Showing results by author "George Eliot" in All Categories

In Brother Jacob, George Eliot delves into the complex dynamics between the ambitious and self-serving David Faux and his simple-minded brother, Jacob. This poignant short story, narrated by Lynne Thompson, invites listeners to reflect on the nature of ambition and the bonds of brotherhood.

Silas Marner is a selfless member of a tight Calvinist sect who's been framed for stealing the congregation's funds. Expelled from his community, he retreats to the rustic hamlet of Raveloe to spend the remainder of his life as a misanthropic hermit, devoted only to the fortune he amasses as a linen weaver. But when his gold is taken, Silas also feels robbed of what's left of his humanity. Then, one snowy New Year's Eve, an orphan girl comes in out of the storm and changes him forever.

Reputed to be Eliot's favorite novel, Silas Marner is set in the early years of the 19th century. Marner, a weaver, is a member of a small congregation in Lantern Yard. Falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, he leaves his home and lives a solitary life near the village of Raveloe. Under the Greenwood Tree, Hardy's second novel, was published in 1872 and became the first of his great series of Wessex novels.

An absorbing, semi-philosphical tale of love and people driven to extremes. Our hero, a carpenter, loves Hetty Sorel, but she loves Arthur Donnington, a local squire. The story soon progresses onto powerful themes, such as: who has the right to determine who lives and who dies?

Considered one of the great English novels, George Eliot's Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life follows myriad characters and their lives in the eponymous town, Middlemarch, in the 1800s. Utilizing a realistic style, Eliot considers issues such as religion, education, and the status of women—to name just a few.

With the talents on display the most difficult task is choosing only ten. Their virtuosity, their craft and ambition scare belie the difficulties that society places upon most women. Their words cannot be denied, their literary heritage is safe forever.

In her own words, George Eliot considered Romola her finest novel, weaving a captivating tale of a brilliant young woman caught in the tumult of 15th-century Florence. As Romola, the intelligent daughter of a blind scholar, falls for a man destined to alter her life and the very fabric of Florentine politics, she finds herself grappling with changes that unsettle her world. This rich narrative offers an insightful exploration of life in Florence, delving into its intellectual, artistic, religious, and social landscapes. Summary by Stav Nisser and Wikipedia.

Adam Bede, the inaugural novel by George Eliot—pseudonym of the esteemed Mary Ann Evans—was published in 1859 and has captivated readers ever since. Despite her scholarly acclaim, Evans chose to publish this work under a pen name, allowing her literary voice to resonate with broader audiences. Set in the fictional village of Hayslope in 1799, the novel intricately weaves the lives of four compelling characters caught in a tumultuous love triangle. The story unfolds around the beautiful yet impulsive Hetty Sorrel, her seducer, Captain Arthur Donnithorne, the devoted Adam Bede who loves her ...

Step into the world of George Eliots timeless Victorian classic, published in 1876, where two captivating narratives intertwine. The first follows the journey of Gwendolen, a striking young beauty who evolves from a self-absorbed figure into a thoughtful woman with a broadened perspective on life. The second narrative centers on Daniel Deronda, the adopted son of an English aristocrat, whose life takes a transformative turn when he encounters the ailing Jewish philosopher Mordecai and his compassionate sister, Mirah. Join us as we explore themes of identity, culture, and the human experience ...

Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life is a novel by George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Anne Evans, later Marian Evans. It is her seventh novel, begun in 1869 and then put aside during the final illness of Thornton Lewes, the son of her companion George Henry Lewes. During the following year Eliot resumed work, fusing together several stories into a coherent whole, and during 1871–72 the novel appeared in serial form. The first one-volume edition was published in 1874, and attracted large sales. Subtitled "A Study of Provincial Life," the novel is set in the fictitious Midlands town of ...

The tale of a man who is incapacitated by visions of the future and the cacophony of overheard thoughts, and yet who can't help trying to subvert his vividly glimpsed destiny, it is easy to understand The Lifted Veil as being autobiographically revealing of Eliot's sensitivity to public opinion and her awareness that her days concealed behind a pseudonym were doomed to a tragic unveiling (as indeed came to pass soon after this novella's publication).

A commentary on guilt, material wealth, community, religion, and more, this novel is a thought provoking yet heartwarming tale. Banished from his church after being falsely accused of theft, Silas Marner becomes a bitter hermit consumed only by the wealth and goods he has been able to attain in exile. After losing everything he loved from his past, he clings now to the materials he has gained since. However, he must suffer through losing those too and instead gain the love of an innocent orphan to find the redemption he didn’t know he needed.

Mary Anne Evans was born on 22nd November 1819, at Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England. Her first major literary work was completing an English translation of Strauss's ‘The Life of Jesus’ in 1846. Under the pseudonym of George Eliot that we know so well, ‘Adam Bede’ was published in 1859, followed by her other great novels: ‘Mill on the Floss’, ‘Silas Marner’ and ‘Middlemarch’. ‘The Lifted Veil’ is a both a beautiful story and typical of Eliot’s formidable powers of writing.

Here, Eliot explores ethical problems inherent in certain strands and styles of Christian evangelical teaching—particularly as displayed in the writings of one Dr. Cumming. While Eliot’s critique is focused on the work of this particular preacher, her insights are enduringly pertinent for those interested in the politics and ethics of religious discourse today. As always, Eliot’s authorial voice is abounding in pathos and concern for contexts of human relationality.

In this essay, originally published anonymously in The Westminster Review (1856), George Eliot examines the state of women’s fiction in her time. She lamentingly argues that absurd and banal novels, written by well-to-do women of her time, do great disservice for the overall appreciation of women’s intellectual capacities within society.

George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans – an ironic ‘deception’ given that "Adam Bede", her first novel, is written unashamedly from a feminist standpoint. The story centres on a pastoral love triangle. Two young men, carpenter Adam Bede and squire Captain Arthur Donnithorne, are both in love with the mercurial Hetty Sorrel. There’s a further love interest between Adam and beautiful lay preacher Dinah Morris. The setting is a country village in the north of England in the last years of the eighteenth century.

George Eliot’s 1859 novella, "The Lifted Veil", departs radically from the grounded realism of her longer and better known works, such as "Middlemarch" and "Daniel Deronda". Its tone calls to mind the works of middlebrow Sensationists, like Wilkie Collins ("The Moonstone"), and of some of the better known authors of Victorian era horror writings, such as Bram Stoker ("Dracula") and Mary Shelley ("Frankenstein"). Eliot here explores mystical themes, considering the world of phenomena which are felt but not seen.

Reputed as Eliot’s favourite novel "Silas Marner" is set in the early years of the 19th century. Marner, a weaver, is a member of a small congregation in Lantern Yard. Falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he leaves his home and lives a solitary life near the village of Raveloe. Dedicating his life to weaving and hoarding gold for the next fifteen years, circumstances beyond his control shape his destiny and help to restore his faith in humanity.

"Impressions of Theophrastus Such" is a work of fiction by George Eliot, first published in 1879. It was Eliot's last published writing and her most experimental, taking the form of a series of literary essays by an imaginary minor scholar whose eccentric character is revealed through his work.

"The Mill on the Floss" is George Eliot’s second novel, and was published in 1860, only a year after her first, "Adam Bede". It centres on the lives of brother and sister Tom and Maggie Tulliver growing up on the river Floss near the town of St. Oggs (a fictionalised version of Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire, England) in the years following the Napoleonic Wars, with both as young adults eventually meeting a tragic end by the Mill which the family holds so dear.