Public reader discussion about The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot.
By maple-dreams2002
For sure Cranford, and also Miss Marjoribanks by Margaret Oliphant (and that whole group of books). I also don’t want to leave out Anthony Trollope’s work either.
By paperbackmarket2003
Maggie’s probably one of my favorite heroines from “classic” stuff. I feel like George Eliot really nails how messy and complicated people’s minds can be. I read *Middlemarch* last year and I enjoyed it a lot, so now I’m not sure what to pick next—maybe *Daniel Deronda* or *Silas Marner*.
By WildHeron1980
Just wrapped up The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, and that ending really tore at me. It felt bittersweet in the worst/best way. Maggie is honestly one of the strongest female characters to me—especially how she keeps standing her ground even when society seems determined to drag her down, and she still puts her family first. But it also made me question what “ideal” even means. Is she different from the people who go against society to chase what they want? And I’m not totally sure about her choices—like, she seems more driven by family than anything romantic. Did she not truly love Stephan? Also, was her interest in Philip more like pity at first, then just turning into real friendship? I keep wondering if she genuinely couldn’t sort out love vs friendship the way she should have, or if she was just immature. Either way, she still feels brave right up to the end. What did you think of the novel?