A Serial Reading of George Eliot’s Romola

Registration is now closed. A Newberry Library Adult Education Seminar

George Eliot’s fourth novel, Romola, superimposes Victorian themes and concerns onto the religious, political, and personal lives of 15th-century Florence. The result is a literary experience like no other; a challenging yet fascinating exploration of language, idealism, vision, and ambition, as the title character wrestles with the multiple power structures she is born into. This seminar invites participants to immerse themselves in the world(s) of the novel by reading and discussing it in consecutive parts, as originally published. Eight sessions via Zoom.

Thursdays 2pm-4pm, September 22 to November 10, 2022
For the first session, please read the novel’s “Proem” and chapters 1-5. Please do not read the introduction.

Registration information here.

Materials List
George Eliot, Romola. Penguin Classics Edition (strongly recommended). ISBN: 978-0140434705.

Schedule
Session One
Read the novel’s “Proem” and chapters 1-5

Session Two
Chapters 6-10

Session Three
Chapters 11-20

Session Four
Chapters 21-32

Session Five
Chapters 33-41

Session Six
Chapters 42-51

Session Seven
Chapters 52-61

Session Eight
Chapters 62-Epilogue

Image: Artemisia Gentileschi, Allegory of Rhetoric (1650)

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