Currently reading
The 5th Wave
14
The Light Between Oceans: A Novel
The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It
Clockwork Princess
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness
Love Medicine
Love Medicine: Newly Revised Edition
Daniel Deronda (Modern Library Classics)
Although this Victorian classic has many of the usual threads - arranging marriages for fortune or title, love triangles, and the issue of social class structure - this book adds the unusual addition of the emerging Zionist movement. I have always cringed whenever reading passages in Victorian novels that have Jewish characters. These people usually have pretty minor roles, but are always portrayed as unattractive, lacking morals and being overall villains or lower class. Slurs against Jews abound in books from this time period. Eliot has definitely taken a brave step in portraying the title character, Daniel Deronda, as an Englishman, brought up with all the advantages of money and class, but with a murky birth history. As an adult, he discovers his Jewish roots which he embraces wholeheartedly. My biggest peeve with this book is that Eliot's motives of portraying Jews in a positive light and educating the world about Zionism are portrayed awkwardly. Deronda's reaction of completely embracing his Judaism seems unrealistic. Jews were treated as second class citizens and the book has long passages of preaching. Definitely this book was admirable for its intent, but not as well executed as it could have been.
