BOOK REVIEW : GEORGE ELIOT - FELIX HOLT THE RADICAL

The general consensus among readers of George Eliot is that her two worst novels are ‘Romola’ and ‘Felix Holt : the Radical.’ The former is known as her historical novel, the latter her political, both of them apparent duds compared to the following work, Middlemarch, her crowning achievement.

I read Romola last year, and I would have to agree that it was something of a misstep for the great Victorian novelist. Set in fifteenth century Florence, it is a meticulously researched portrait of the political milieu of that time and place, serving as a backdrop to a typical tale of a  Victorian female protagonist. It isn’t a bad novel - I ranked it 8/10 - but there’s no denying that the rich background somewhat overshadows the not-so-complex storyline. 

It was with some trepidation then, that I embarked upon a reading of Felix Holt. Even the introduction mentions that it is the least popular of Eliot’s novels.

However, after just a few pages I found to my surprise that I liked it immensely, and this impression carried on through to the end of this 479 page tale.

I must confess that I’d become a bit jaded with nineteenth century literature after recently stumbling through Jane Austen’s ‘Mansfield Park,’ whose prose I just found jarring and difficult to read. What a joy then to come back to the glorious and beautiful sentences of Mary Ann Evans (Eliot). While her prose may be too wordy and erudite for some, for me it is an absolute treat, and I found myself able to read the work smoothly, enjoying every moment.

Far from being a political work, the novel concerns the dilemma of one Esther Lyon, daughter of a somewhat impoverished preacher. She has to ultimately choose between the rough, poor and direct-speaking Radical parliamentary candidate Felix Holt, and the rich Mr Transome, able to supply her with all the material comforts she is lacking.

One really doesn’t need to know anything about the politics of 1830s England to enjoy the novel besides the fact that those of the Radical persuasion were….well, radical, and desired to upset the status quo with a view towards a more egalitarian society. My Penguin Classics edition had plenty of notes for those who wish to delve deeper.

Quite frankly, the book should be titled ‘Esther Lyon,’ not ‘Felix Holt,’ since it is she who takes centre-stage.

The novel is a beautifully written and exciting page-turner and I gave it a score of 10/10 accordingly. So far, having read all but two of Eliot’s works, it ranks only just behind Middlemarch. 

I’m used to liking the works others eschew, but I really can’t fathom why anyone who has enjoyed Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss or Middlemarch wouldn’t like this.

My current George Eliot rankings this far:

1. Middlemarch (10/10)

2. Felix Holt : the Radical (10/10)

3. Silas Marner (9/10)

4. Adam Bede (9/10)

5. The Lifted Veil / Brother Jacob (8/10)

6. The Mill on the Floss (8/10)

7. Romola (8/10)