George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans – an ironic ‘deception’ given that Adam Bede, her first novel, is written unashamedly from a feminist standpoint.
The story centres on a pastoral love triangle. Two young men, carpenter Adam Bede and squire Captain Arthur Donnithorne, are both in love with the mercurial Hetty Sorrel. There’s a further love interest between Adam and beautiful lay preacher Dinah Morris.
The setting is a country village in the north of England in the last years of the eighteenth century. The author paints a wonderful landscape of contemporary life as it really was, and excels in the portraits of her characters. Each is flawed, each has their own passions, each is unique, and through this great novel, Eliot put her stamp on literature and on the way we view the vagaries of character, helping us to see people as they really are.
This is one of the greatest novels in the English language. First published in 1859, Adam Bede has never been out of print since, which speaks volumes about its timeless quality. - Summary by Tom Denholm
Book 1, Chapter 1, The WorkshopChapter 2, The Preaching, Part iChapter 2, The Preaching, Part iiChapter 3, After the PreachingChapter 4, Home and its Sorrows, Part iChapter 4, Home and its Sorrows, Part iiChapter 5, The Rector, Part iChapter 5, The Rector, Part iiChapter 6, The Hall FarmChapter 7, The DairyChapter 8, A VocationChapter 9, Hetty's WorldChapter 10, Dinah Visits LisbethChapter 11, In the CottageChapter 12, In the WoodChapter 13, Evening in the WoodChapter 14, The Return HomeChapter 15, The Two Bed-ChambersChapter 16, LinksBook 2, Chapter 17, In Which the Story Pauses a LittleChapter 18, Church, Part iChapter 18, Church, Part iiChapter 19, Adam on a Working DayChapter 20, Adam Visits the Hall Farm, Part iChapter 20, Adam Visits the Hall Farm, Part iiChapter 21, The Night-School and the Schoolmaster, Part iChapter 21, The Night-School and the Schoolmaster, Part iiBook 3, Chapter 22, Going to the Birthday FeastChapter 23, Dinner-TimeChapter 24, The Health-DrinkingChapter 25, The GamesChapter 26, The DanceBook 4, Chapter 27, A CrisisChapter 28, A DilemmaChapter 29, The Next MorningChapter 30, The Delivery of the LetterChapter 31, In Hetty's BedchamberChapter 32, Mrs Poyser 'Has Her Say Out'Chapter 33, More LinksChapter 34, The BetrothalChapter 35, The Hidden DreadBook 5, Chapter 36, The Journey of HopeChapter 37,The Journey in DespairChapter 38, The QuestChapter 39,The TidingsChapter 40, The Bitter Waters SpreadChapter 41, The Eve of the TrialChapter 42, The Morning of the TrialChapter 43, The VerdictChapter 44, Arthur's ReturnChapter 45, In the PrisonChapter 46, The Hours of SuspenseChapter 47, The Last MomentChapter 48, Another Meeting in the WoodBook 6, Chapter 49, At the Hall FarmChapter 50, In the CottageChapter 51, Sunday MorningChapter 52, Adam and DinahChapter 53, The Harvest SupperChapter 54, The Meeting on the HillChapter 55, Marriage BellsEpilogue
Adam Bede (version 2) - George Eliot - Description and brief content, listen free online on the e-library site at Knigi-Audio.com/en/
