Daniel Deronda

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Even so, Eliot takes great pains to sympathize and learn here.

She grants a voice to this people's hope for a new land, a home, a place to find others like you, and a place to call one's own. All of this is tied with the words Zionism and the land of Israel, which are loaded with new implications and urgency over the next century and a half. The historical introduction assures us that the Jewish community were elated by this sympathetic representation. For any flaws it may have after over a century, Eliot has gone out of her way to lend her considerable gifts in writing and psychological depiction to empathize with them - a noted step up from anything before.

Observing her is the title character, Daniel Deronda. She feels he is judging her negatively, which disconcerts her, so she begins to lose. Within the next few scenes, he takes a mysterious action which really unnerves her. And that is the last we see of him until Chapter As a character, though, she is more of an anti-heroine than heroine. She wants admirers, especially male admirers, but then scorns them without caring about how many hearts she breaks. Then the novel shifts back to Daniel Deronda, a young gentleman with no clear direction.

Daniel Deronda: a Victorian novel that's still controversial

He was a serious scholar at Cambridge and proved himself to be exceptionally kind to his friends, but he lives in the shadow of not knowing who his parents are. Rumor has it that he is the illegitimate son of Sir Hugo Mallinger, the nobleman who raised him. Daniel also believes the rumors, but loves Sir Hugo too much to confront him about it. When Daniel finds her, she is nineteen years old, has escaped her captors, and is in desperate search of her family.

Jews, especially baalei teshuva , will appreciate if not love Chapter How in the world did George Eliot know? The rest of the novel alternates between scenes of Gwendolen in her souring marriage and scenes with the Jewish characters, which notably includes a visionary named Mordecai who is preaching religious Zionism. Daniel, the "knight errant," weaves his way through all of their lives. Comic relief from Daniel's friend, Hans Meyrick. Naturally, I am partial to the Jewish sections, but from a literary point of view, the portrayal of Gwendolen is the most masterful part of the novel.

No character goes through as dramatic a transformation as she.

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I must reiterate that George Eliot does not reach Jane Austen in terms of prose style. At times the text is so heavy and full of extraneous detail that I suspected that like Dickens, she was paid by the word. But while Dickens was making it big with Fagin, Eliot was taking on anti-Semitism, not just by creating positive Jewish characters, but by letting her Christian characters work through their prejudices in the course of the novel.

That makes her a heroine in my eyes. The scholarly introduction to my copy of the novel included some very interesting literary history. The British critics of the time panned the book for its Jewish themes. One suggested that Eliot should have left the Jews out and just called the book Gwendolen. An anonymous sequel by that title appeared a few years later, doing more or less that by killing off the Jewish characters and continuing the story of Gwendolen and Deronda. The Jews loved the book, though some said that the romantic themes detracted from the main point of the novel, which was Zionism.

And in parallel to the anonymous sequel, the German Jewish novelist Marcus Lehman adapted the book to include only the Jewish themes. I think the whole thing is pretty funny. Personally, I loved both parts of the book — the British and the Jewish. View all 19 comments. This ambitious novel melds the stories of two very different characters, so perhaps it's appropriate that the novel itself seems a hybrid of a little bit of a lot of what we expect from 19th-century British novelists: As only one example of the latter, Eliot literally excuses the faults of most of the characters excepting the one true villain of the work in sentences as superfluous as Gwendolen's younger half-sisters.

I was intrigued by Chapter 11 whereby we 'hear' the thoughts between the spoken words of Gwen and Grandcourt upon their first meeting. Since it's early on, I hoped for more such innovation in its prose. But it is ideas, more than any other element, that are much more in the forefront, especially in the case of its eponymous character, who is obviously a Jesus-figure.

