'Adam Bede' by George Eliot

A bestseller from the moment of publication, Adam Bede, although on one level a rich and loving re-creation of a small community shaken to its core, is more than a charming, faultlessly evoked pastoral. However much the reader may sympathize with Hetty Sorrel and identify with Arthur Donnithorne, her seducer, and with Adam Bede, the man Hetty betrays,it is George Eliots's creation of the distant aesthetic whole - the complex, multifarious life of Hayslope - which so grips the reader's imagination. As Stephen Gill comments: 'Reading the novel is a process of learning simultaneously about the world of Adam Bede and the world of Adam Bede.'

MY THOUGHTS:

For so long I allowed the bleak sounding blurb to influence my decision not to pick up this book, but the fact that it took its earliest readers by storm, selling over 5000 copies within a fortnight, convinced me I was being too hasty. If these Victorians were onto something good, I didn't want to miss out.

This was George Eliot's debut novel, making her a pioneer and master of psychological fiction that delves into the nitty gritty of people's motivations. It also establishes her as a novelist who focuses on 'low life' and humble folk. Eliot's fondness for normal, working class people shines through the pages. I believe she does for them with words what artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer did with painted images of noble-hearted commoners just getting on with their day. 

The setting is the fertile pastoral village of Hayslope and the year is 1799, so we get to witness the turn into the nineteenth century. The split between the established, complacent Anglicans and the enthusiastic, full-on Methodists is wide and controversial. A type of feudalism exists in English villages, and of course, the political backdrop is war with France. 

Decisive, hard-working and extremely principled young carpenter, Adam Bede, is devastated to discover two people he loves and trusts most in the world having an illicit affair. One is Hetty Sorrel, the pretty girl Adam intends to propose to, and the other is Arthur Donnithorne, the boyish young squire whose family owns the land on which the Bedes and several others live. 20-year-old Arthur is a favourite with the whole community, who all eagerly anticipate the demise of his crusty old grandfather so he can become landlord. 

We readers, who are granted access into Hetty's and Arthur's headspaces as well as Adam's, sense the bombshell coming and grit our teeth waiting for the fall out. Hetty is the early nineteenth century version of a material girl, self-focused and shallow. And Arthur has so internalized the notion that he's a good guy who always falls on his feet, he can't help vacillating between guilt and desire when it comes to forbidden fruit. 

But back around 1800, mistakes of immaturity were not merely awkward but catastrophic. Inevitably, their forbidden romance brings down a ton of trouble on many people. Since social structure is rigid, these two kids are playing with fire. 

I really like the potential 4th corner of this lovers triangle, preacher girl Dinah Morris, whose eyes were 'shedding love rather than observations.' She acts out of a servant heart, quietly making the world a better place. This girl genuinely seems to consider the world's dirty work a refreshing privilege. I love how Dinah's aunt remarks that their comfortable family is probably not 'needy' enough to receive a longed-for visit from her niece. 

Don't even get me started on the potential 5th corner, Adam's gentle and dreamy brother Seth, always in his brother's shadow and seemingly quite content to be there. Sometimes it seems everybody in this story is deeply in love with somebody who happens to be looking elsewhere. Forget the love triangle, this is a love pentagon. 

I've got to say, I willingly immersed myself in all the drama. Eliot's friend, Mrs Carlyle, reputedly said, 'Its as good as going to the country for one's health. I found myself in charity with the whole human race when I laid it down.' I tend to agree with her. Secondary characters such as the outrageously misogynistic Bartle Massey and blunt Mrs Poyser help make it a fun and lovable read. 

Eliot's prose is beautiful to read. And the contrast between inflexible Adam and indecisive Arthur makes a fascinating study. Both young men need to make course corrections to come to some sort of middle ground, although neither realise it from the start. I consider it a sort of bromance that went rocky for a while.  

 It's the sort of hefty English classic that immerses us deep into the psyches of these characters by shining light into the minutiae of their days, whereas modern authors are often told to scrap anything that doesn't directly drive the plot forward. The evening of Arthur's 21st birthday party alone takes up a full five chapters! Books are faster moving these days. We can't always add to our stories all the cool, psychological nuances Eliot was famous for, because we aren't allowed to! 

