Finished: Daniel Deronda (Eliot, George). A long, but good book with lots and lots of characters! Daniel Deronda is the story of, well, Daniel Deronda! Daniel Deronda is a young man of about 24 who has been raised in England in the 1860's by a wealthy Englishman, Sir Hugo Mallinger, who took him to raise as his ward when he was only two years old. Daniel knows nothing of his true parentage, but assumes that Sir Hugo is his secret father and that his mother willingly gave him up. However, Daniel is darker haired and complexioned than most fair skinned Englishmen, so he often wonders what his true heritage is. He loves, adores, and respects Sir Hugo, though. And, Daniel himself has grown up to be a compassionate, thoughtful, good person. He is always rescuing others, or lending his ear for their problems. He's not sure what he wants to do with his life after graduating from the university, but soon three relationships will change all that.

Daniel sees the beautiful, lively, 20-year old Gwendolen Harleth at the roulette tables while on vacation in France with Sir Hugo. From afar he watches as she rashly bets all her money on a certain number, and then loses. Gwendolen looks up to see Daniel studying her with his gaze that makes her feel less superior to him because she was gambling...and Gwendolen takes pride in always feeling superior to others! She is a willful, selfish, young woman with a widowed mother at home in England and four step-sisters who she can't bother with. She's the pride of her mother, but has been completely spoiled. She is chagrined that Daniel is looking at her with such fascination and takes it as an insult. Though they don't meet at that time, later when they do, Daniel becomes the equivalent of Gwendolen's conscience as she goes through all her tribulations. She can hardly make any decisions without his approval, much to the displeasure of her husband. Speaking of her husband, he is very, very heartless. Henleigh Mallinger Grandcourt is the 35 year old nephew of Sir Hugo, and heir to all his vast property, since Hugo himself has no male children. Henleigh is the son of Hugo's deceased brother. Henleigh rides into Gwendolen's quaint English town with the purpose of most likely marrying the richest heiress in town, Catherine Arrowpoint. However, once he meets Gwendolen, he sets his sights on her. Gwendolen will have none of that, not wanting to marry now, and maybe never. She's the first woman ever to string Grandcourt along and he pursues her relentlessly. The thing is, though, he doesn't truly fall in love with her. He only wants to manipulate her and prove that he can "rule" her by marrying her. He turns on the outward charm, but inside he seethes. Gwendolen is about to fall for his charms and say yes to the marriage proposal she knows is coming when Grandcourt's mistress of the last ten years shows up!! She is a woman who left her husband and young son for Grandcourt, and now has four children by him...the youngest, five years old, being a son. Grandcourt "keeps" the mistress and her children in one of his estates, but is no longer romantically interested in her. When the mistress, Lydia Glasher, comes face to face with Gwendolen on the day Gwendolen intends to accept Grandcourt's proposal, she tells Gwendolen about her life of the last ten years and shows Gwen her children, including her son. She makes her promise not to marry the man who had promised to marry her and make her children legitimate. Gwendolen makes that promise and runs off to France (where we catch up with the opening scene of the book at the roulette table). Grandcourt has no idea that Lydia has confronted Gwen and takes her running away as one more hard-to-get ploy and goes after her. Meanwhile, right after Gwendolen has lost all her money at the table and looked up to see the gaze of Daniel Deronda, she gets a telegram to go home to her mother immediately....all her mother's money has been lost, having been invested poorly by a banker. They are to be destitute! Gwendolen returns home to find out that she will either have to work at a school as a teacher (though she's not qualified) or as a governess to three "bratty" girls. She can't bear the thought of her position in society suddenly changing, and the timing is perfect when Grandcourt shows back up, telling her he followed her to France and back and is still determined to marry her. Despite her promise to the mistress, Gwendolen sees that Grandcourt is willing to marry her despite her now having no money. (That was a big deal in 1860's England!) She knows that if she marries him that her mother will not be destitute...and neither will she. She agrees to marry him, and he knows it's not for love, but he doesn't care. He will soon be controlling her in his sadistic ways. First he must go to Lydia Glasher and get back his mother's diamonds that he gave her to wear all those years. Lydia breaks down when he tells her he's marrying another. She tells him she will make sure the diamonds are delivered to Miss Harleth before her wedding day, and that she will not make a scene and show up there herself. She knows that she will still be depending on Grandcourt to keep her and the children in a home and cared for. Instead, Lydia sends the diamonds to Gwendolen on her wedding day with a nasty note...a note telling her that she'll be haunted til the day she dies every time she wears the diamonds and knows that she "stole" her son's inheritance out from under him. This begins a horrible, downward spiral of a controlling marriage where Grandcourt "breaks" Gwen's will. He is cold and not at all charming any more. He has his own way in all things. He insists that she show an outward appearance of a happy marriage at social events. She actually begins to appreciate her old life, even her sisters. In their social circle, they run constantly into Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen begs for his moral advice. She's done something awful (marrying for money and depriving the other woman of her right), and how can she not be considered an awful person? Deronda tells her that the first step, and one that makes people redeemable is recognizing they did something wrong and being remorseful about it.

