Early in the story, Silas Marner, a poor weaver accused of a
crime he didn't commit, is ostracized by his fellow church friends and decides
to move away from his home town to establish himself elsewhere.
Having lost his
faith in both God and humanity, he sustains himself for years by weaving and
selling his goods in his new, adopted country, all the while saving most of his
earnings until accumulating a hefty hoard.
Silas’ new neighbors consider him a
misanthrope. And for good reason. His sole purpose is to accumulate wealth from
his weaving and, apart from occasionally interacting with the patrons who
commissioned his services, he keeps to himself. His accumulated wealth is his
everything. Nightly he extracts his earnings from bags he stashes in a
cubbyhole in his house and eagerly counts the coins.
Until one night when he steps outside
and his house is robbed. Silas is devastated. That same night, however, minutes
later in fact, he confronts an orphan child of two on all fours at the
threshold of his cottage door. Her presence, over time, inspires him to find a
reason to not only live but to live well, by giving rather than hoarding.
It's a touching story of greed,
betrayal, dissolution, love, and sacrifice. The writing is exquisite. Every
page has at least one passage worth reading out loud to a reader friend. Highly
recommended. Five out of five stars. Rated G
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