DANIEL DERONDA and THE FAERIE QUEENE

Ah, I'm a lucky reader these days, alternating between the harmonies and descriptions of Spenser and the profound philosophical sentences of George Eliot. I do believe that The Fairie Queene is one of the most beautiful poems I have ever read, bar none, and I find myself highlighting a sentence or two on each page of Eliot's novel. The story is deepening, growing more intense and revelatory. Gwendolyn is entirely ashamed of what she's done with her life, and it seems like Deronda may become her "teacher" and show her a new way to live.

DANIEL DERONDA, THE LADY OF THE LAKE

The story has turned sad again, with Gwendolyn falling into despair because of her family's financial troubles. At this point, she is acting like a spoiled brat. I find nothing in her character to admire, but I'm hoping that will change.

I'm also reading Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake", a dreamy but musical narrative poem from the hills of Scotland. 

DANIEL DERONDA

Things have really picked up in the last few chapters. I whole new thread of plot has entered the story, involving Daniel Deronda himself, a compassionate nephew of Sir Hugo Mallinger (and thus a cousin of Mallinger Grandcourt). Deronda rescues a young Jewish girl from drowning herself, and takes her for shelter to the home of his best friend's family. Deronda appears to be a wise, sensitive, and loving young man, and I'm suddenly very interested in how his role will play out with the rich, refined, and rather "boring" people of the first part of the book, especially Gwendolyn Harleth.

DANIEL DERONDA

I've been enjoying this novel for a week or so, pondering the many poetic passages, highlighting them as I read. So far, the plot is not particularly engaging -- just the story of a proud young woman, Gwendolyn Harleth, trying to decide among many suitors. But Eliot's utterly graceful writing is captivating, so the plot seems secondary to me, at least at this point. Gwendolyn has decided, it seems, to accept Mallinger Grandcourt's marriage proposal, but Grandcourt's butler, Lush, seems to have other ideas. He has just greeted a woman and her two young children at the station, and he appears to think her arrival will mean the wedding will never happen. 

Of course, I'm still wondering when Deronda will come back into the book, having disappeared for the last 150 pages.