris. Adam and Seth are carpenters. Adam is the older brother. He is depicted as physically strong and of high moral character and is admired by everyone in the small community of Hayslope where they live. Seth has a gentler, spiritual nature. Arthur is the grandson and heir of Squire Donnithorne, an old and greedy man who owns the property on which many people in the community make their living as tenant farmers. The Captain, he is in the military and is temporarily home because of an injury to his arm, is essentially a good person and well liked by everyone, but is insensible to his status and thus acts irresponsibly. Hetty is a beautiful, but frivolous, young woman (only 17 at the start of the novel), given to dreams of a luxurious life. Dinah is deeply religious and sees herself as a Methodist preacher. She lives in a nearby community where she works in a mill, but spends considerable time in Hayslope where she stays with her relatives, the Poysers. Other important characters are Mr. and Mrs. Poyser, tenant farmers who care for their niece Hetty, the Rev. Adolphus Irvine, the community minister and adherent of the Church of England, Mrs. Lizabeth Bede, Adam and Seth's mother, and Bartle Massey, a teacher with an abhorrence of women. As the story begins, Adam is in love with Hetty, but she pays little attention to him because of his working class status. Seth loves Dinah, but she says she is too committed to her religion to marry. Arthur, attracted to the pretty Hetty, begins a flirtation with her that leads to disastrous consequences. Arthur, several years younger than Adam, admires him greatly and hopes that Adam will work for him when he becomes master of the estate. The feeling at this point is shared. The first 250 pages of the novel may be described as slow moving. Here Eliot seems to be more concerned with introducing the characters and describing the culture of the country community than with advancing the plot. One feature of this part of the book is the 21st birthday party for Arthur which is described in great detail. But the story takes off after that and the next 150 pages, which may be subtitled; "Hetty's Story" in that it deals primarily with her troubles, are the most exciting and interesting part of the book. The last 50 pages or so are a kind of anti-climax with, in my view, a compromised and unconvincing ending. But plot is not the primary value of this novel. Eliot seems to be concerned mostly with character development and how adversity affects it. Religion also plays a big role in the novel. Hetty's character is shallow and ultimately leads to her demise. Adam is honorable but uncompromising. He comes to learn the power of forgiveness. Arthur is well meaning but thoughtless. He learns that such thoughtlessness can harm himself as well as others. Dinah realizes that love of God alone is not enough and good deeds for strangers cannot match the value of family. Seth, alone, seems unchanged by the events of the story, remaining good natured and accepting of life's offerings. The minor characters also undergo this character test. Rev. Irvine, initially seen as derelict in his religious devotions, rises to the occasion and shows his essential goodness. The Poysers, while at first holding strong and inflexible views, learn that life requires adjustments. Bartle Massey, for all his misogynist views, comes to realize that women can play positive roles in life. Adam Bede was Eliot's first major work and it shows. Much of the story is contrived and hard to believe. Her later work is more structured and believable. I would certainly recommend reading her, but perhaps Mill on The Floss, Silas Marner and certainly, Middlemarch are better works.
