Felix Holt The Radical

tags: classics, politics, romantic triangle

⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads

When the young nobleman Harold Transome returns to England from the colonies with a self-made fortune, he scandalizes the town of Treby Magna with his decision to stand for Parliament as a Radical. But after the idealistic Felix Holt also returns to the town, the difference between Harold's opportunistic values and Holt's profound beliefs becomes apparent. Forthright, brusque and driven by a firm desire to educate the working-class, Felix is at first viewed with suspicion by many, including the elegant but vain Esther Lyon, the daughter of the local clergyman. As she discovers, however, his blunt words conceal both passion and deep integrity. Soon the romantic and over-refined Esther finds herself overwhelmed by a heart-wrenching decision: whether to choose the wealthy Transome as a husband, or the impoverished but honest Felix Holt.

This is the last George Eliot novel I have read, completing all 7 novels and one collection of 3 short stories. This is my least favorite but still rates 3 stars IMHO. Middlemarch is still number 1 on my list of George Eliot novels.

The story is a tad convoluted with the story of Esther and also of Harold regarding their parentage. The storytelling is fine but with almost all characters being antiheroes, it is hard to like the book. I guess not everybody is into reading about vexing characters dominating a book. This is probably the reason it is the least popular of all her novels regardless of the interesting Radicalism politics.