DocoftheDarkArts | Middlemarch: (Penguin Classics Delux...

Middlemarch: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Author: George Eliot
Foreword by: Rebecca Mead

Description: George Eliot’s beloved masterpiece in a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with a foreword by Rebecca Mead, author of the bestselling memoir My Life in Middlemarch. A triumph of realist fiction, George Eliot’s Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life explores a fictional nineteenth-century Midlands town in the midst of sweeping change. The proposed Reform Bill, the new railroads, and scientific advances are threatening upheaval on every front. Against this backdrop, the quiet drama of ordinary lives is played out by the novel’s complexly portrayed characters—until the arrival of two outsiders further disrupts the town’s equilibrium.

Every bit as powerful and perceptive in our time as it was in the Victorian era, Middlemarch displays George Eliot’s clear-eyed yet humane understanding of characters caught up in the mysterious unfolding of self-knowledge. In this elegant Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, Rebecca Mead introduces the novel that shaped her life and reflects on its joys and its timeless relevance.

For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Symptoms: Dealing With a Reading Slump

I have seen a bunch of videos recently that start something like this: "Here are 5 books that are GUARANTEED to get you out of a reading slump!" I know I have also talked to a few content creators recently who are also in reading slumps, and I know a few of you all in Discord have mentioned being in a bit of a slump yourself. And of course, being overly analytical, I've been giving it some thought.

I think the term reading slump gets thrown around quite a bit to describe a bunch of different things, so first allow me to kind of describe how I see the reading slump landscape.

  1. Book Hangover: This is where you read a book that is so good, or so bad, that it can be tough to find something to make you happy after. Whether it's not meeting expectations after a five star read, or that one star book just crushed your reading spirit, these are relatively short-lived, and easily solved by rereading a favorite, switching mediums, and picking something short and fun.
  2. True Reading Slump: This happens when you're just not feeling reading, and it lasts for a longer period of time (more than a week). Nothing you are reaching for is striking your fancy; you can't get into anything, you're DNFing or NRNing everything, and you're just not feeling reading.
  3. Serious Lack of Interest: You're an avid reader, but you're not even interested in engaging. Going to the library or bookstore is a chore, and you have a general malaise about reading overall. This usually signals something more serious, like depression or major life events.

Obviously, if you are in the throes of option 3, then just don't even worry about reading. Take care of yourself, and whatever you need to do in your life. Option two is usually the one people ask about when they recommend you a certified slump buster. But if you find yourself in a slump as described above, consider these suggestions:

Lastly, remember if you're feeling other hobbies pulling you away from reading, back off reading for a bit - the books will always be there for you! Restore your enjoyment of reading without pressure!