Silas Marner

By: George Eliot

Narrated by: Gabriel Woolf

Silas Marner is a dramatic novel by great Victorian novelist George Eliot.

First published in 1861 it tells the tale of the lonely weaver Silas Marner who, after suffering betrayal and rejection, leaves his community to become a recluse obsessed only with accumulating money. One day Silas's money is stolen by Dunstan Cass, a dissolute son of Squire Cass, the town's leading landowner. The loss of his gold drives Silas into a deep gloom, until one day a little golden-haired orphan girl wanders into his home to change his life forever. Set at the beginning of the industrial revolution, Eliot weaves a telling social commentary into an inspiring tale of love and redemption.

English novelist George Eliot (1819-1880), real name Mary Ann (Marian) Evans was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Public Domain (P)2009 RNIB

If you like classic literature...

...it doesn't get any better than this .George Elliot was clearly a genius. I would feel embarrassed to pretend to write any review of this, other than I enjoyed it immensely!

The narrator makes this great.

I must have read this book in high school; probably didn't appreciate it much as an assignment. The story line is great. Eliot's turns of phrase and philosophizing are charming. But what makes this a great listen, is the narration. Woolf gives a perfect rendering of different characters and accents without being obtrusive.His warm gravelly voice and measure cadence are perfect while falling asleep, but you can't because the story keeps you captivated.