Silas Marner

Silas Marner
By George Eliot
Dover Publications, 1996. 183 pgs. Fiction

Silas Marner, as a young man, was devoutly religious and was happily planning his wedding when an unjust accusation left him shaken in his faith and bereft of his fianceé. Bitter, Silas moves far away and loses himself in his work as a weaver, and, somewhat of an outcast in his new village, finds a bit of comfort in his money, which he hoards and counts nightly. However, when Silas is robbed, his thinks all is lost. And yet, shortly after the robbery, an orphaned child makes her way to his home, and Silas, acting as her adoptive father, is changed by the power of love.

I like the summary of this story better than the actual execution. The plot was good, but there were passages in the middle, particularly the dialogue among villagers, that made the story drag. Perhaps readers who have more interest in the social implications of the time period won't mind those detailed conversations, but many readers will wish there was less of that and more of the "good" parts of the story. Still, the plot is interesting, and if readers need a short classic read, this is good for that.

AE