This was my first time reading George Eliot, and I'm impressed. The characters are intriguing and well developed, there are several plots going on, and the entire novel is very engaging and successfully paints a picture of what life was like in Middlemarch, England, circa 1830. This necessarily involves the socioeconomic picture and the limitations women had in choosing how to live their lives. It took me awhile to finish, but I enjoyed it and am glad for the experience.