Considered as one of the great Victorian classics, 'Daniel Deronda' focuses on the two principles characters of Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen Harleth, two young people whose lives are interconnected both by their social class and their mutual search for meaning and purpose in their lives. My enjoyment of this book ebbed and flowed. Eliot's antiquated style of writing demands intense concentration, and I was often left bewildered by her complex intellectual and philosophical meanderings. I really liked many things about this book: the character of Daniel Deronda is both enigmatic and sympathetic, the plot is interesting and Eliot often brings the good and bad of society to life with great skill and power. At other times I found this book a bit of a slog. There is too much abstract and wordy intellectualism and at 675 pages it is a bit overcooked. I feel Eliot could have cut it down to 500 pages and simplified her style of writing without compromising the characters and what she is trying to say to the reader. A frustrating read but it is still worth giving it a try, if you are willing to put the work in.7.5 out of 10
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