Review The Mill on The Floss by George Eliot

St. Ogg's is a small, old town in England by the River Floss. It has green fields, farms, and countryside all around it. The town has small streets, old buildings, and a close tie to the river, which is very important to the people who live there. Dorlcote Mill is just outside the town, close to the river, and the water powers the mill. The river is both pretty and risky, especially when it floods. The calm but changing scenery near St. Ogg's shows the lives and problems of the characters in The Mill on the Floss.

The Tullivers own Dorlcote Mill. The Tulliver family has owned the mill for many years. The mill is their home and how they make money. The Tullivers feel strongly about Dorlcote Mill, showing how important it is to their family and culture.

The main character is Maggie Tulliver, who had a childhood with strong emotions and big hopes. Many critics think she represents the author herself (George Eliot's real name was Mary Ann Evans). She was a smart and eager girl who loved to read and learn, and she often felt like she didn't fit in. Her brother, Tom Tulliver, was stubborn and didn't like new ideas, and he never understood Maggie. Maggie was very close to her brother Tom, and she was often compared to her cousin from her mother's side, Lucy Deane. Lucy's role in the story shows the contrast between people who easily fit into society, like her, and Maggie, who always struggled because she was different from what people expected of young women in the 19th century.

The story goes on from when they were kids to when they were adults. The Tulliver family's troubles begin when her father loses their mill, causing them shame and difficulty. Mr. Tulliver, Maggie’s father, gets into a fight with a man named Mr. Wakem. Mr. Tulliver borrows money to pay for a lawsuit against Wakem, but he loses the case. After that, he is unable to pay back the money he owes. Because of this, he has to sell the mill and everything he owns to pay his debts. This brings much sadness and trouble to the Tulliver family. This causes the Tulliver hated Wakem family, the hatred itself passed down to their next generations.

For the first time, Maggie meets a friend who can talk with her in depth about books, art, and greek mythology, and who truly understands Maggie. His name is Philip Wakem. Philip is the son of Mr. Wakem, who becomes an enemy of Maggie’s father. Even though this is the case, Maggie and Philip become friends when they meet at school while visiting Maggie’s brother, Tom.

Maggie is struggling with a difficult choice between her family and her love for Philip. Tom tells Maggie she has to pick between her family's loyalty and her friendship with Philip. Maggie is conflicted because she wants her brother to be happy, but she doesn't want to upset Philip. This makes her very sad and confused because whichever choice she makes, someone she cares about will get hurt. Also, Tom is trying to get their Mill back and pay off family debts, so Maggie feels bad that she can't do much to help because she is a woman. Sibling bonds are usually stronger than disagreements because they are based on shared experiences, understanding, and love that doesn't depend on conditions. Maggie and Tom are growing up together, which creates a special bond because of their childhood memories.

As she is dealing with this problem, Stephen Guest, who is engaged to her cousin, tempts Maggie. At first, she feels like she deserves to be loved, but will this ruin her relationship with Lucy?

"I would rather die than fall into that temptation."

I like Maggies's character who wants to do the right thing, even if it brings her pain. This quote shows how strong her sense of duty and morality is—she would rather suffer than act against her conscience. Reading this five hundred pages book makes me feel many things, including sadness, sympathy, and deep thought. Overall, it’s a thoughtful and emotional book that makes you consider choices, family, love, and the challenges of staying true to yourself in a world full of judgment. 

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬(4/5)

Title : The Mill on The Floss

Author : George Eliot
Publisher : Alma Classics

Year : 2022 (First Published in 1860)
Format / Pages : Softcover /560 pages
ISBN :  9781847497420 

Review The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

"May scorched and withered; March was restless, and could be hard and cold in its brightness; but April came along softly like a blessing, and if it were a fine April it was so beautiful that it was impossible not to feel different, not to feel stirred and touched."

The Enchanted April offers a gentle, introspective story about four English women—strangers to one another—who decide to escape their unfulfilling lives and spend a month together in a medieval castle in Italy. Set in the 1920s, shortly after World War I, the novel explores themes of love, loneliness, and healing, all wrapped in the warm and fragrant atmosphere of an Italian spring.

“that anybody would quarrel about anything when they’ve not left off being together for a single day for two whole years. What we both need is a holiday.”

