When I first read this classic novel written by George Eliot (pen name for Mary Anne Evans), I was a nineteen-year-old college student.

Recently, I had the opportunity to reread this novel for a local book club that I belong to…and I still love this story.

The two main plots of this classic novel are the life of Dorothea Brook and Tertius Lydgate. Dorothea is a young beautiful 19-year-old orphan. Her goal is to make something out of her life and expand her intellect. She’s drawn to a 45-year-old clergyman named Mr. Casaubon, who she believes to be a highly intellectual man. She ends up marrying him, despite her sister Celia’s advice. Then enter Casaubon’s cousin, Will Ladislaw, a student who is still trying to discover his life and career.

And you guessed it, Dorothea and Will fall in love. Casaubon becomes jealous and here is where I won’t spoil the novel further. It’s such a great read!

If you’ve never read this book, you should give it a try! Let me know what you think.