Brother Jacob, George Eliot
I think this is only my second work by George Eliot (the first being The Lifted Veil), and I didn’t find it as compelling as that novella. It’s basically a bit of a morality tale, as far as I can see: don’t be like this guy who pretended to be someone he wasn’t, because it will come back to you. And don’t fuck around with your family’s affections.
Overall, it’s more a little character sketch than a story, with predictable consequences. George Eliot’s writing doesn’t particularly shine here, and I can’t say I’m encouraged to read other books by Eliot.
How’s that for a piece of synchronicity, Nikki. I’ve just finished reading this myself. I read the Virago afterword because I just couldn’t make my mind up about it. I personally didn’t like it, as I find a tale of someone who is wholly selfish dismal. I like the possibility of reform; perhaps that’s sentimentality. Overall, I’d say I don’t like George Eliot’s characters overall, whether virtuous or the opposite, except Maggie in ‘The Mill on the Floss’. I did feel sorry for Hetty in ‘Adam Bede’.
I haven’t read much George Eliot at all, just this and ‘The Lifted Veil’, and I’m really not encouraged to continue!