The premise is charming and simple: Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Arbuthnot, two rather ordinary and unhappy mediocore housewives in London, come across an advertisement for a castle available for rent in Italy. Longing for peace and beauty, they impulsively decide to share the cost—and the experience—with two other women: Lady Caroline, a glamorous socialite weary of constant attention and shallow relationships, and Mrs. Fisher, a conservative elderly widow clinging to the values of the Victorian era.

Though each woman arrives with different intentions, they all share a deep-rooted desire: to be loved, or at the very least, to find relief from the emotional fatigue of their lives. Their time at the fictional San Salvatore—based on Castello Brown in northern Italy—slowly transforms them. Von Arnim beautifully captures the lush scenery, the blooming flowers of spring, and the soothing atmosphere of the Italian coast, which acts almost like a magical force encourage the women toward personal renewal.

Lotty Wilkins is the heart of the group, with her  contagious optimism and willingness to bridge differences. Her energy helps dissolve tensions, encouraging the others to reflect and open up. Meanwhile, Lady Caroline, hiding behind her beauty and privilege, gradually reveals her vulnerabilities, shaped by a distant and demanding mother and a social circle that constantly wants something from her.

The novel subtly critiques the roles and expectations placed upon women in Edwardian and post-war society. Each character’s inner turmoil reflects a larger struggle between tradition and modernity, repression and self-expression. There’s a quiet assumption that the castle itself is enchanted—but it's really the setting, the stillness, and the freedom from societal constraints that allow transformation to occur.

The Enchanted April is not only a story of escape, but also a journey toward rediscovery, connection, and the simple joy of being seen and appreciated. With its lyrical prose and empathetic portrayal of its characters, this novel remains a touching and relevant exploration of the human spirit. This book is enchanted to read. Till the end of the book, the author still want reader to think that San Salvatore is magical which brings many positive vibes and energy, like Lotty has said. but I assume that not just the a beautiful place, also the beautiful heart of these people. I think this book is enchanted to read, I like it.

                   “Beauty made you love, and love made you beautiful.”

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬(4/5)

Title : The Enchanted April

Author : Elizabeth Von Arnim
Publisher : Alma Classics

Year : 2018 (First Published in 1922)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 246 pages
ISBN : 9781847497215

2025 Classics Reading Haul

Classics Books I want to read in 2025 :

British Classics :

1. 1984 (Reread) - George Orwell
2. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
3. Enchanted April, The - Elizabeth Von Arnim
4. Flush - Virginia Woolf
5. Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott
6. Jane Eyre (Reread) - Charlotte Bronte
7. Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H Lawarence
8. Last Man, The  - Mary Shelley
9. Mill on The Floss, The  - George Elliot
10. Night Is Darkening Around Me, The  - Emily Bronte
11. Return of Native, The - Thomas Hardy
12. Utopia - Thomas More
13. Woodlanders, The  - Thomas Hardy
14. Villette - Charlotte Bronte
15. Wives and Daughters - Elizabeth Gaskell
16. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

French Classics :

1. Fortune of the Rougons, The - Emile Zola
2. Phantom of The Opera, The - Gaston Leroux

American Classics :

1. Ethan Form - Edith Wharton
2. Farewell to Arms, a - Ernest Hemmingway
3. Grapes of Wrath, The - John Steinbeck
4. Last of The Mohicans  - James Fenimore Copper
5. Little Princes, a - Frances Hudgson Burnett

Russian Classics :

1. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
2. Death of Ivan Ilyich, The  - Leo Tolstoy
3. Karamazov Brothers, The - Fyodor Doestoevsky
4. Master and Margarita, The - Mikhail Bulgakov

Reading Statistic :

January :

1. Grapes of Wrath, The - John Steinbeck (Born, 27 Feb 1902)
2. Death of Ivan Ilyich, The  - Leo Tolstoy  
3. Ethan Form - Edith Wharton (Born, 24 January 1862)

February :

     4. Bleak House - Charles Dickens (Born, 7 February 1812)

     5.  Utopia - Thomas More (Born, 7 February 1478)

March :

    6.  Sang Jenderal di Dalam Labirinnya - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Born, 6 Macrh 1927)

    7.  Jane Eyre (Reread) - Charlotte Bronte

April  :

    8.  Enchanted April, The - Elizabeth Von Arnim

    9. Fortune of the Rougons, The - Emile Zola

May :

    10. Master and Margarita, The - Mikhail Bulgakov

    11. Little Princes, a - Frances Hudgson Burnett

    12. Mill on The Floss, The  - George Elliot

June :