But hey, at least we still have access to Eliot's books. I heartily recommend this one. Within these pages both Adam and Dinah are committed to making the world a better place, in their own small way, for having passed through. And their author, Eliot, did the same thing in her special way by writing this novel. I'll finish off with this coloured picture in a book of mine which I believe evokes perfectly the background and time period of the novel, and also Eliot's conception of Dinah Morris. 

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Some Mini Reviews for July

 'Life in Five Senses' by Gretchen Rubin

I've long agreed with the theory that human beings give our five physical senses too much sway at the expense of the far vaster, more formative spiritual world which shapes things behind the scenes. Advice we hear to 'get out of our senses' is wise in many instances.

Yet in spite of their enormity, we tend to zone out too much, taking our five senses for granted and allowing potentially meaningful moments to pass us by. That is Gretchen Rubin's premise anyway, in this manifesto that urges us to start paying way more attention to what we see, hear, touch, taste and smell. 

She is one of the authors whose new books I always aim to get hold of, since I enjoy her fresh take on everyday actions we can all do. Ever since I read The Happiness Project, Rubin's life enhancing suggestions always strike me as reasonable hacks which cost nothing. 

What's more, her books enable armchair travel to one specific place. Since I doubt I'll ever manage to visit New York City, I like what I see of the Big Apple in her writing. In this book, Rubin makes the most of daily visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art, since she lives within walking distance.

I recommend you read it. We can surely embellish our lives in easy, self-aware ways. Since finishing this, I've done more active listening, studied the nuances of famous works of art, enhanced my Spotify playlist, unashamedly indulged in perfumed candle sniffing and considered the timeline of tastes that runs throughout my life. (I'm afraid as a kid I considered Kraft mac and cheese and Semolina drizzled with honey my favourite meals. No nostalgic memories of any dishes my mother cooked to perfection.) I've stroked my cat's fur and asked my son to locate his fidget spinner. And I've made plans to add more sensual herbs to the rosemary, lavender, mint and basil already growing out on my deck. 

Just for the record, she brings to our memories a few internet viral sensations. Remember that controversial dress? I now see it as black and blue, although I think I saw white and gold in the early days. And I always hear 'Yanni' and never 'Laurel' in that divisive hearing test. How about you?

After reflection, I've come to think a lovely purring cat satisfies four of the five senses, with the exception of taste. 

🌟🌟🌟🌟½ 

'Gentian Hill' by Elizabeth Goudge

This is essentially a love story, often long distance, between two young people during the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

15-year-old Anthony O'Connell is a midshipman who impulsively deserts ship in Torquay, unable to bear the horrific, squalid lifestyle at sea on the heels of a genteel upbringing. He decides to take on the alias 'Zachary' from that time forward.

Meanwhile, 10-year-old Stella Sprigg lives with her step-parents at Weekaborough Farm. She was rescued from a horrific ship explosion as an infant and her mysterious, prestigious past comes to light during the course of this novel. (I find the revelation is quite heavy handed, with no surprise element for us readers.)

When these two, each bearing names they weren't christened with, come together, they recognise each other as kindred spirits, or twin souls or two sides of the same coin, and even have some ESP line running between them. I can't count the number of times Goudge implicitly suggests the noble blood flowing in Zachary's and Stella's veins makes them a superior, ultra-sensitive breed of people. Stella in particular is depicted as a wonder child. I'm sure if Stella slept on a dozen piled mattresses like that fairytale princess, she'd definitely feel a tiny pea underneath. 

 The plot partly concerns how Zachary musters courage to resume the naval career he ran away from. The fact that he considers himself cowardly on account of his conscientious objector stance irked me too. Some uncaring relative set him up on the ship to get rid of him at the outset. He never once chose that lifestyle for himself, so I regard his initial escape as proactive rather than fleeing his destiny. Life is too short to return to what we despise, simply to prove a point. Maybe if more boys deserted, there might be fewer wars. 

Clearly, this is not my favourite Goudge novel. But there are several lovely word pictures of rural British life, and cool animal characters. And hey, I've found out how creepy mandrake roots really look. Put it this way, the Herbology lessons with Madame Sprout in Harry Potter stories are no exaggeration. Look them up and see for yourself. 

🌟🌟½

'Pollyanna's Western Adventure' by Harriet Lummis Smith

MY THOUGHTS:

This sixth Glad Book is one that my mum retained from her youth, so I'd read and loved it years ago. Great fun to revisit it again now. 