He's not the only one who is almost too perfect and it's a bit of a relief for the 21st-century reader when one of these characters suffers understandable jealousy, seemingly her only 'fault'. Literary as well as artistic and political allusions abound and I enjoyed those that I caught -- classical mythology and The Divine Comedy stand out for me. Reading this novel is to know Eliot's brilliance and her genius. View all 13 comments. Mar 31, Sara rated it really liked it Shelves: Quite frequently when the narrative began to move and become quite interesting, Eliot would veer off into another direction and leave me champing at the bit to get back to the story.

The character, Daniel Deronda, was a particular puzzl 3. The character, Daniel Deronda, was a particular puzzle to me, with reactions that did not seem to be realistic and too much of an effort to make her a type instead of an individual. Gwendolen was understandable and flawed enough to make up for it. She was both interesting and represented the most growth and change through the course of the novel.

I started this novel with a pretty serious dislike of Gwendolen, the spoiled girl, but by the end of the novel my attitude toward her had softened. I saw her as a bit of a Hardy character, caught in the awareness of her faults, without any avenue for correcting them or atoning for her sins. Without giving anything of the plot away, I cannot help admiring her resistance of giving in to the basest reaction to her situation. At the last, I think she was much harder on herself than I would have been inclined to be. Obviously, much of the purpose of this novel is to address the place of Jewish customs and society in 19th Century Europe.

Eliot appears to have some very strong feelings about the maintenance of the Jewish people as a separate identity vs. I could not help reading this novel with an eye toward what came later, the holocaust and the rise of the Jewish State. I was very interested in what I saw as the struggle to understand Jews and admit them to be on equal standing with their peers. I wonder what kind of reception this got at the time it was written.

And, she cannot resist bringing in some of the oldest and most cliched stereotypes when dealing with the Cohens The voice and the genius matched the face.

My nature gave me a charter. She is the bold woman who chooses the career. She is painted throughout the entire episode as cold and unnatural. Superwoman had not yet been invented. While I did find this a worthy read, it cannot live up to the precedents set by Middlemarch and Mill on the Floss to my mind.

I had scheduled it to read in and had to push it over to , so it feels like a personal accomplishment to have it behind me. I will be thinking about it for some time, I am sure and it may be one of those novels that grows in importance as it settles on my mind. Jul 13, Gary rated it it was amazing. Daniel Deronda centres around several characters. It relates to an intersection of Jewish and Gentile society in 19th century England.

Gwendolen Harleth a spoiled but poised and spirited of a family of recently impoverished English gentry enters into a loveless marriage for money, with the cold Mr Grandcourt.

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The novel centres around Gwendolen as much as it do Daniel Deronda centres around several characters. The novel centres around Gwendolen as much as it does around Daniel Deronda. It takes us through the lives of both major character's pasts.

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Daniel Deronda is the adopted son of an English aristocrat, with who Gwendolyn falls in love. Deronda rescues the beautiful Jewish actress and singer Mirah Lapidoth from suicide by drowning, introducing us to another interesting and endearing character. He then becomes intimately involved with the society of English Jewry. Deronda later discovers his Jewish birth from his dying mother who was the daughter of a prominent Rabbi, who married her cousin.

Deronda's story therefore as that of a Jew brought up as a Gentile aristocrat before discovering his identity and committing himself to the national welfare of his people is partly based on that of Moses. The book puts some focus, mainly through conversation on the yearning of the Jewish people to return to the Holy Land to rebuild the Jewish Commonwealth. People like Said cannot abide the anything that relates to the right of the Jews to live in and return to their ancient homeland. At the time of this novel's writing progressives saw the revival of nations and national self-determination as a positive thing.

Sep 18, Charae rated it it was amazing.

Daniel Deronda by George Eliot

This is one of my favorite books. George Eliot probably has to be one of the best authors that I have ever read. Her psychological insight into each character is so amazing and her analysis of human nature is quite profound. Gwendolen Harleth, much as you despise her, is very vividly portrayed and there is an interesting reality in all of her words and actions.