    13. Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H Lawarence

    14. The Phantom of The Opera - Gaston Leroux

Review Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

• Lady Audley's Secret, considered as a sensational novel, was highly popular in the 19th century. Published in 1862, it became a notable work by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. The novel reaps the sensation because it has themes of bigamy. Lady Audley's secret combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.
• Lady Audley had climbed up her social status from a governess named Lucy Graham till she ensnares even the wealthy widower, Michael Audley. She made it with her childlike beauty, her most valuable asset.Robert Audley, the nephew of Michael Audley, wanted to comfort his grieving friend, George Talboys after the death of his wife. He took him to Audley Court to have dinner with his new aunt, but the lady avoided them. After they sneak out of the forbidden room to see the lady's portrait, George Talboys is missing.
• Robert is represented as an amateurish detective to search for clues and to investigate the missing of his friend. The mystery leads to the secret of Lady Audley and her past lives. He pursued questions of identity along the paths and corridors of English country houses.
• Lady Audley is a self-centered woman, just driven by her own desire, her action as a reflection of her desperation for her poverty and her social status.
• The favorite character obviously falls into Robert Audley. The changes in the character of Robert from lazy and idle make him more focused, disciplined, and motivated. He is obsessed with the mystery of George's disappearance, he longs for closure about his friend’s disappearance and is willing to do anything to attain it. Some readers think that he is a homosexual because he has a strong feeling for George, but I think it's normal, he finds justice not only for his friend, but also for his uncle and the future of the Audley family.
• This novel became my comfort reading, with a third-person narrative, flowy and fast-paced. It feels like reading Agatha Christie's work, but it's not the same because of Braddon's rich narrative, but sometimes it's verbose. Writing a review of a mystery novel is quite difficult for me not to spoil the main story. Overall, I think this book is the best choice for anyone who loves the Victorian era. It is also compared with The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins.

REVIEW (ULASAN NOVEL) O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

"A pioneer should have imagination, should be able to enjoy the idea of things more than the things themselves."

O Pioneers! is a profoundly feminist novel that was published in 1913 by American author, Willa Cather. This is the first book from the Great Plains Trilogy series, one pack with The Song of The Lark and My Antonia. This book refers to many northern European immigrants who traveled to settle in Nebraska. Pioneers means the first generation who first owned the wild land, which means the land is free. Instead of succeeding in their new land by farming, many of them failed to conquer it. It's because they have no experience of farming, and basically many of them come from the working class and didn't know how to manage the prairie. But, many of them become successful landowners.

Alexandra Bergson, the protagonist of this novel, promised her father on his deathbed to manage the praire which her father failed. She lived along with her brother, Lou, Oscar and little Emil Bergson. She works and toils through the prime years of her life. When her brother lacked foresight and judgement, she could take on the role of a patriarch, making critical decisions about the land, labor and finance.

The feeling of being at one with nature makes Alexandra ignore her personal feelings. The land for her is much more than just physical space. She has a deep emotional and almost spiritual connection to the land. The land became her identity, and her responsibility to future generations.

"The land belongs to the future, Carl; that’s the way it seems to me. How many of the names on the county clerk’s plat will be there in fifty years? I might as well try to will the sunset over there to my brother’s children. We come and go, but the land is always here. And the people who love it and understand it are the people who own it—for a little while.” (Alexandra)

I like it when the novel is like a super account of human life from the past. A book like this is more than just reading. We not only see the point of view of people who struggle through life and their way of living, but also the depiction of places, the landscape and the circumstances. Willa Cather is the brilliant author who wrote the very first account of The Great Plains of America.

https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1850-1874/who-were-the-settlers-who-was-daniel-freeman/the-immigrant-experience/

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬(4/5)

Title : O Pioneers!

Author : Willa Cather
Publisher : Book-of-the-Month Club
Year : 1995 (First Published in 1913)
Format /Pages : Hardcover / 309 pages
ISBN : 9780739433249

Review dan Ulasan Novel Mary Barton - Elizabeth Gaskell

Mary Barton, a poignant novel and the first Elizabeth Gaskell work that was published in 1848. This is the second novel that I have read from her. As always, her narrative is well constructed and easy to read. Elizabeth Gaskell is good at mixing romance with social critique and political commentary, so, she has never disappointed me so far.

The original title of this work is Mary Barton: A Tale Of Manchester Life. True to the title, the work portrays the lives of people in Machester as an industrial town. Gaskell underscores their working class, poor people, their starvation, their slumming area, their pride, their social gap, also the way of living between workers and masters. The author realistically depicts the conditions in the city of Manchester during The Great Depression in 1839.

