Middlemarch is a novel set in a provincial English town in the 1830s. It follows several interconnected characters, especially Dorothea Brooke, an idealistic young woman, and Tertius Lydgate, an ambitious young doctor.
Dorothea marries the older scholar Casaubon, but her marriage becomes disappointing and leads her to mature and rethink her ideals. Lydgate’s career and personal life are damaged after marrying Rosamond Vincy, whose materialistic nature creates financial and emotional strain.
The novel also follows other characters like Fred Vincy, who grows more responsible over time.