Adam Bede by George Eliot

I’ve been reading Adam Bede for the last few days, and also listening to a recorded reading of it by an excellent professional actor. In a way, this is a first for me. I have occasionally listened to recorded books, but always in the car, never sitting in a chair and following the story as I listen. It’s been a wonderful experience so far, making me wonder why I didn’t do this years ago. Listening to the actor read the story allows me to enter into it more deeply – to visualize the scenes more clearly and, especially, to hear the various dialects and modes of speech of the characters. It’s a new and in some ways more profound way for me to read – one which I may try, to some degree, with my scholars this coming year.