Middlemarch is so amazing. And for me at least, really like George Eliot's writing, maybe even more than Austen. I heard it said that George Eliot is the one author that writes for adults, think this is true. As much as I enjoy Austen, Eliot's world and characters are more real and true to life. The characters are more balanced, almost all with strengths and weaknesses, and in many cases, these weaknesses either leading to their downfall, or something they mightly struggle to overcome.

Also, Eliot's language is incredible. On one hand, it's a lot more difficult to read than Austen, but on the other, it's so descriptive while still often being laced with a sense of beauty. Really wonderful prose.