kstiltner

Jill thank you for your honesty. I wanted to read along but i never read a classic book ever and was afraid i wouldn't be able keep up, so i didn't start it. I am going to get the book now and hopefully i will be able to do it since it will be slow.
Thanks you again
kathy

delvorno

It became fairly clear that you were not around but I wish you had popped in for a quick post of explanation somewhere along the way. I had my summer class read Middlemarch along with you (the class ended yesterday). But you disappeared!
And it is Eliot, not Elliot.

shalom2008

Well, Jill, the good news is that because you picked Middlemarch I had an ecstatic read with George Eliot. I was in an intensive language program when I began the book and really pushed myself to complete each book on time and when the class ended I got ahead of schedule. Reading the classics takes an entirely different kind of attention and the rewards are great. I had hoped to write and share more on my thoughts than I did though, even when I realized that the leadership wasn't coming from you. I'm glad to hear the reasons for your absence were relatively benign, but you are a national presence and the website kept pointing to your blog - two months without an update. I think within the Oprah organization when a person says she's going to do something she does it. Another round on life's lessons! My reading since Middlemarch has been of a much lighter kind. Having fun! Shalom!

producerji

Aug 21, 2009 12:18 PM

  |   in response to: delvorno

Point well taken! Sorry I disappointed you and will try my best not to in the future (and thanks for catching the extra "l" in the author's name, it has been correct).

producerji

Aug 21, 2009 12:23 PM

  |   in response to: shalom2008

You are completely right! Sorry. I was not online this summer but should have found at least an internet cafe or something to tell you all that. Glad you enjoy the book and I hope I can make it up to you. What are you reading?

dori46

I too have not finished Middlemarch and now I don't feel so bad. You are right about a classic taking up more time and concentration. I am used to breezing through a lot of books and this one takes a little more thought. Wish I had the one with the footnotes because as you said there are references I don't understand due to the period in which it was written. Another problem is that I read at night and tend to get sleepy so I need to read this one when I am more alert! I got so bogged down with it that I put it aside and went on to other books. But I will be getting back to it. I hate to leave a book unfished.

graflore

Jill, I just wanted to say kudos to you for confessing! Although some people were obviously upset by your absence, I applaud you for even taking on such a feat. All of us have made promises we have not kept at one time or another. You as a producer for Oprah are entitled to be human once in a while. Good luck with your reading!

shalom2008

Aug 21, 2009 1:03 PM

  |   in response to: producerji

I just began This is How by M.J. Hyland and got into immediately. 'Just finished This is How I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. Hilarious and a bit raunchy in a smart way. Also read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon because Kim Edwards of The Memory Keeper's Daughter recommended it. 'Had difficulty keeping characters straight but the ending is very satisfying. And A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert with another good ending. Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn is very trendy and smart. And The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee poignant and exotic.

Back to Middlemarch though. Please continue reading, perhaps more realistically, a book a month or without a time frame until its done. After I finished the novel I watched the DVD series. It's very entertaining but the book is soooooooooo much better with its inside track on the plot. There isn't a narrator in the DVD. In the novel the narrator is a character and Eliot writes the process of the characters' thoughts and we read where the gaps in their understandings with each other occur. The things Dorothea thinks that Casaubon doesn't know for example. What Will wants without knowing about the "will".

kmcwhorter

OK - because you were going to read this book, I found my Middlemarch book - which was actually 2 volumes! It's been gracing my bookshelf - unread - all these years.

I started reading. I also loaded the electronic one on my computer at work, I'm reading the Sparks Notes (free on the internet) along with the book and I rented an excellent 400 minute DVD version that PBS did. I got hooked.

Getting it from several different angles helps. In one format I catch things I missed while reading in a different format. And watching the PBS show while reading the book helps a great deal - it's easier to imagine these people and places when I've seen them on screen.

I'm on Chapter 58 and things are very involved. I find myself thinking about these characters at odd times during the day and can't wait to find out what happens next.

Thank you for selecting this book. If you don't finish it, you are robbing yourself. It's an amazing read. K.

pamburger1

Hi Jill. Glad to hear you've had a nice summer.

I was a bit worried when we didn't hear from you for so long, so I'm glad to know what happened was simply a function of too little time and no internet access.

I completely agree that Middlemarch demands focus and time to become acclimated into the time period, culture, and language. I was disappointed that there wasn't the focused discussion during the process as promised, but I'm still glad I took part in it. We've had a few posters who really added to the discussions. In particular, Silvine and Rabenaug really kept things rolling along and I greatly appreciated their insights, as well as all of the comments from everyone who chimed in.

Shalom2008, I didn't realize there was a movie version. I'm tempted to watch it.

hildemv

I agree with graflore - you're allowed to be human, you know.

