This morning, an item in my email about George Elliott reminded me of required readings in college English classes. She is now considered a major author of the 19th century. Yes, George Elliott was a pen name. Her name was Mary Ann Evans. In the 19th century, she was forced to use a pen name. Her first novel was very successful. It was titled Adam Bede. She also wrote The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Middlemarch, and Daniel Deronda. Middlemarch is considered one of the greatest novels in the English language.
Many novels from previous centuries I had to read for my college English classes because of the change of our language felt stilted and out of date. I read four of her novels Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, and Middlemarch. The Mill on the Floss read like a romantic comedy without the romance and the happy ending. Silas Marner is about a man who is distrusted because he came from a distant part of the country and, through accusations, loses his fiancée and leaves the community. The full title of Middlemarch is Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life. It’s a long book with 78 chapters with over 20 characters. It’s too complex a plotline to present here. However, if you are interested, check out this website, https://www.gradesaver.com/middlemarch/study-guide/character-list. There is no question that George Elliott influence changed novels from then in the 19th century to now.
PS: Somehow I missed Adam Bede. it’s a story of unrequited love. He falls in love with Diane Morris, a Methodist minister. She refuses him.
