Reviews

Adam Bede by George Eliot

laurenjpegler's review against another edition

DNF

This book caused my reading slump, and thus I put off reading it for a while. Came back to it today and still wasn’t enjoying it. I just don’t think it’s a story for me. I wasn’t invested in the characters or the plot. I don’t even know what happened in the first 62 pages I read? It might be a book I one day come back to, but for now I don’t really feel like finishing it.

lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition

5.0

It's so amazing to read a book that was written almost 200 years ago, and have it be so accurate still, on human nature and on other things as well.

This book is filled with a sad, but beautiful story, and the descriptions of both people and places are extremely rich.

I look forward to working with this book my next semester, and will have a lot of things to say about it, both about the time where it was set, and about contemporary times as well.

I actually read this book twice - and I do have two different editions, one paperback and one kindle.

lindaunconventionalbookworms's review

5.0

I have read this book more than once, and I actually own both the kindle edition and the paperback edition, this is why I have rated it twice.

my full review is under the paperback edition.

lindenblatt's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

jakegreen's review against another edition

challenging lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

chloeweg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

littlebookmunchkin's review against another edition

1.0

Honestly, I think this book has so many flaws and not enough good things about it. I let this review sit for a while because I was so angry for having to go through 600 pages. This was just way too long, there were so many unnecessary things. The book and its characters had soo many problems and not in a way that made them more realistic. I can’t get over the fact how bad of a mother Lisbeth was. Adam is in no way the goody two shoes he is portrayed as. I get that different times, but you can’t be mad about someone ‘stealing’ your girl from you when you haven’t even told your girl that you like her. Also he never really stood up to his mother when she dragged Seth through the mood. *vague spoiler* the whole fucking thing with Dinah makes him one of the biggest assholes alive. I feel like Arthur lacks any depth to be really of any importance at all, honestly Mr. Irwine is more interesting and he is a side character! Hetty could have been portrayed so much more deeper and yet while her story arch is so much more complex she is just the vain little girl. Also the narrating voice was just insufferable!

fantasythat's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Action is concentrated towards the end, the book mostly explores dynamics and power relations between characters and there are several long descriptions that do take time to get through but are absolutely worth it, other action in the earlier parts is hinted at rather than explicitly discussed. 

leam23's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

malliebat's review against another edition

2.0

The book wasn't bad and I can see why readers would enjoy it, especially those who read it around the time it was first published. Unfortunately, I personally found it to be predictable from very early on and none of the characters were compelling enough for me to get attached to them or into the events of the plot. In all honesty, if it hadn't been a class assignment, I probably never would have bothered to actually read it, let alone finish it. That said, I do feel that this book has merit and I recognize that many people enjoy it for its descriptive imagery, working class elements, and depiction of Victorian era life.