As the book goes on, we also have a huge section on Daniel himself and how he was raised up with Sir Hugo as a good Christian boy. He's often questioned his mother's heritage, but never wants to question Sir Hugo since he adores him and doesn't want to ever hurt his feelings. One day when Daniel is out rowing on the Thames (after the vacation where he witnessed Gwen at the roulette table), he spies a beautiful young woman who looks to be in despair, and looks like she's going to throw herself into the river. He quickly rows his boat over and convinces her that her life is worth something and to please let him help. Her name is Mirah Lapidoth. She is a 19 year old Jewish woman who is in dire straights. She has run away from a father who kidnapped her from her beloved mother and older brother when she was six years old and took her to far away lands to sing and act on stage. She had spent years doing as her father asked until a few months before when her father, who had fallen deeper and deeper into debt due to drinking and gambling, finally expected her to marry an older, brutish man in exchange for a large sum of money. Desperate, Mirah ran away back to London to search for her mother and brother. Her father had told her all those years that her mother had died, but she no longer believed him. Daniel convinces Mirah to let him help her. He takes her to his college room mate and good friend's mother's house. This mother, Mrs. Meyrick, also a widow, and her three daughters take Mirah in and take care of her. They all learn that Mirah truly can sing so Daniel arranges for her to meet the renowned musician, Herr Klesmer, who at one time had told Gwendolen she could never make it as an actress or singer. Herr Klesmer hears Mirah sing, however, and tells her that though he feels she's not made for the stage, that she could make a nice living singing for private parties in high society and also giving singing lessons. Mirah doesn't know how to thank Daniel and the Meyrick family for all their kindness. Daniel doesn't realize it yet, but he's falling for Mirah. He decides to look for her mother and brother to see if they are even alive. In doing so, he walks into a book shop one day and meets a young Jewish man of about 35 named Mordecai. Mordecai sees the intense and thoughtful look in Daniel's eyes, and also the dark hair and not-so-fair skin and assumes that he's Jewish. He exclaims that he's finally there...the one who can learn everything he has to teach him and carry on the tradition before he dies. That's right...Mordecai is dying of consumption. :-( Daniel apologizes and tells Mordecai that he is not Jewish, and doesn't speak Hebrew. He's so sorry not to be "the one". To make a very long story short....Mordecai ends up being Mirah's long lost, very sick brother. They are delighted to be reunited, though it is also bittersweet that he is so sick...and, that their mother had, in fact, died of heartbreak a few years after Mirah was taken. Daniel provides for both Mordecai and Mirah and moves them both into a little house of their own near the Meyricks. He goes as often as he can to talk to the fascinating Mordecai and learn all he can about Judaism...even beginning to learn Hebrew. He is a compassionate young man who would like to learn all he can about this religion he knows little about. He does so because he adores both of these new people in his life.

