Having discovered during my research on Andrew Marvell that corrupt politicians are not the prerogative of the twenty-first century (OK, so that wasn't really that much of a surprise) I came across this passage, last night, while reading Daniel Deronda, which shows that the publishing world hasn't changed that much either.
One of the shop-windows he paused before was that of a second-hand book-shop, where, on a narrow table outside, the literature of the ages was represented in judicious mixture, from the immortal verse of Homer to the mortal prose of the railway novel.
Airport novels eat your hearts out. There is clearly nothing new under the sun.
Love that quote and I adore the cover!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful - you've taken me right back to a particular shop I knew and loved. And a book I knew and loved and really must visit again one day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great quote! I've actually seen the film adaptation of this, (and really liked it), but I fully intend to read it someday, too!
ReplyDeleteCristina, it's so evocative, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteFleur, I've enjoyed coming back to Deronda more than I expected to, especially as I've got further in to the part where he is finding out about his background. It's well worth a second read.
Danielle, there was a TV adaptation here, I'm not sure if that's the one you mean, but it was very good. It's a book you need to put time to one side for. Very Long!
The "railway novel". Love it! Thanks for sharing that. I have read DD but oh so long ago!
ReplyDeleteIt's worth a second read WG. It's coming up really fresh.
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent quote! I have sadly never read DD. Must make the effort to get to it one of these days!
ReplyDeleteIt needs a slow read, Stefanie. It has a lot of serious contemplation about the time in which it was written, which can sometimes require a deviation out into history books to place what Eliot is referencing. However, it is definitely worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteHi Annie,
ReplyDeleteI love the quote and I adore the cover art on the DD book, nearly as much as I love trawling through second hand book shops and charity shops, where the eclectic mix of book ages and genres, is always amazing.
Yvonne
Yvonne, I've promised myself two such trawls this weekend. I just hope the bank manager is still speaking to me on Monday morning!
ReplyDeleteOh, Annie -- DD. The chapel turned into the stables... Gwendolen gambling... Gwendolen's totally infuriating nature... I do remember the occasional lapse into Eliot's particular brand of research, big chunks where some Victorian form of neon goes off flashing "research! research!" But it's my favorite Eliot. The miniseries was awfully good, too. Are you going to blog in one go, or break it up?
ReplyDeleteCarol, I know just what you mean about those lengthy passages although the reading I've been doing about Eliot suggests that rather than going off and researching these matters she was actually feeding in ideas that would have been regularly discussed in her circle. More time for extended intellectual talk when there is no TV to distract you:) I will probably blog about the reading groups' discussion after our meeting next week.
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