It’s unclear whether “Middlemarch” mania will cross the Atlantic, but don’t bet against good old Yankee merchandising. The most creative sales pitch comes from Random House, which is publishing a tie-in edition of Eliot’s novel. This week the publisher will host a panel discussion of the book featuring a calculatedly eclectic array of women, including socialite Brooke Astor, author Erica Jong and militant rapper Sister Souljah. If this group bought into the “Middlemarch” hype, no one is safe.
