Silas MarnerSilas Marner
Score Classic
What it's about
Silas Marner, a weaver, was driven out of his religious community after being falsely accused of theft. He settles in the village of Raveloe, a lonely miser who loves only his gold. When his gold is stolen, he's devastated, until one winter night a golden-haired little girl toddles into his cottage, and he decides to raise her.
Why it's worth reading
It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It's George Eliot's shortest, most fable-like novel, about love and redemption.
You'll love it if you liked
Middlemarch
A Christmas Carol
The Mayor of CasterbridgeGood to know
It's short. Village dialogue is written in dialect.
By the numbers
- Readers2 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller38 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by George Eliot
If you like this, read next
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Black Boy: A Record of Youth and Childhood
The Killer Angels
The HobbitExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Silas Marner worth reading?
Yes. It was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #2,777 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Silas Marner about?
Silas Marner, a weaver, was driven out of his religious community after being falsely accused of theft. He settles in the village of Raveloe, a lonely miser who loves only his gold. When his gold is stolen, he's devastated, until one winter night a golden-haired little girl toddles into his cottage, and he decides to raise her.
How long does it take to read Silas Marner?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Silas Marner?
If you liked it, try Middlemarch by George Eliot, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens or The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy.