Rating: 
Summary: A "classic" worthy of the title
Review: The fact that Amazon has so many editions of Silas Marner available indicates that it is truly a classic if it is still being read more than 150 years after it was written.It is unfortunate that some high school reviewers (or former high school readers) feel that they had this book "forced" on them. Yes, the English language has changed since the early 19th century, especially for American readers of this British author. My suggestion would be to listen to "Silas Marner" as an audiobook, perhaps while reading along. I recently finished listening to this fine book narrated by Margaret Hilton, but I couldn't find her rendition among the titles available here. I'm sure there are many fine versions available. So, give this tale a listen, and let the language flow into your ears. Then you will discover why this tale about a miserly old weaver, who has been wronged by his neighbors more than once, finds redemption and a new life when he adopts the little girl left on his doorstep is truly a classic.
Rating:
Summary: When Blood Is Weak As Water
Review: This is the uplifting story of Silas Marner, a 19th century English working man, who seems to be greatly wronged repeatedly by people in his community. As an elegible young man, a rival framed him out of greed as well as envy, leaving Marner wrongly accused of theft, upon which he relocates in a different locality. For some 15 years, Marner lives like a hermit, hording the money he earns as a weaver. Said to be "in with the wicked one", possessing strange magic, town folk avoid contact with the mysterious man. -- Suddenly, in short succesion, two events change the life of Master Marner forever, even restoring his faith in a Supreme Being and the good in his fellow man. Without reveiling the surprises held by this wonderful story, I can highly recommend this book to readers of teen age and above. Written in a very high English, the writing style is that of an educated master of the language, uncommon to be written or spoken in this manner for some 100 years. Less difficult than Shakespeare, still challenging to a young person unfamiliar with countless terms and expressions that seem to be very dated. As a teacher partial to language arts studies, I am very impressed by this book. I would recommend it for classroom use at the junior high school level or above. A masterpiece!*****
Rating:
Summary: Classic Literature
Review: Reviews of this novel, seem to fall into three categories: those written by people who like to read great literature; those written by people who would prefer to read brain candy; and those written students forced to read the novel as a class assignment and,in some cases, would prefer not to read anything (if the third category is discarded, the average rating is much higher). One of the most remarkable things about this novel is the fact it was written by a woman, using a male pen name, in 19th century England when women were generally oppressed, i.e., they were not encouraged to have careers or to do anything outside the home. The story is well known. A man who blacks out during seizures, not remembering what happened, is falsely accused of theft of money from his church. He is shunned by his former friends and becomes a recluse. When he is later robbed of his savings, and an abandoned child appears on his doorstep in place of the gold, his life is changed as he takes responsibility for the child. This is classic literature from that time period, and is most certainly easier to read than many other novels from the same period (students should consider themselves fortunate that they were not assigned to read one of Thomas Hardy's novels). I first became acquainted with the novel when it was assigned reading in a high school English class. That was over 50 years ago, and the story is one that has stuck in my mind.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Story of Loss and Redemption
Review: I have to begin by saying I took a Victorian Literature class in college about 11 years ago. I had to read this book... and I did not like it at all.
As another reviewer mentioned, I am now thirty and read it again. I now love this story! It is a story of loss, love and redemption.
A miserly Silas Marner loses the one thing that makes him feel complete, at least he thought it did. His stash of Gold gone Marner opens up to the people around him for the first time in years. He also meets the little girl who changes his life forever.
Silas Marner is a story about finding love and learning how to love someone else. It is also about the miniscule value of possesions as compared to the relationships we can build with those in our lives.
Read this book... If you read it before and hated it, or have never read it... It is well worth your time. This classic story written by George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) will change your view of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Silas Marner
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. The morals and lessons it teaches you are very important. It is the story of a lonely man, who because he was falsely accused of stealing and because this cost him all his relationships with people, he secluded himself in his lonely house along with all his gold that he saved up. He never spent his money because he enjoyed its company. His gold was his only companion for several years of his life. Then one day, he was robbed, and he no longer had anything worth living for.
