Middlemarch is a novel set in the fictitious English town of Middlemarch during the early 1830s. It follows the intertwining lives and struggles of various characters, focusing on Dorothea Brooke, a young woman with idealistic aspirations, and Tertius Lydgate, a passionate doctor. Through rich character development and intricate social commentary, George Eliot explores themes of marriage, ambition, reform, and the complexities of human nature in a changing society. With its depth and breadth, Middlemarch is considered one of the greatest novels in the English language.