A miser finds his gold replaced with a golden-haired child, and learns the true meaning of treasure. Classic of British literature, first published 1861.

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I borrowed this book from my sister-in-law upon her recommendation. Although I really enjoyed the story and the various messages the author was sending (about redemption, religion, industrial progress, etc), this story really got bogged down at times. The language of the "poorer folk" made it difficult to read at times, the bar scene towards the beginning felt especially useless. Other scenes at least were shown as necessary later on, but I must have missed the boat on that particular one. Anyway, away from any deeper messages is a charming tale about a miserly old man who lives alone and hoards his gold (the cover picture with the tam o'shanter hat made me think of Scrooge McDuck with his vault of gold). One day, his gold is stolen and he keeps hoping for it to return. Soon after, a golden-haired child appears at his doorstep and he begins to live his life again as a result. Again, it takes a while for this story to really get started (I didn't feel truly invested in it until somewhere in the middle), but it is a worthwhile read!

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An old favorite that did not fail to mesmerize when reread. Totally transports you to another time and place. Heartfelt and charming.

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A weaver friend of mine lent this book to me because I am also a weaver. It is my first George Eliot book. I found it rather boring. The story could have been told as a novelette and gotten the same moral points across. I also found the moral points to be one-sided and hence, not interesting. The characters are pretty much one-dimensional never really straying from their initial set of traits. There are a few women in this book, but they have very minor, slim roles: mother, wife, lover, daughter.

Also, there was a religious bent to it that I didnt fully get. Silas came from northern England and there attended chapel. Whereas in Raveloe people attend church. I am not too sure what the distinction is and how it relates to 1800s England. But it was clear that church was the way to go if you wanted to be a fine upstanding citizen. Also there was one scene where a neighbors wife comes over with her youngest to teach Silas some basics of child care and she brings lard cakes. She uses a stamp (probably iron) to put some letters in to the top of the lard cakes while squishing them flat (IHS) which she assumes are good letters as she sees them at the church. She is illiterate and doesnt know what they mean and the book never explains to the reader assuming everyone will know. When I see IHS, I think industrial hygienists. But I am guessing these stand for some Latin religious phrase. The religious bent itself didnt bother me; the lack of explanation so that I, the reader, can fully understand the culture bothered me.

The book ends with a strong scene that upholds the morals already laid out in the book. While the over all message seems to be that love is extremely important to a happy life, it is given to the reader is a very high-handed way.

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Very well crafted narrative, excellent character development

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This 19th-century classic, read by Andrew Sachs, is a tale of betrayal, gold, and love, encased in the elegant symmetrical structure so popular in traditional English fiction, featuring Marner, the weaver, who is framed for theft by his best friend and becomes a recluse, focusing his strong affections only on the store of golden coins he receives in payment for his work. As usual, Chivers has produced an excellent audio presentation of a literary masterpiece. Alas, in this day and age fewer and fewer readers not enrolled in literature classes actually read the works of what are frequently referred to as "dead white males" even if, as in this case, they were actually written by a woman. For this reason, this title is recommended for all academic but only larger public libraries.
-I. Pour-El, Iowa State Univ., Ames

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This is a great read for anyone who likes classics.

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excellent book!

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