Silas was slowly dying of misery and depression. He had no reason to live. Then one day a little girl walked into his house and into his life. Her mother died, leaving the baby girl as an orphan. So, Silas adopted her and took her into his home. She grew up a poor, hard-working girl who loved her new father Silas and vice-versa. Because of this new daughter of his, Silas changed for the better. He became more caring and devoted to someone else besides himself. He started to go to church again and changed his views on what really was important in life. And one day when his treasure was found and returned to him, he didn't even care for it. He had something even more precious than gold: someone to love and receive love from.
Rating: 
Summary: I hate this book
Review: This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The entire thing is practically one long sentence.
Rating:
Summary: Breathe World
Review: Long ago George Eliot breathed some life into these characters and their world of Raveloe, and if you look in on that place and time through the words on these pages, you'll find that things are still very vibrant there today. "Silas Marner" lives on because of the outstanding prose style and moral connundrums Eliot lays down as the foundation of her story. Her descriptions of people and places are so beautiful, her command of language so complete, and her style so refreshing, that it makes the world these people inhabit seem more alive and real than the worlds other authors attempt to spin. Her dialogue occasionly lets slip a touch of upper class pride, but overall her characters are expertly drawn, well filled out, and entertaining. The moral underpinnings of the story make it seem like a fable almost, but Eliot fortunately leaves final judgement of her characters up to the reader. Seeing Silas vindicated after so much going wrong for him made this worth the read for me. Despite some of the harsh realities of the class differences depicted, it is pleasant to watch the goings on in a small English town and to see Silas Marner at last catch some breaks and come into his own as a person. Even if it's a little unrealistic, heck, it's a novel so that's part of the fun. The choices we make for ourselves only determine part of our fate, Eliot seems to say with this story. Other things are not up to us, and those happen to us independent of any choices we make. I enjoyed pondering my own fate that way, through the lens of the little world of Raveloe. For such a short book, "Silas Marner" packs a lot of power in both language and meaning. This was my introduction to the work of George Eliot, and now I look forward to reading some of her other works.
Rating:
Summary: Getting over obstacles
Review: "Silas Marner" by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) is a wonderful book about love, betrayal, responsibility and the authoritative role that religion can have on someone's life. You travel with Silas Marner (the main character) as he finds himself through the love of a child. You see him abandon his previous life and travel far away as he starts again in a place that is unknown to him. You encounter the Cass brothers who have everything to hide and nothing to give. You will see through this novel how lies can only seep you in farther and how chance can give you everything back. This novel will have you wondering what happens next and how people will get out of trouble. You'll see Silas go from a lonely man to a law abiding citizen of his little town and how friendship and neighbors (in any form) can be helpful. The best thing about this book is that you'll see how the love of a child can change everything about a person from what they believe in to how they live their day to day life. BEWARE...you will have to get over the obstacle of reading the first couple of chapters before you get to the "meat" of the book. Don't fall into despair and throw the book away!!! Keep on reading. Everything in the first couple of chapters is needed. DO NOT SKIP IT!! I promise you will find yourself loving this book just as I have come to love it.
Rating:
Summary: from darkness to gold
Review: I've just spent the day reading this book. It's one of those stories that unexpectedly warms the soul and grips the heart. The plot is simple: Silas Marner, a naive young weaver, is betrayed by his best friend. Deeply hurt, he leaves his home for a village where he cares for no one and has no connections. He becomes increasingly reclusive, focusing only on the his weavings and the gold they'll bring. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, Silas covets his gold until it's the only thing he's living for. And then the gold is stolen. It takes a miracle for the gold to come back in the form of a fair-haired, trusting little girl whom Silas names Eppie. Once, the gold robbed Silas Marner of the outside world; now, it comes back to help him reclaim his joy. I'm fifteen years old and will remember this story for the hopeful message it builds up, but I know anyone be uplifted when they get to know Silas and Eppie.
Rating:
Summary: Has stayed with me since 9th Grade
Review: When I first started reading this book years ago my first impression was how boring, but as I read on it became more and more interesting. When I finished reading this book in the ninth grade I was impressed with my English teacher because she gave me credit for having the intelligence to comprehend it. Also, through reading this book, I not only enjoyed a great piece of literature but gained self-confidence because someone believed in me enough. This book changed my life.
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