Meanwhile, Grandcourt and Gwendolen continue their unhappy marriage, making outward social appearances as if nothing is wrong. When Gwen and Daniel have run into each other at social events one too many times for Grandcourt, he decides to take Gwen and go yachting on the Mediterranean. While yachting, Gwendolen feels even more trapped than before and longs to go home. Grandcourt has finally let her know that he knows she knew about his mistress and children and still married him. Gwen is more humiliated than ever. Her pride is crushed. What's more...he has recently made out his will. If no male heir comes of their marriage, then he is leaving everything, all the estates, etc., to his illegitimate son when he dies. He will leave Gwen the old estate near the coal mines where he now keeps Lydia and the children, and, two thousand a year, which for a man so rich, is considered a horrendously small amount to leave his young wife who is used to being wealthy. Gwendolen knows all about the will and doesn't even care. She just sees no hope for her future having any happiness. While Grandcourt and Gwen are yachting, Daniel Deronda gets a strange letter delivered to him by Sir Hugo. Finally...after all these years...his absent mother wishes to meet him immediately! He goes to Genoa, Italy as requested by the letter. After a few days, Daniel comes face to face with his real mother. She is elderly and sick and wanted to meet him before this illness takes her life. She is now a married princess with other children. She explains to Daniel that when she was young, all she ever wanted to do was sing and act on stage...in fact, she was a famous stage actress named Alcharisi. Her father hated this life for her and wanted her to stick to the traditional role and be a wife and mother. Because...duh...duh...duhhhhh....she was Jewish!! That's right, Daniel's mother was born into a strict Jewish family. As a matter of fact, she did marry a Jewish man of her father's choosing, knowing that the man was so in love with her that she'd be able to get her way in all things. The husband did, in fact, have no problem with her continuing her singing and acting career. When she had Daniel, she didn't want children. She didn't have a maternal bone in her body and really didn't love him. When her husband died before Daniel was two, she had suitors from all over the world. One of the men who was in love with her was Sir Hugo. She told Sir Hugo one day what she wouldn't give for a man who would love her enough to do something for her without asking for love in return. He asked her what she wanted. She said she'd like for him to take Daniel with him to raise to be an English gentile, gentleman. She hated the Jewish faith that had been forced upon her as a young girl. Sir Hugo agreed, since he could see that Daniel would get no love from his mother, and the theater life was no life for a child. Sooooooooooo, Daniel Deronda finds out something that he's not so sad to know given his life as of late...he is actually Jewish. Sir Henry was not his secret father after all. He still loves and adores Sir Henry. Daniel's mother is proud of how he has grown up, but is not too happy when Daniel tells her he will embrace his Jewish heritage. He can't forget the faith he was raised in, but he will not abandon his roots either. His mother gives him an old wooden chest that belonged to his grandfather containing all kinds of letters and Jewish booklets, prayers, etc. Though Daniel begs her to let them have a relationship now while she's still alive, she says no...her current husband and children no nothing about him. They have a heartfelt goodbye.

Meanwhile, Grandcourt and Gwendolen have a very rough day on the sea one day and decide to make port to make some repairs. Where do they make port? Genoa! That's right...they run into Daniel Deronda after his second meeting with his mother while he is still reeling from the news of his heritage and of meeting his mother in person. Grandcourt, in his jealousy, decides that he and Gwen will not relax in the hotel where she might run the risk of an encounter with Deronda. Instead, he hires a small sailing boat and declares to Gwen that they will go sailing into the evening. Gwendolen pleads with him that she doesn't want to go, but he insists. While they are out, a strong wind whips the sail around and knocks Grandcourt into the water where he drowns!! Didn't see that coming. :-) Gwendolen is rescued be fishermen and brought back to shore in shock where Daniel Deronda happens to be walking. So again, Daniel to the rescue. He stays with Gwen while she recounts the horror and guilt she feels for not immediately throwing her husband a rope as he bobbed in the water three times. Daniel takes care of her until her mother can arrive from England. Gwendolen feels that this connection between them is stronger than ever, and though she can't think of it now, it is in the back of her mind that perhaps she will be with Daniel in the near future. She can't imagine her life without his constant advice and guidance. Daniel, though, has other ideas. He knows that he's in love with Mirah and now their different backgrounds are no longer an obstacle.

Daniel goes home to London, taking his chest from his grandfather to Mordecai and Mirah to look through and decipher before Mordecai gets too ill. Of course, Mordecai is thrilled to find that Daniel is Jewish...it's as if he knew it all along. Mirah has a light in her eyes as well. Mirah and Daniel confess their love for each other and become engaged. Daniel must make a trip to Gwendolen, who is now home in her small English town, and let her know that while he will always be her friend in time of need, he is now going to marry Mirah and travel with Mirah and Mordecai to the east and explore his roots. Gwendolen is stunned and upset, but by the time the marriage takes place, she's in a better place and sends a note wishing him all the best on his wedding day. Daniel is finally content to find what he wants to do with his life.

The entire book is really good, just long. So many characters! There is also alot more about the relationship between Daniel and Mordecai and the influence they have on each other. Mordecai takes Daniel to a discussion group where many young Jewish men discuss religion, etc. That was a good twenty pages of the book and became a little tedious for me, but it was so knowledgeable that I can't begrudge the author. She makes so many references to other pieces of literary work that honestly, she must have been a genius! I've enjoyed both of Eliot's books I've read, this one and Middlemarch! :-)