As an English major, I can say I read Middlemarch - and hated it! This coming from a Shakespeare and Chaucer lover, so don't think it's because I don't like classics.. it just wasn't my cup of tea. If it hadn't been on my curriculum for that semester, I would have happily tossed it aside after the first chapter or two. Just because it's a classic doesn't mean you have to love it! Each to his (or her) own...

cmilne

Hi Jill,
I must confess I checked this book out at the library and it was a little overwhelming...I know a couple people suggested Twilight for you to read, and it isn't a classic, yet, but it is a quick and good read, the whole series. Please suggest to Oprah to bring back the book club, the book club shows used to be my favorites when she would talk to the authors. Happy reading. Crystal PS I have reserved at the library a book by Kathryn Stockett called The Help, very popular right now, I think Oprah would like it, check it out!

lkennelly

Jill, I have a Ph.D in English lit and I've not finished it either. I suggest you watch the TV version (a PBS or BBC production I think) and then just skip around the book. The author will never know that you didn't read every tiny word she crafted (she got paid by the word, no?).

My very favorite section is the description of Rome, how it looked to the woman who came there on her honeymoon, etc.

But it's not the Bible and it is a bear! You learn a lot about what Eliot's relationship to marriage and men must have been--and the choices women felt they had to make in her era (and ours?).

Good for you for trying. Good for you for sharing your honest reaction.

mlewis78

I hope that people are not discouraged from reading classics. They are not that hard to read and certainly I find them a pleasure now compared with when I had to read them in high school. There will not be a quiz!!! Just keep reading. No time limits.

I read a lot of American History -- nonfiction. Am currently reading Wilderness Warrior, about T. Roosevelt by Douglas Brinkley.

ddndfb

You missed out on a great book, and I hope you do finish it eventually. However, as a former teacher, and for your future knowledge, I must suggest that you always do your hardest homework first. This was your JOB, just as schoolwork is a child's job. If you had just continued to work through Middlemarch once you started it, you could have read the "easy" books at your leisure. I don't know if you have children, but if you do you provided a very poor example for them.

micjoh

Oh well Jill! Life goes on! I did enjoy Middlemarch and was glad I accepted the challenge. Keep on with it....the last 200-300 pages are amazing!!!
What great books DID you read this summer?? Please share!

klbrasch

Someone mentioned audio--I think that's a great way to go! It's how I read Middlemarch, and I read many dozens of books via mp3 player all the time. I can listen while walking on a beautiful trail, or the beach, which often enhances the story. I read while cleaning house, cooking--it makes the time so much better. It's easier on the eyes after a long day of work, too, and I wouldn't have time to read otherwise.

Many classics were meant to be read aloud. Books were rare and that's how households read them together, a professor once told me.

With Middlemarch I was glad that I had a print copy too--I could recheck things I missed.

subareads

I must say I find Jill¿s excuse a very poor one. I checked oprah.com many times over the summer to read my fellow readers¿ comments and to read Jill¿s comments. While Middlemarch wasn¿t my favorite book ever¿I read half and listened to the second half on audio cd while driving to work¿I finished it. I am surprised that the producer of Oprah¿s book club has a hard time getting through books. Jill, we thought you got hit by a bus! Glad you are alive but I think your excuse stinks. I am a working mother of two and I have to say, I didn¿t love the book, but my goal was to read it¿with you¿and I finished it. If it wasn¿t a priority for you then you shouldn¿t have set the goal. You could have at least let us know what was going on.

sewslow

Whee!!! So glad to see you back on line, Jill. I had a feeling you might be on vacation. You ALL certainly deserve it after all the wonderful shows you put on all during the season. I had started Middlemarch and found it to be a little "over my head". I decided to wait for your blog and now I will start it again. Someone had mentioned Spark Notes. The only ones I am finding are $4.95. Can anyone tell me where to get these for free.

I do remember reading Silar Marner many many years ago and loved it. I will read it again after Middlemarch.

Thanks so much for everything you do for us.

sallyrath

I'm with you, Jill! I thought I could get through this during my summer vacation, but after reading "Admission", I got a late start and am only half way through. Our "summer vacation" is over here in Phoenix, but I'm still plodding through, even with footnotes in my version...am planning on reading trashy novels for the next year once I'm done Thank you for inspiring me to read it, though...probably never would have

seaaria

Your honesty is admirable. I have a question which is not meant to be critical. I have noticed that many folks tend to read 4 or 5 books at a time. How can you really enjoy so many books at once? Since I was a little girl...many many many many years ago...reading took me away to places I could only dream about. Reading a wonderful classic should be like total immersion...and should only be done one book at a time.

jezerbe

Jill, I too am disappointed in your explanation. The idea of reading 8 books plus a great classic while "hitting the beach" and "eating your way through Europe" is a little crazy, but as producer of Oprah's Book Club, once you had missed one or two promised weekly posts, why didn't you make arrangements for someone else to do it for you? Surely there are some excellent English professors out there who could have easily stepped in and provided intelligent guidance and insight for your enthusiastic readers. We have come to expect better from Oprah's organization. Isn't one of Oprah's talking points that we all must take responsibility for ourselves and our obligations?

