Romola

Set in the era of the Medici in Renaissance Italy, this book is an adventurous exploration into the life of various aristocratic Italians. Love, danger, secrecy and much more are covered in this novel. 


I found this book whilst browsing in Foyles and then, I hadn't even heard of this George Eliot novel - having read all the others. This one, I had to admit was not as enthralling as Middlemarch but was still a good read. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Romola, the title character. She seemed like an intelligent woman - headstrong in a group of men who are constantly denying her spirituality as self-belief. There is a form of narcissism amongst the men that is replicated by Romola - but in a way that it is not narcissism, but rather a self-confidence that has no arrogance. 

Themes:

My favourite theme was knowledge and the human mind. Romola proves to be a very intelligent human being - but also she proves to outsmart and outwit the other characters. She makes the theme of knowledge a prime motif in the book and recollects her intelligence in helping the story progress both physically and emotionally. 

Storyline:

I was quite enthralled in the storyline - even though at times it felt a little bit slow and still. There were many characters that had difficult names and I felt that the best part of the story - again - was the ending. The ending to the book had a sense of closure that was extremely emotional and exhaled the real spirit of the novel. 

Verdict:

I give this book 8/9

100% for characters: A very headstrong woman in Renaissance Italy has yet to be explored until "Romola" 

100% for themes: I think theme and character go hand-in-hand in this novel especially. 

2/3 for storyline: Just because sometimes, it felt a bit slow - but I did love the ending.