The Sibyl ( George Eliot), Max Duncker* (German publishing house), and the beautiful 18 year old Sophie von Hahn. The latter suspects that, despite the narrator's emphasis on the Sybil's age and ugliness, Max has completely fallen under her spell. Max is trying to secure German rights to Middlemarch (another three-way relationship). Duncker deliberately interrupts the story with her narrator's asides but these distracted me from the characters and storyline, despite being entertaining and informative.
Ed. note: The German publishing house, Duncker, did publish some of Eliot's work but Patricia Duncker is not related. The surname simply inspired the novel.
(Christine Miller - bwl 78 Autumn 2015 ) |