The titular character, Mary Barton, is Gaskell's heroine. A young and beautiful woman from working class family, ambitious become a "lady", and want to marries whealty men who can escaped her and her family from poverty. When her mother died, Mary lives with her only father, John Barton as a workers at the mill and the representative for workers' rights and joining Chartism movement.

Mary had an affair with the mill owner's son, Harry Carson, assuming that he would marry her. Readers may think that Mary is shallow, but she doesn't have another choice. She thinks she can make it with her beauty. It's sad to think her mother and her older brother died because there was not enough money to buy medicine. Mary rejected Jem Willson, who loved her, for Henry. 

Henry Carson's privilege contrasted sharply with the dire poverty and hardship of workers. They envy the ease of life of the upper class while they are suffering. Food shortages and malnutrition. Why don't the masters increase their wages? Then, something terrible happened, something that turned Mary's life. Can she be the 'lady' she wants to be?

What had happened to the life of Mary Barton, had changed her personality. Her bold and her integrity win the hearts of the readers, and she deserves the title of heroine. Mary is surrounded by her neighbors and friends who are loyal and support her. There are many subplots which are told about Mary's blind friends, Margaret, who has a beautiful voice, Alice Willson who become the mother role model for Marry, and the mysterious disapperance her aunt, Esther.

All the thematic expositions, of birth, death, social class, and love, are centered on Mary Barton. The tale about master vs workers as if it never ends. From The Movement of Chartism through this day, workers are getting better rights from year to year. This book is an interesting read, made me a little bit smarter. Sadly, because too many characters died, nevertheless, it ended up beautiful.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬✬(5/5)

​Title : Mary Barton
Author : Elizabeth Gaskell
Publisher : Penguin Popular Classics
Year : 1994 (First Published in 1848)
Pages : 372 pages
ISBN : 9780140621020

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Review Jude The Obscure - Thomas Hardy

The story revolves around the protagonist, Jude Fawley. He dreamed become a scholar at university in another town, Christminster. It's says dream because Jude is from a working class family, and didn't afford to pay his tuition. Jude teaches himself Classical Greek and Latin in his spare time, while working in his great-aunt's bakery, with the hope of entering university.

His one reckless action in his youth, committed on the seduction of a butcher girl, had set his dream apart. Jude marries Arabella Donn, after she lies that she's pregnant, they have unhappy marriage, then Arabella leaves him. This sets in motion the events that form the main storyline until Jude meet his cousin, Sue Bridehead. This moment marks the beginning of Jude's deep emotional attachment to Sue, a relationship that becomes central to the novel. 

The first impression the reader forms on Jude is a person who is firm with his dreams but powerless because his circumstances and societal expectations have thwarted him. His sincere actions call for a lot of sympathy. Sue's independence shifts to defiance of traditional gender roles. She is an extremely intelligent woman who rejects Christianity and flirts with paganism. She is both admirable but deeply flawed. Hardy also associates Sue with many of his heroines, like Tess d'Urbervilles (Tess of d'Ubervilles) and Eustacia Vye (The Return of The Native). The rest of the characters: Richard Phillotson, Arabella and Little-Father-time are overshadowing their bleak life and their bright dream. All of them are flawed, but Richard Phillotson is an ambiguous character, making it difficult to label him as right or wrong. His choices are shaped by societal norms.

"I can’t bear that they, and everybody, should think people wicked because they may have chosen to live their own way! It is really these opinions that make the best intentioned people reckless, and actually become immoral!’   (Sue, Part Fifth chapter VI, pg. 293)

The entire content of this novel is still about Jude Fawley and his obscurity in philosophy and society. Jude's and Sue's unconventional love story encourages readers to question traditional norms. The pursuit of dreams and societal judgment resonate deeply with modern readers. Hardy seems to propose that we should battle against our tragic fate. At some time. He shows that the battle itself is futility.

I am very grateful that Thomas Hardy has published many books! His books always pushed my reading slump away, his flowy narrative and his beautiful depiction of rural Dorset in the 19th century are something I can't find in contemporary books. But, Jude The Obscure is too emotional, tragic had left me in tears.

"Their philosophy only recognizes relations based on animal desire."