She is a revealing character and, though most people do not have her outright selfishness, yet I think most could relate to some of her This is one of my favorite books. She is a revealing character and, though most people do not have her outright selfishness, yet I think most could relate to some of her characteristics to a greater or lesser degree. Daniel Deronda, on the other hand, though he is sometimes considered "too perfect" is actually another very well done character.

His compassion and kindness are balanced hand by his indecisive, rather vacillating nature throughout the book. The plot is interesting and has several twists to it. I love this book and was sorry to be finished with it and look forward to reading it again. Jan 07, Czarny Pies rated it really liked it Recommends it for: George Eliot fans with lots of time on their hands.

Despite its wildly excessive length and several bone-jarring plot twists, Daniel Deronda should please the majority of those who enjoyed Middlemarch. It succeeds in three areas. First, it tells how a frivolous, air-headed young woman acquires moral depth and wisdom. Second, it comments brilliantly on the institution of the "nephew", i. Third it contains a superb discussion on what was the very new idea at the time the novel was pub Despite its wildly excessive length and several bone-jarring plot twists, Daniel Deronda should please the majority of those who enjoyed Middlemarch.

Third it contains a superb discussion on what was the very new idea at the time the novel was published of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East. Virtually all readers are delighted by the tale of the glamorous heroine Gwendolen who upon becoming suddenly impoverished marries for money so as to provide for her mother and sisters. Gwendolen will quickly discover that not even her dazzling beauty can prevent her being subjected to the control and psychology cruelty of a nasty husband who knows how to use his advantages of being rich and living in a male-dominated society in order to dominate her.

George Eliot's handling of Gwendolen's story is unquestionably brilliant. It is the second and third threads that give readers trouble. The story of Daniel, the apparently illegitimate son of a British baron who will eventually discover that his mother is Jewish, succeeds much less well than that of Gwendolen. As a teenager, Daniel asks his tutor why so many popes had nephews.

At the end of the discussion Daniel concludes that his best course in life is to love the man who is bringing him up although not acknowledging that he is Daniel's father. At the same time, Daniel accepts that he can never inherit either the title or the estates attached to it. Unfortunately, George Eliot bungles the denouement of this sub-plot. When Daniel meets his mother, he learns that the baron was not in fact his father but in fact a Jewish cousin of his mother.

I suspect that George Eliot made this preposterous choice to remove the Baron as the biological father in order to make Daniel Deronda's decision at the very end of the novel to move to the Middle East in order to assist in the creation of a Jewish Homeland seem more sensible by virtue of his having not one but two Jewish parents. However, much as I disliked the final plot twist, I still found that overall George Eliot told the tale of Daniel, the nephew, very well. George Eliot's discussion of the Jewish question is likely to disturb many contemporary readers primarily because the terms of reference are so different from those of today.

Jewish Emancipation had been enacted in Britain in while Daniel Deronda was published in The Jewish characters in the novel then are reflecting on their less than 20 years of experience as full citizens in Great Britain. They do not know whether it would be best to assimilate completely into the Christian society or to try to retain a strong Jewish personality.

The Zionist movement will not be formed until but wealthy English and French Jewish families have been sponsoring Jewish settlers in the Middle East since the s. For George Eliot, the point of reference is the movement for Italian unification which had begun in the s and finished in when the newly formed Kingdom of Italy moved its capital to Rome.

In Eliot's view the probability of success had been very low when the movement began but had succeeded after fifty years of struggle. The key to establishing a Jewish homeland in the Middle East was simply for its partisans to be as tenacious as the Italians. On the final page of the novel, Daniel Deronda is sailing to the Middle East determined to as resolute as Mazzini. For any reader who is comfortable with George Eliot's analysis of the issue of a Jewish homeland, Daniel Deronda is a novel that succeeds brilliantly in every area.

