Long Novel Weekend 2015

This year we will discuss Middlemarch

By George Eliot

In 1990, a second edition of the Great Books of the Western World was published increasing from 54 volumes to 60 volumes.  One of the additions was Middlemarch (pub. 1871) by George Eliot (born Mary Anne Evans) which  is easily comparable to Tolstoy’s War and Peace (pub. 1869) and Melville’s Moby Dick (pub. 1851), both included in the GBWW. 

 The novel is set in the fictitious Midlands town of Middlemarch during 1829–32 and it comprises several distinct (though intersecting) stories and a large cast of characters. Although containing comical elements, Middlemarch is a work of realism that refers to many historical events: the 1832 Reform Act, the beginnings of the railways, the death of King George IV, and the succession of his brother, the Duke of Clarence (the future King William IV).

 On Eliot’s earlier works, Charles Dickens wrote:  “The exquisite truth and delicacy, both of the humour and the pathos of these stories, I have never seen the like of.”  Alexandre Dumas deemed her realistic depiction of rural domestic life “the masterpiece of the century.”  Upon its publication Middlemarch was an immediate and popular success.  “Eliot’s power is at its highest in the mature Middlemarch, the magnificent book which with all its  imperfections is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people,” said Virginia Woolf.  Queen Victoria was one of Eliot’s biggest fans.

We will use the Modern Library Classics edition of Middlemarch by George Eliot.  ISBN:  978-0-679-78331-2  Please purchase only this edition from your bookseller.                                                                                                                                                                George Eliot

The Location:
Enjoy a Great Books weekend at the beautiful Vallombrosa Center conveniently located in a quiet corner of Menlo Park easily accessible by car or by public transportation. Each room at  Vallombrosa has a private bath. 

The Weekend:
Plan to arrive about 9:00 AM Saturday.  There will be three discussions of Middlemarch, four fine meals, and a party on Saturday evening    Also, at 4:00 pm, Saturday there will be a speaker, Claudia Stevens, who wrote the libretto for an opera based on Middlemarch that was premiered here in SF this spring. The opera, called "Middlemarch in Spring" is based on the work by George Eliot and was composed by Alan Shearer. The opera was very well-received by the critics. It should be fascinating to hear how the librettist chose to rework the novel in opera form.   At the party on Saturday evening we will enjoy music by the  Humuhumunukunukuapua'a & Strathspey Society Band and some English Country Dancing for all.  And there will be plenty of free time for exploring or relaxing. Our program will  conclude after lunch on Sunday.

Weekend Costs Per Person:

• $175. per person, Double Occupancy Rooms
  
• $189. per person, Single Occupancy Rooms
  
• $154. per person, For those not staying overnight.

Deadline for Registration:  August 15, 2014
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