The Egoist by George Meredith

[robot_mel]

Last night I finished reading The Egoist by George Meredith. I have to say it took me quite awhile and several attempts to get through it. But for the past week, the last 300 pages or so I got sucked in and could barely put it down. It was a very witty look at the lives of men and women, and the problems between the sexes in upper class England in the 1850's. Very enjoyable in a Jane Austin, Oscar Wilde kind of way. It was impressive how wonderfully the female characters were treated, how they were able to express themselves and their frustrations and come across as actual living and breathing people. It seemed like his treatment of the men was a little less sympathetic. I find it odd that it's not been adapted as a drama, some of the humor seemed a little out of date, but all in all I think it would be very appealing to fans of period movies. I seem to be slowly working my way through classics of literature and I am enjoying them a great deal. Next up I need to finish my copy of The Gods are Thirsty (this time in french) then I think Vanity Fair is next, followed by another HG Wells, and then I should really read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's odd how an interest in Chinese Classical literature has also brought about an interest in English and French classical literature. Hopefully this interest in the classics is not just a sign of middle age!