SUSAN JHIRAD

Eliot is a great writer and thinker, and she takes on a worthy topic, antisemitism in 19th century England. However she and her characters, Daniel and especially Mordecai, the Jew who earl suspects Daniel is really Jewish, can get rather long-winded and preachy. In many respects, Gwendolen Harleth, the flawed heroine of the story, who crosses Daniel's past, becomes the most interesting character. The Jewish characters tend to be completely idealized. Understandable, perhaps as an antidote to prevailing antisemitism then, but somewhat tedious at times.