The Cambridge Companion to George Eliot

This volume of specially-commissioned essays provides accessible introductions to all aspects of George Eliot’s writing by some of the most distinguished new and established scholars and critics of Victorian literature. The essays are comprehensive, scholarly and lucidly written, and at the same time offer original insights into the work of one of the most important Victorian novelists, and into her complex and often scandalous career. Discussions of her life, the social, political, and intellectual grounding of her work, and her relation to Victorian feminism provide valuable criticism of everything from her early journalism to her poetry. Each essay contributes to a new understanding of the great fiction, from Adam Bede and The Mill on the Floss to Daniel Deronda. With its supplementary material, including a chronology and a guide to further reading, this Companion is an invaluable tool for scholars and students alike.

• This is a big subject, widely studied • The essays are accessibly written • The essays provide scholarly depth of analysis on a broad range of topics

Acknowledgments; Chronology; Texts and abbreviations; 1. Introduction: George Eliot and the art of realism George Levine; 2. A woman of many names Rosemarie Bodenheimer; 3. The early novels Josephine McDonagh; 4. The later novels Alexander Welsh; 5. George Eliot and philosophy Suzy Anger; 6. George Eliot and science Diana Postlethwaite; 7. George Eliot and religion Barry Qualls; 8. George Eliot and politics Nancy Henry; 9. George Eliot and gender Kate Flint; 10. George Eliot and her publishers Donald Gray; 11. George Eliot: reputation and influence Kathleen Blake; 12. Works cited and further reading Tanya Agathocleous.

‘… [Levine] has provided a series of essays unparalleled for their impressively succinct and sophisticated documentation of Eliot\'s life, work and thought, from politics to gender, from religion to science. This Companion really will be a companion to those readers, for whom it is intended, across the range of beginning student and mature researcher … Whenever I work on Eliot I shall turn to this Companion and so will everybody else … Levine’s Companion will be indispensable to George Eliot enthusiasts.’ Australian Victorian Studies Journal