Why read Felix Holt, The Radical?

Book cover of Felix Holt, The Radical

Book description

Felix Holt is an endearing but opinionated Radical, who returns to Treby Magna just as the wealthy landowner, Harold Transome, announces his bid for election. It marks the beginning of a tumultuous time as unethical players seek to undermine the voting process.

Treby Magna is a small English community that's…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Felix Holt, The Radical as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Pamela Erens

Author

Felix Holt is fascinating to read right now, when our electoral system seems to be blowing up in our faces. It takes place at the time of the Reform Bill of 1832, which increased the number of men (not women, of course) eligible to vote by fifty percent. The result: pandering to the masses—shallow sloganeering, hypocrisy, bribery and other misuses of funds, political sins that still feel all too familiar. There’s even a terrifying election riot. Since this is a Victorian novel, there are also subplots about thwarted love, hidden paternity, and an inheritance.

From Pamela's list on George Eliot books to start with.