Jimmy is pressured at work to accept a two year assignment building a dam out in the wilderness. He sadly refuses because he doesn't consider it'll suit a family man... until Pollyanna convinces him that they'll make it work because they'll all go with him for the duration. 'He'd lived with her for twelve years without knowing she was ready to follow him to the world's end.' Aww, I love that. So they rent a house near a primitive town called Deer Creek, hire an adventurous young woman named Dorothy Blythe to help teach the kids, and set off. 

I've always enjoyed stories where characters turn their backs on civilisation. It appeals to some minimalist, solitude-loving part of my nature without actually having to do it myself. The cosmopolitan Aunt Ruth expects to see Pollyanna return home as a bone-weary, broken-down drudge, old before her time, while Jimmy suggests the seclusion and fresh air may prove a fountain of youth. Their house has no plumbing, but a water pump in the yard, and presumably a long-drop toilet. To quote the Gilligan's Island theme song, it's 'primitive as can be.'  

Yet there are enough people out in the Deer Creek community to make for a good story, including three young fellows making moves on Dorothy, who turns out to be a consummate flirt, although that passed Pollyanna's notice during the interview process. Dorothy is a man magnet in the middle of nowhere, while lots of urban girls can't attract one, even in a big city. 

One of my favourite characters is Luke Geist, a 24-year-old invalid who suffered an accident that leaves him flat on his back in bed. His friendship with Pollyanna shows her at her best. It's very cool that a mid-thirties wife and mother will take initiative to reach out to a single guy ten or twelve years younger who is known for being a bit caustic. But she swoops in where many women in her position might fear to tread, (I doubt I would dare), and we get one of the best platonic friendships of the series. 

Smith's writing is quite spare. She never divulges the nature of Luke's accident; only drops hints that it happened when he was about 19 years old, cutting him down at an active and impressionable age. I might've assumed a writer is obliged to provide backstory for something so pivotal, but it turns out leaving the possibilities open to our imaginations is even more powerful. 'Less' is 'more'. Luke's story ends on a positive note with hints that it may contain romance.    

The other interesting thread is Pollyanna's mobile library, which she sets up to help the hardworking folk in the valley 'forget the monotony of their daily toil in vicarious flights of imagination.' I love the broad attraction of books, which we don't necessarily see in our own culture where they are widely available. Many people I know claim to rarely read books, so perhaps scarcity creates an appeal. 

However, Pollyanna exerts iron control over her selection. Whenever she receives donations of books in the post from friends and family, she chooses to burn those which don't tick her boxes. Smith refers to 'a number of private little bonfires.' Hmm, this makes Pollyanna a book banner, on her own small scale. 

I haven't quite figured out where I stand on the debate. On one hand, she's entitled to quality control since the library is her own brainchild, yet on the other, banning books artificially restricts other people's reading lives and denies them an opportunity for deep, honest reflection to work things out their own way. Having come across extra-vigilant school librarians banning books for the most nitpicky reasons, I tend to consider Pollyanna's behaviour crosses a line into literary despotism. That's not to say I've never 'screened' books with others in mind, especially for homeschooling. It's an interesting debate.

Sadly, Harriet Lummis Smith's contribution to the series ends here. This book was first published in 1929 and she lived until 1947, so perhaps she decided four was a big enough contribution from her. I enjoyed her style and conception of the characters; a warm-hearted, if somewhat nosy Pollyanna, a steady, witty, undeniably dishy Jimmy, and three lively kids. What's more, she brings to life 1920s mindsets and shows what never changes. (In this book, Pollyanna rolls her eyes at Dorothy and wonders, 'was the younger generation always like this, so sure of itself and patronisingly superior when experience protested?') 

The slack will be picked up by the next author, Elizabeth Borton, so we'll see how that goes. Next up will be Pollyanna in Hollywood. 

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'Agnes Grey' by Anne Bronte

Drawing heavily from personal experience, Anne Brontë wrote Agnes Grey in an effort to represent the many 19th Century women who worked as governesses and suffered daily abuse as a result of their position.

Having lost the family savings on risky investments, Richard Grey removes himself from family life and suffers a bout of depression. Feeling helpless and frustrated, his youngest daughter, Agnes, applies for a job as a governess to the children of a wealthy, upper-class, English family.

