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Romola

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Romola

By: George Eliot
Narrated by: Nadia May
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About this listen

 "There is no book of mine about which I more thoroughly feel that I swear by every sentence as having been written with my best blood." Thus wrote George Eliot about Romola, the book that is central in her career as a novelist and among her most colorful, fluent, and persuasive works.

Set in Florence in 1492, a time of great political and religious turmoil, Eliot's novel blends vivid fictional characters with historical figures such as Savonarola, Machiavelli, and the Medicis. When Romola, the virtuous daughter of a blind scholar, marries Tito Melema, a charismatic young Greek, she is bound to a man whose escalating betrayals threaten to destroy all that she holds dear. Profoundly inspired by Savonarola's teachings, then crushed by the religious leader's ultimate failure, Romola finds her salvation in noble self-sacrifice.

(P)1997 Blackstone Audio Inc. Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

Critic Reviews

"George Eliot's humanity colors all her other gifts — her humor, her morality, and her exquisite rhetoric." (Henry James)
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If you are history buff this might be for you, and if you love language too. I learnt much about the religious upheavals and political strife of Renaissance Florence, which is the backdrop for the life of Romola. Her development from a devoted but high minded daughter to a life of service and self-sacrifice is described in a beautifully nuanced and detailed way. I savored the language and the various threads that came together in a plausible way. Such a contrast to a racy , modern novel. You can’t rush this one. A pity that the name “Romola” was pronounced in an unconventional way.

A book to take your time over.

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Took a while to get into this but it has all the hallmarks of George Eliot’s writing: concern with big issues like truth and trust, the consequences of our choices and the possibility of a higher moral life which is more than selfishness. I like reading her as she makes me want to live a bigger, better life! She’s so devestatingly accurate about marriage too. A heroine who grows and develops (a bit like Gwendolen in ‘Daniel Deronda’). Tito is also totally believable. Lots of heartbreak and tension to see how it would all turn out. The character of Savonarola also superb. Fantastic narration which brought all the characters to life. Worth the time it takes to get into!

Beautiful book superbly read

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