Jan 17, Bruce rated it really liked it. This is a marvelous work, its great length permitting intricacy of plot and detailed examination of character. It was also arguably one of her most controversial works. The plot is two-fold, one plot line involving traditional English class society and focusing on the life and fate of Gwendolen Harleth, an initially arrogant and pampered young woman who, through a series of misadventures, chooses to marry Grandcourt, a corrupt and domineering titled Englishman who makes her life a misery. The second plot line involves a young Jewess, Mirah, and her brother Mordecai Ezra , following their struggles in the England of the time.

The two plots are linked by the somewhat enigmatic Daniel Deronda, the ward and often-presumed illegitimate son of the wealthy Hugo Mallinger thus making Deronda the presumed illegitimate cousin of Grandcourt. Deronda is presented as an idealized figure, receptive to the feelings and aspirations of people of all kinds, supportive of those in all circumstances, but himself somewhat lost in terms of personal aspirations and identity because of the questions about his ancestry.

He eventually becomes a far more rounded figure, although not as quickly as Gwendolen does, as he discovers his personal background and develops a purpose to his life, these two representing the only two characters that emerge from relative flatness and stereotypes, even though some of the other characters are sympathetic in a simpler way.

The novel is fascinating in part because of its sympathies toward and positive depiction of Judaism and proto-Zionism in a time when both were not popular in Victorian society. This is a work, a long work, designed to be read, as most Victorian novels were designed to be read, leisurely and carefully, the reader savoring the language as well as plot and underlying message. It should not be rushed through. Muslims might be one example, as might be Native Americans and other minority racial groups.

Daniel Deronda

The difficulty in discerning other possibilities may represent the fact that such stigmatizations often exist belong the level of usual awareness. View all 5 comments. I've learned two things: Briefly, I am Gwendolyn 2. I can never listen to a George Eliot novel again. I love her writing. She's so eloquent, but she's so verbose that I just zone out.

I'm DNF at chapter I've decided I do not care what happens to any of these characters. I probably should have read the book. Dec 06, Anne rated it really liked it Shelves: Eliot is a master of characterization and uses this gift well in exploring two important themes in English society. The first and most unique is that of antisemitism in late 19th Century English life, as well as the beginnings of Zionism.

The second theme is altruism vs. Too verbose at times, but otherwise a hugely ambitious and successful social novel. View all 22 comments. This was not quite as good as Middlemarch but it was close. Gwendolen is an absolutely fascinating character. She drove me crazy at times but she was great. View all 3 comments. Feb 03, Julie rated it really liked it Shelves: This is probably one of the most frustrating books that I've had to review since coming to GR. I enjoyed it tremendously, in parts; and parts of it left me rather bored and wanting to put the book down.

But for some reason, I couldn't Be warned, if you don't care to know what lies ahead. I say that only because wh This is probably one of the most frustrating books that I've had to review since coming to GR. I say that only because while the Jewish Question left me rather befuddled as to what Eliot was trying to accomplish here, the parallel stories of Gwendolen Harleth and Daniel Deronda are captivating in their own right.

Gwendolen is probably one of the most "modern" of women to come out of the Victorian writing scene -- her dilemma seems as suited to many women today, as it was to the condition of marriage in Victorian times. While I see that young women are seemingly moving forward independently with their lives, I see just as many who stay in sour and heartbreaking relationships because of financial reasons Despite the magnificent strides we've made towards equality, there are many who struggle just as Gwendolen did. Her quest for autonomy, and self, mirror the angst I hear today: In a parallel line, Daniel struggles with his own identity, his sense of self having been robbed by not knowing the conditions or origins of his birth.

In an ironic twist of fate, as can only happen in novels, he is, by birth, exactly who he wants to be: I'm completely befuddled with Eliot's attempt to inject the morality of Jewish nationalism and mysticism, especially as it is done in such a heavy-handed way. The reader finds it a struggle to weave through her convoluted reasoning -- more so because it doesn't feel that Eliot really knows what she wants to say.