A tale of female bravery in the face of isolation and subjugation, Agnes Grey is a masterpiece claimed by Irish writer, George Moore, to be possessed of all the qualities and style of a Jane Austen title. Its simple prosaic style propels the narrative forward in a gentle yet rhythmic manner which continuously leaves the listener wanting to know more.

MY THOUGHTS:

Here is the final Bronte novel to make my re-reads complete. Essentially, Anne has fictionalised her own experiences working as a governess, with the exception of the romance thread, which is widely regarded as a wishful projection on her part, since she remained single throughout her young life. Perhaps the wonderful Mr Weston is based on Anne's father's curate, William Weightman, traditionally believed to be Anne's crush. If so, he must have been one heck of a guy. But of course poor Anne left no records for clues.

The two sections of the book, characterised by Agnes' employment with separate families, strike me as belonging in two different books. I found the first part face-palmy and the second part quite enjoyable, so I'll discuss them separately.

1) Her employment with the Bloomfield family.

Agnes launches out from a sheltered household with no idea that some kids can be malicious brats who thrive on making others miserable. It turns out 7-year-old Tom is bossy and smug while 6-year-old Mary Ann is stubborn and obtuse. And their father is an autocratic jerk, while their mother refuses to listen. So Agnes' hands are tied. 

The Bloomfield kids run rings around Agnes because they know they wield power to do so. It's the same old story we're all familiar with. The Bloomfield parents forbid Agnes from punishing their darlings, yet still expect her to maintain some semblance of control in the schoolroom. Similar struggles remain to this day. It's probably one of the ultimate deadlocks throughout the history of education. Parents are convinced that they know the nuances of their own kids better than any teacher, yet teachers feel they may get along better without the undermining of parental interference from people who don't realise their own blind spots. And when this situation happens beneath the same roof, it sounds like a tinder box for trouble. 

At this stage of the book, Agnes isn't always easy to sympathise with. She comes to the job as a total novice, yet maintains a superior tone, as if any setback is always her employers' fault. Never once does an, 'Oops, my bad,' type of confession ever slip past her lips. It's human nature to wish to justify ourselves, but her self-righteous stream of complaining gets old quickly. Agnes' own methodology (threats of hell and reactive hair pulling) is dodgy to say the least. 

I honestly feel it was a sound move for the Bloomfields to fire her, since she was wasting her own time and theirs, plodding away under some sort of romanticized martyr complex. Hooray, at last somebody had enough common sense to pull the plug. Agnes comments that her purpose in recording all this is 'not to amuse but to benefit.' Yet I don't really get how she thinks she's doing that, unless she's warning other girls considering the career of governess to steer well clear.

2) Her employment with the Murray family. 

Yay, with that out of the way, the story starts to gain momentum. Agnes' main pupils are now two teenage girls, Rosalie and Matilda, with whom she develops some rapport. Agnes still never speaks up for herself yet maintains a spiel about how horrible and insensitive all the Murrays are, making her sit on the way to church facing backwards so she gets carriage-sick etc, etc. This girl seems to expect people to be mind-readers and I can't help wondering if the Murrays were simply thoughtless rather than antagonistic in many instances. 

I tend to feel more sympathy for the sturdy and sporty Miss Matilda, born into an era which stifled her natural inclination for the great outdoors because she was the 'wrong' gender. I don't blame Matilda one bit for taking out her frustration on the piano keys she was forced to learn to play. Even Anne/Agnes deplores her and calls her a 'hoyden' with its much harsher connotations than the more affectionate 'tomboy' we use today.   

The introduction of two clergymen thickens the plot. Mr Hatfield is the supercilious rector and his curate is the plain-looking but warm-hearted Edward Weston. When beautiful Rosalie Murray starts flirting with Mr Weston, who Agnes is secretly head-over-heels in love with, sparks would fly if she dared let them. As it is, the fiery passion is confined within Agnes' own head and heart.  

I love how Edward Weston's reputation for kindness and justice precede the man himself. Testimonies filter in from people Agnes trusts; the poverty-stricken cottagers. He's surely the loveliest hero in any Bronte novel, (with the possible exception of Shirley Keeldar's love interest.) He runs rings around any Rochester, Heathcliff or Huntingdon. I don't think this guy gets enough credit for that. He's probably my main reason for boosting my ranking to three stars. 

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