Someone just tell me how it ends

Being super-intellectual, I tend to judge people based on what they read. Which, ironically, is probably like judging a book by it's cover, but I do that too. So I was talking to one of the library temps and she mentioned she's reading 'Gormenghast'. I was impressed (OK, so it's fantasy, but it is a fantasy classic, and, have you seen it?, it's massive). I asked what she thought of it so far. She said it was OK but “the sentences are a bit long”. I sympathised, while inwardly scoffing. In the 'Facebook' that is my head her profile picture immediately gained a big 'MORON' sticker across the forehead. I decided I was much more intellectual than her and spent the rest of the day feeling good.

And then I started 'Middlemarch'. 'Middlemarch' has been on my bookshelf for 15 years. Along with 'The Mill on the Floss' (also unread). I really do like classic literature, I'm an Austen addict, I love Hardy, Collins, Tolstoy, all the Brontes, Wilde, Wharton, and Waugh. But I've never read an Eliot. So I took a deep breath (and held it while I cleaned the dust off the book), and plunged in.

I'm now on page104 (of 790) and I'm beginning to think the sentences are a tad long. I'm on the verge of skimming. Just get to the point George! Is she going to marry him or what!?

Can you imagine her blog? 200 pages on 'the jerk who queue-jumped me and got the last seat on the bus this morning' followed by 150 on 'what is with that guy from The OC?' (I don't watch The OC, I'm just trying to be hip here. I think George's blog would be super hip. As well as super long).

I haven't given up on it yet, but I can't help thinking about the (hundreds of) other books I could be reading in the time it's taking me to plough through Middlemarch. I'll let you know how it goes. Unless I do give up, in which case I'll pretend the whole thing never happened.