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Felix Holt, The Radical

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Felix Holt, The Radical

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

 Relinquishing thoughts of a materially rewarding life, the respectably educated Felix Holt returns to his native village in North Loamshire and becomes an artisan. He is a forceful young man of honor, integrity, and idealism, burning to participate in political life so that he may improve the lot of his fellow artisans.

Contrasted with Felix Holt is the intelligent, economically secure Harold Transome, just returned from the East to assume responsibility for Transome Court, his inherited manor home, and to take a seat in Parliament.

Both men vie for the hand of Esther, a young woman of charm and virtue, who must choose between a life of idealism and a life of refinement.

The narrative is enhanced by plot twists involving illegitimacy and lines of inheritances, as well as by Eliot's vivid character studies, including the corrupt political agent Johnson; Harold Transome's mother, with her fears of a secret being revealed; and the loyal servant Denner.

(P)1999 Blackstone Audio Inc. Classics European Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political World Literature Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

"George Eliot's work places great importance on setting...much background is provided to make the 19th-century love triangle come alive. Narrator Nadia May fills the listener in with brisk, breathless cadences, breezing through the lengthy descriptions like a lovable neighborhood gossip. Her crisp accent, pauses between sentences, and mastery of tone help the listener understand the predicament of Esther Lyon....As she reads the text, May seems to be enjoying it herself, which enables the listener to do the same." ( AudioFile)
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Felix Holt is a very enjoyable novel, bringing insights into 19th century elections, the non-conformist versus established church and small town life. The latter two being very popular subjects with George Eliot. This is not her finest or most gripping novel, but she writes so well, that it's still a joy, especially to listen to. Nadia May's reading is excellent and I will look out for other books narrated by her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel

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Dickens, Trollope and here, George Eliot, along with all history, records how society gets itself into a state of unrest which gets out of control. One group thinks they have the right over another group - the basis of oppression and war, in fact.
Always have done, always will do, till the 'end cometh'!
I so love George Eliot's writings centred in England, did not appreciate the Italianate 'Romola'.
I think one of the reasons is the way she could put over a dispassionate view of her own sex. She was no unscriptural Feminist, in my opinion, but naturally lived to her optimum, without the 'down with men' attitude - no bias, just objective summing up of some of the unlovely traits of some women who would normally be the heroine: "Her women's love of conquest"
The first lone dialogue between Felix and Esther was quite wonderful especially Felix's opinion of women: "All life is stunted to suit their littleness" That is the kind of concise profundity that I have often tried to express when I speak of the Matriarchy. [I'm being objective here, I know how dissatisfied I have been with my own female carryings on, down the years!]
Such a wonderful writer, was George Eliot, others of that era, often devolved into some 'Sensationlist' writing, but Ms Eliot was always wonderful.

Radical is as Radical Does!

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Felix Holt is a lesser known George Eliot novel, but if you are a fan of Middlemarch you should listen to it. It feels like a rehearsal for Middlemarch - a provincial town with a small cast of colourful characters, a "will they, won't they" relationship, and questions over ancestry.

What I chiefly loved about it was the humour. George Eliot writes with a wry tongue -in-cheek wit which I loved.

Like most of her novels, the book takes a while to get going. Having met the characters and seen their lives, at about seven hours in the finding of a locket sets off a mystery.

It's very well done. Long winded in parts, yes, but often a sarcastic phrase from the author makes that worthwhile.

Nadia May's reading (from 1999) is very good. I enjoyed her reading of Adam Bede too.

Overall, excellent and well worthwhile.

I absolutely loved it!

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A thought provoking story with lots of philosophy and high ideals. Also a great snapshot of local life in England at the time.

I really enjoyed the pace with which the action and the mysteries in the novel unfolded. It kept me interested until the very end.

Although I found the voice of the narrator slightly dry, I cannot fault the style and the quality of the narration which was really exceptional for such a long book. She successfully brought all the characters to life.

A captivating, story with historical interest

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I love George Eliot and although the many characters and frequent dense sentences meant I had to re listen to some bits a second time it repayed effort. Where Eliot is complex she reflects reality and no one can also write such pithy and memorable passages. I enjoyed it enormously. The only disappointment was the swift way she tied up loose ends in the Epilogue and even omitted to tell us what happened to one of the main characters (Transom).

Complex but rewarding context for a gripping plot

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