Adam Bede (Oxford World's Classics)

This is a story about the consequences of poor judgment in character. Young Adam Bede, an upstanding dairy farmer, is in love with the vain and self-centered Hetty Sorrel. She is involved in a secret relationship with the young Captain Arthur who has no intentions of making her his proper wife. She is later found to be with child and runs away. She eventually murders her child. Her family, Adam and all who knew her are horrified. The young Captain Arthur and Hetty’s lives are forever stained in this piece from the late 1700’s. Adam goes on to make a better choice in a wife when he and Dinah, a young preacher woman, find love in each other. They realize that their “souls are knitted together and they comfort each other after enduring much suffering. Good, slow moving old-fashioned writing which makes the reader think.

Adam Bede is about a carpenter and his neighbors in an area in England during the early eighteenth century. The story is slow-going at times because the author writes in the local dialect, so it is a bit difficult to understand but totally relevant to the tale. Descriptions of the characters, the countryside and the town are well drawn and colorful. The characters are believable and sympathetic, while the story itself is engaging and satisfying. I am especially glad I read this book in this stage of my life rather than in my teenage years, because I wouldn't have had the patience to complete it.

As a lifelong avid reader of classic and historical fiction I am surprised that I never ran across this author before. I had heard of the name and actually read Silas Marner in high school but never connected with any of her other works. This book puts you in the early 19th century I guess it was considered historical fiction at the time it was written in 1859. It is about a fictional country estate and the squire and his tenants. The colloquial speech as written is sometimes difficult to follow and there is a bit too much philosophizing for an easy read. But the pathos of the story makes it all worth while. You will come to love all the characters in spite of their quirks. I'm glad I read this book and will certainly be reading more by this author!

This book was not one of the easiest to follow, but more than made up for it when the story progresses it drives you deeper. You can imagine the sorrow and the calibration.

First published in 1859, the human interactions are as poignant and authentic as today. Social mores have changed of course, but the pain and joy of personal relationships remain unchanged. As engaging as this book was to me, after all I have seen and read in movies books and TV, i can only imagine how fascinating it was over 150 years ago. This is a good example of why we should read the classics. It is indeed worthy of the title.

If you are looking for George Eliot at her best, this is a must read!

My only point for this review is the reader. He is so bad, that although the price of this audio-book was reasonable, and in spite of looking forward to listening to it, I had to put it away and come online to find another narrator. Nor could I with good conscience sell this copy.My specific complaint with this reader is his lack of personality, passion, emphasis, or anything that could be called "feeling". He just reads straight on as though the story is no more interesting than a laundry list. If bland and boring is good, he's your guy. Not that I think I could do better, but one expects he makes his living doing this - and then wonders how he possibly can.

It's a classic, of course it gets 5 stars! I received this book free of charge from Amazon for Kindle. I'm glad I got it and happy to have read it. The story was good! Thank you to the publisher for generously providing the work at no cost to Kindle readers.

I have never read George Elliott. This book is a fascinating insight into 18th century English country life. Not only a great story but the setting gives a view of country life that may be unequalled. Worth a read

This beautifully thoughtful, spiritual book is one of my favourites.The scenes are heartfelt and moving.Country !ife is well described so we feel transported.

There could not be a more thoughtful writer than George Eliot, she considered everything of what it means to be human and wove it into her novels. Adam Bede is perhaps not as sophisticated in style as Daniel Deronda, but is still a wonderful read. George takes us on a slow journey through her pastoral landscape and what she says of life in the 19th century, you find is often just as relevant to us now.

Doubtless there might be other less appealing portraits of this time and place - but why always emphasize misery when reflecting the goodness of humanity can point our hearts and minds along better paths.

You can't go to a specific page or chapter, it's just the book in its entirety, not formatted well for Kindle at all. The numbered pages don't even correspond with the Kindle pages (when using the size of text I prefer that is). Rubbish waste of money.