She simply jumps on a soap box, every 5 or 6 chapters, and rants to her heart's content, but to no purpose really. At the centre of this Jewish reclamation is Mordecai a "consumptive visionary", whose physical condition seems to mimic the strength of Eliot's own argument: He leaves his legacy to be picked up by Daniel -- upon whom it is thrust.

It is interesting to note that Mordecai thrusts the weight of the future on someone only newly-revealed to the faith, and who himself struggles simply to understand it, let alone pick up its banner. Daniel's passion is real, if somewhat misdirected, for by his own admission, he knows not what he is doing. The theme of consumption also rears its head in Gwendolen's life: It is an irony in itself -- for she is saved by another man and not by her own strength: It is little wonder I felt exhausted by this book: They do eventually come, but one has to work really hard at achieving this knowledge.

This is not the usual George Eliot novel: I find reading her books as easy as falling off a log, into a slowly moving river; in this one, you fall into raging whitewater and struggle to keep from drowning in her convoluted ideology. I can't get Gwendolen or Daniel out of my head and find myself constantly re-evaluating what Eliot might have meant.

I suppose it deserves a re-read, and I must admit, will probably do just that. But also, probably not any time soon. When I figure it all out, I'll come back to these pages to correct this rambling review. View all 4 comments. So a couple of years ago on. I got hooked on a miniseries called Daniel Deronda, which was starring Hugh Dancy and Romola Garai the reason why I tuned in and based on a novel I had never heard of, by George Eliot, who I had heard of but never read anything by.

One is not expecting a story by an English lady authoress to suddenly delve into the plight of the Jewish people in Victorian England. One is not expecting mistresses and illegitimate ch So a couple of years ago on. One is not expecting mistresses and illegitimate children to be talked of as though it were a matter of course. One is not expecting a beautiful young woman's emotionally abusive husband to be. Well, I shan't tell you what happens to HIM. You'll have to read it and find out!

But do read it. Because the miniseries, though wonderful, does not quite capture the breathtaking scope of the book. The introduction points out that this is not only the most globe-trotting book by Eliot, it's pretty much the most widely-spread novel of the time.

Daniel Deronda and Co.

There are also extensive but not difficult to follow flashbacks and flash-forewards, and two separate storylines throughout. And Daniel Deronda, like some sort of reluctant guardian angel, travels between both storylines, giving out good advice and saving people along the way. The likelihood of this increases when she is introduced to a neighbour, Henleigh Grandcourt Hugh Bonneville , who is heir to Sir Hugo Mallinger.

He becomes infatuated with Gwendolen and shows a clear intention to propose; although Gwendolen is not in love with him, she intends to accept. However, on the day of the proposal, Gwendolen meets a woman Greta Scacchi who claims to be Grandcourt's mistress and presents three children she claims are his offspring. She tells Gwendolen that she left her husband for Grandcourt and begs Gwendolen not to marry him because it will ruin her children's prospects as his heirs. Horrified by this revelation, Gwendolen promises not to marry Grandcourt and accepts an invitation to travel to Germany with some friends to avoid him.

In Germany, Gwendolen captures the attention of Daniel Deronda, making extravagant wagers in a casino. When she returns to her room, she finds a telegram from her mother, informing her that the family is now bankrupt, thanks to bad investments. With no money for the journey home, she pawns a valuable necklace but it is returned to her before she leaves. She realizes the person is Deronda. Once back in England, Gwendolen is desperate to improve her family's circumstances.

When Grandcourt arrives, proposing marriage and offering to support her family, she reluctantly accepts. He takes her to the home of some friends to recover and learns that she is a Jewish singer named Mirah Lapidoth who had run away from her father, and in despair, tried to commit suicide. As she recovers, Deronda becomes more interested in her and the Jewish faith. After Gwendolen's marriage, the once docile Grandcourt turns into a controlling and abusive brute intent on crushing Gwendolen's spirit.