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)

​Title : Jude The Obscure

Author : Thomas Hardy

Publisher : Alma Classics

Year :  2019 (First Published in 1895)

Pages :  448 pages

ISBN : 9781847498076

Time Machine - H.G Wells

A Time Traveller travels through time with a Time Machine to the future, to the year 802,701 AD, finds Englad in a state of dystopian-post apocalyptic situation. Instead of increasingly advanced technology, it has returned to barbaric times. He finds several little human groups who called the 'Eloi', and evil post-human monsters called Morlocks, live underground and eating eloi. The adventure of Time Traveller is thrilling, he runaway with Weena, the little people he saved from Morlocks. He must finding his Time Machine which stolen by Morlocks.

Here, Wells makes it clear to readers that this future is a direct evolution of the era in which the Time Traveller lives. I know this is just a theory and writer's imagination, I wonder what make little this human size decreasing? is it part of evolution ? Thus, in the far far future, it would be possible the human race is downsizing just like eloi. Another evolution happens to Morlock too. We see 802,701 AD from scientist point of view, he explain the wheater, the atmosphere and the vegetation of nature. 

For me, The Time Machine is best suited for cinematic portrayal than reading and visualizing. The depiction of apocalyptic world was blown my mind, but sometimes I didn't get into. While I am reading, I watched snippet from The Time Machine 1960 movies, to get visualize what it's look like. But, I admited, this masterpiece is beyond its time.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)

​Title : The Time Machine

Author : H.G Wells

Publisher : Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Year :  15 April 2018 (First Published in 1895)

Pages :  160 pages

ISBN : 9786020382807

Pollyanna - Eleanor H. Porter

Pollyanna is a good children's classic. It says the story of Pollyanna Whittier, who was orphaned, and adopted by her aunt, Miss Polly Harrington. This, the first in the series, takes us through her life as a tweleve years old girl, leading her new life at Beldingsville, New England, Vermont. Her coming of age stories continue in second book, Pollyanna Grows Up.

Pollyanna's father, John Whittier is a poor priest in Western town. Her mother, Jenni Harrington died since Pollyanna was baby. Pollyanna and her father often playing 'The Glad Game'. The game teaches everyone that no matter how bad the life is, there is always something to be glad about. Soon she spreads the game to Beldingsville people. 

The story is quite interesting and enjoyable. I like the humor, Pollyanna is talkactive girl, and she has many friends but all of them are adult. Pollyanna's presence encouraging a positive outlook on life, fostering gratitude each day, and finding joy in everything, even during tough times. I think, Pollyanna has cheer up the reader too.

I love this kind of children classics, the stories will stay with us forever, when in difficult time, I remeber you, Pollyanna. Four stars for Pollyanna.

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)

​Title : Pollyanna

Author : Eleanor H. Porter

Publisher : Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Year :  2018 (First Published in 1913)

Pages :  260 pages

ISBN : 9786020395135

Passing - Nella Larsen

In 1920, America still implemented a system of racial segregation between blacks and whites. However, there are some descendants of mixed races or mulattoes who are considered to have passed, they can obtain the same social recognition and facilities as white community. Irene, with her light skin and black hair, was considered as passing, but because she married a black man (nigger), lived at Harlem street with her black community.

Clare Kendry, who looks exactly like a white person with blonde hair, married a white man, John Bellew. Clare lives in a white community, her husband is very racist and doesn't know the fact that Clare has black ancestry. Clare is Irene's childhood friend, lived together in a black neighborhood, in the 1920s, they accidentally met in a hotel restaurant, since then, Clare continued to meet Irene until they became close, but Irene felt a little uncomfortable with Clare's beauty and charm. He also really didn't like John Bellew with his offensive remarks about race.

Without knowing her husband, Clare's frequent visits to Harlem Street, indicate that she is unhappy with her current condition, she pretend as white for her husband, but it's tortured her. She longs to return  to the black community. Clare is the type of woman who will do anything to get what she want. But, for Irene, she don't want to get another problem with whites, especially with John Bellew. Irene's jelous thiking about Clare's charm is tortured her mentally, but she still maintaining her household, even though previously it was not good because of the political situation.

The idea of passing is really iteresting, this book is so thin yet so thick with meaning. Passing deals with issues that we are still dealing with today, no matter how far we think we have come, and no matter how far we'll go, we always longing the place where we used to belong. Without ignoring the political aspect, this novel is very good to read. 

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬ (4/5)

​Title : Passing

Author : Nella Larsen

Publisher : Penguin English Library

Year :  2020 (First Published in 1929)

Pages :  114 pages

ISBN : 9780241472712