jh1944

Jill:

I'm a teacher and have heard my share of excuses for not completing assignments, but I'm really baffled by your explanation. You said you had trouble reading the small print in the footnoted paperback, but you also said you had downloaded the book to your Kindle, and that has the option of enlarging the print. Why didn't you read it on your Kindle and use the paperback for reference? You said you should have found an Internet cafe somewhere in Europe to let readers know what was happening. How did you plan to post to your blog during the summer when you set up this plan? When you realized this wasn't going to work, why didn't you contact someone like a literature professor or a graduate student with an interest in Eliot to take over the discussion? This was not a high school book report that you just didn't feel like doing; you had a lot of people involved in this project.

This is not what I expected from an organization like Oprah's. I agree with the reader who said this shows a lack of respect--actually, a really colossal lack of respect for anyone who bought into this plan. You, and the book club, get an "F" in my gradebook.

annettelow

Hi Jill,

I appreciate your honesty. We have all made promises and truly tried to keep them, some we can and some we can not. I think everyone should lighten up, its summer! Glad you are back on track and so we move forward. Life is too short to sweat this small stuff. Enjoy the book and the remaining summer!

barrie58

As a English Literature Major - some 30 years ago, I always intended to read Middlemarch one day. By your selecting Middlemarch as your classic summer read, I was provided with the impetus to get a copy (I chose the Modern Library edition with the introduction by A.S. Byatt and the footnotes) and to delve into it this summer. I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable and particularly appreciated the timeless insights into human nature that George Eliot provides. I encourage all who have picked up Middlemarch to stick with it for it provides a very satisfying portrait of 19th C. English life and the foibles and virtues of its characters that is timeless.

ses125

I am offended by your lack of respect and consideration.

bvaughn512

Jill
I did read Middlemarch. Because you gave us a schedule, I put a post it note in my edition and try to keep up with the dates you gave. I thoroughly enjoyed Middlemarch and would like to read another of her classics, but it will probably be next summer. Since I'm retired, I can occasionally handle a classic. I really like my book club to tackle classics; it makes it easier for me to struggle thru it. But I can't handle a constant diet of classics. I kept asking myself why was I so enjoying this book--believe it or not, I had a hard time puting it down. I wanted to find out what was happening to the main characters.
I also read John Updike's Rabbit Redux this summer which I also enjoyed because of the carefully drawn characters and wonderful use of language.

jbcynthia

Jill, as you have seen we were all worried about you but are very glad things are okay.
I finished Middlemarch and loved the book. At first reading was slow going especially after just finishing a Jane Austin book. I've learned not to read two classics back to back.
Middlemarch was hard to put down. After I figured out that a dictionary, Google, and note cards were necessary for me to keep up with the characters I was able to breeze along.
I'm looking forward to the discussion and others thoughts.
Now, maybe I can finish Einstein. Boy, did I need to pay more attention to geometry.

hmoore02

Jill - I chose Middlemarch for my college English thesis and while I loved the book (it really is worth it despite the length - keep going!), I wondered DAILY why I picked such a long, complex book. So, I understand your setbacks!

karen_mcq

Jill, I understand where you're coming from, but have to tell you that life is really too short for book guilt. I've gotten to the point that I give books the 50 page rule. If the story hasn't grabbed me by then, I set it aside and move on to another.

(But maybe that's just me--what do you expect from someone who authored a Kindle novel titled "Easily Amused"?)

Good luck with Middlemarch!

jwilcox922

I would like to recommend "Daddy-o's Journey Into The Bygone Years" by Ruth Lee and Janice Wilcox. This is a story about life as it was during the Great Depression. William¿s, aka Daddy-o, relationships with his family, friends and loves combined with the stories of his hard work and mischievous adventures all are interesting reading. He raised thirteen children in a typical middle class family setting passing on his ¿life skills¿ to them. His life has almost spanned a century at a time during the bygone years when families worked and played together.

jj7286

It took me a while to finish Middlemarch (I had to finally return it to the library, then check it out again later). I used Cliff Notes (also available at my library), plus the edition I read had footnotes as well as critical essays. It was interesting to read criticisms of Eliot's novel at the time it was originally published -- it was not a complete success at the time. Some critics did not appreciate her insertion of her own subjective moral viewpoints throughout the book --- they felt she was a bit heavyhanded. Also, many people were disappointed that the main character ended up with Will in the end; it was felt he was not worthy of Dorothea. For my part, I probably would have enjoyed the book more if it had concentrated on their love story. I found Will fascinating. I was also amused by the politics of the time (not so different today.....A Reform Bill is considered the end of the world to the country folk of Victorian England). Thanks for the suggestion of this book, I'm sure I would never have picked it up otherwise.