He openly flouts the second family he is maintaining. Gwendolen meets Deronda again and the two become friends and Deronda becomes Gwendolen's confidant. Simultaneously he is focused on improving Mirah's circumstances, using his position to promote her as a singer, despite anti-semitic prejudice prevalent in society. Through him, she is reunited with her long-lost brother, Mordecai Daniel Evans.

The novel has been adapted for film three times, once as a silent feature and twice for television. It has also been adapted for the stage, notably in the s by the 69 Theatre Company in Manchester with Vanessa Redgrave cast as the heroine Gwendolen Harleth. Daniel Deronda contains two main strains of plot, united by the title character. The novel begins in late August [1] with the meeting of Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen Harleth in the fictional town of Leubronn, Germany. Daniel finds himself attracted to, but wary of, the beautiful, stubborn, and selfish Gwendolen, whom he sees losing all her winnings in a game of roulette.

The next day, Gwendolen receives a letter from her mother telling her that the family is financially ruined and asking her to come home. In despair at losing all her money, Gwendolen pawns a necklace and debates gambling again to make her fortune. In a fateful moment, however, her necklace is returned to her by a porter, and she realises that Daniel saw her pawn the necklace and redeemed it for her. From this point, the plot breaks off into two separate flashbacks, one which gives us the history of Gwendolen Harleth and one of Daniel Deronda.

In October , [1] soon after the death of Gwendolen's stepfather, Gwendolen and her family move to a new neighbourhood. It is here that she meets Henleigh Mallinger Grandcourt, a taciturn and calculating man who proposes marriage shortly after their first meeting. At first she is open to his advances, then upon discovering that Grandcourt has several children with his mistress, Lydia Glasher, she eventually flees to the German town where she meets Deronda.

This portion of the novel sets Gwendolen up as a haughty and selfish, yet affectionate daughter, admired for her beauty but suspected by many in society because of her satirical observations and somewhat manipulative behaviour. She is also prone to fits of terror that shake her otherwise calm and controlling exterior.

Deronda has been raised by a wealthy gentleman, Sir Hugo Mallinger. Deronda's relationship to Sir Hugo is ambiguous, and it is widely believed, even by Deronda, that he is Sir Hugo's illegitimate son, though no one is certain. Deronda is an intelligent, light-hearted and compassionate young man who cannot quite decide what to do with his life, and this is a sore point between him and Sir Hugo, who wants him to go into politics. One day in late July , [1] as he is boating on the Thames, Deronda rescues a young Jewish woman, Mirah Lapidoth, from attempting to drown herself. He takes her to the home of some of his friends, where they learn that Mirah is a singer.

She has come to London to search for her mother and brother after running away from her father, who kidnapped her when she was a child and forced her into an acting troupe.

She finally ran away from him after discovering that he was planning to sell her into prostitution. Moved by her tale, Deronda undertakes to help her look for her mother who turns out to have died years earlier and brother; through this, he is introduced to London's Jewish community. Mirah and Daniel grow closer and Daniel, anxious about his growing affection for her, leaves for a short time to join Sir Hugo in Leubronn, where he and Gwendolen first meet.

From here, the story picks up in "real time". Gwendolen returns from Germany in early September [1] because her family has lost its fortune in an economic downturn. Gwendolen is unwilling to marry, the only respectable way in which a woman could achieve financial security; and she is similarly reluctant to become a governess, one of the few respectable ways a woman of her background can work, because it means that her social status would be drastically lowered from wealthy landed gentry to almost that of a servant one of the troubles of being a governess is that one's status is above that of servant, so governesses seldom socialized with servants, yet at the same time, their status was far below that of their employers, so they could not socialize with them either.

She hits upon the idea of pursuing a career in singing or on the stage, but a prominent musician tells her she does not have the talent.

Finally, to save herself and her family from relative poverty, she marries the wealthy Grandcourt, despite having promised Mrs.

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