I read these over the past couple of months:
I enjoyed how powerful emotion and intense characterisation are contrasted with a relatively simple prose, and fairly slow paced narrative - it makes for a very still yet electric quality, especially in the love story between robert and maria. I also found the interplay between human relationships and the spanish civil war particularly interesting, as the war, and its direct physical brutality, despite being primary in driving plot, is somewhat secondary to its effects on the people it envelops - of particular note were the passages about pablo's destruction of the fascist village, robert's account of what life will be like after the war, and the guerillas' differing attitudes to killing.
Pretty absorbing exploration into one man's ethical life - it looks at his, and society's, moral standards, especially sexual, and the idea of responsibility and consequence; the degradation of david currie's life from an act of seemingly harmless lust (a relationship with his student) to the utter violence and trauma of his daughter's rape is a particularly pertinent central feature, which in itself leads to examinations of familial relationships, duty and south-african life. The writing style as well is interesting - its written in a fragmentary narrative form, where specific time almost becomes an irrelevance, and where seemingly crucial events are almost skirted over (i'm sure there's many things to read into this, but I need to remember this is slap not an essay)
I'm sure most of you will have read this, or seen the play, but I hadn't, so thought it would make for an enjoyable quick read - this was correct. Very original and juxtaposed characters (stanley vs. blanche vs. stella), especially considering it was written in 1947 (a modern reader could be forgiven for thinking it cliched, due to the class/race/sexual/psychological themes, but that's no fault of tenessee's) Rich sensory imagery throughout and cool insight into social pressures and changes occuring in america at the end of the war.
I'm about 65% through this, so can't give a final verdict, but i've enjoyed it for the most part so far. George Elliot is a brilliant wordsmith; she utilises a vast vocabulary without being verbose, and is erudite without being pompous. What i've most enjoyed is her great sensitivity to the emotions of young Maggie, and how her childish feelings overrule any rational logic in moments of passion. On quite a few occasions i've been surprised to empathise with descriptions of very specific and seemingly unusual behaviour - a great skill on elliot's part.
Have just started this - quite a contrast from my reading habits as of... well as of
ever really, so it should be a fresh experience (despite the obvious archaism haha). I have a feeling that until I properly study it, much of the detail, intertextuality and references will go over my head - but i'll try and make use of its notes as best I can...