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Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the pen name of George Eliot, was born in
Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire. Her father was a carpenter who rose to be a
land agent. When she was a few months old, the family moved to Griff, a
'cheerful red-brick, ivory-covered house', and there Eliot spent 21 years
of her life among people who served later as models of the characters depicted
in her novels. She was educated at home and in several schools, and developed
a strong evangelical piety at Mrs. Wallington's School at Neneaton, although
she later rejected that dogmatic faith.
When her mother died in 1836, Mary Ann took charge of the family household.
And, in 1841 she moved with her father to Coventry, where she lived with him
until his death in 1849. In Coventry she met Charles Bray and later Charles
Hennell, who introduced her to many new religious and political ideas. Charles
Bray was a free-thinking Coventry manufacturer whose wife, Caroline (Cara) was
the sister of Charles Hennel. Charles Hennel was the author of a work entitled
An Inquiry Concerning the Origin of Christianity (1838). The reading of
this and other rationalistic works had a deep influence on Eliot's thoughts.
After her father's death, Eliot traveled around Europe before she
settled in London and took up work as assistant editor of the Westminster
Review (1851-1853). While employed at the Westminster Review
she became involved in a literary circle, one member of which was George Henry
Lewes, who would become her companion until his death in 1878. Lewes's wife
was mentally unbalanced and had two children by another
man. In 1854 Eliot went to Germany with Lewes. Their unconventional union
caused some difficulties because Lewes was still married and unable to obtain
a divorce. Eliot did not inform her close friends Caroline and Sarah Hennell
about her decision to live with Lewes - both friends were shocked and angry
that she had not trusted them.
Prior to 1857, Eliot's published works were limited to a couple of
translations of works of German authors. These books were principally
philosophical in nature and concerned the origins of Christianity. In 1857,
her first short stories appeared in Blackwood's Magazine and a
collection of these short stories was published later that year as
Scenes from Clerical Life.
Mill on the Floss, her third volume, was published in 1860
and is the story of Maggie Tulliver, the daughter of a miller in the
English midlands. Like many nineteenth century literary girls, her
intelligence and emotional capacity outflank those of her family and
cause problems. She is devoted to her brother Tom but he is hopelessly
limited in his understanding and as such Maggie turns to Philip Wakem,
son of a local lawyer and unpleasantly deformed. Disaster strikes their
relationship as Mr Tulliver and Wakem find themselves enemies over a legal
dispute that leaves the former bankrupt.
After the early death of Mr Tulliver, Maggie leaves the mill for St. Ogg's
where her cousin Lucy lives. Lucy's betrothed, Stephen, somewhat unfortunately
falls for Maggie and compromises her reputation while boating on the river.
Maggie refuses to marry him and her life is as good as ruined. Only a very
limited group including Philip still show sympathy for her and only a dreadful
flood in which Maggie tries to save Tom can lead the well-meaning but doomed
girl to some kind of transcendence.
Mill on the Floss is an IBC preview
edition.
In order to accomodate readers with an older PDA, or less available memory,
Mill on the Floss is provided as a two-volume set.
Mill on the Floss, v1
by George Eliot |
Size: 317 KB |
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Mill on the Floss, v2
by George Eliot |
Size: 303 KB |
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Video Available
Mill on the Floss was made into a video for PBS' Masterpiece
Theater in 1997. The video is available at
Amazon.
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More of George Eliot
When an unwed and abandoned mother is drowned in a quarry, the orphaned
daughter becomes a comfort to a socially-isolated, bachelor weaver.
Silas Marner
by George Eliot |
Size: 216 KB |
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George Eliot's Middlemarch is one literary work that is often ranked
among candidates for the greatest novel written in the English language.
Originally published by subscription, the eighty-six chapters of the
work were divided into eight books. The IBC edition is comprised of four
volumes, each volume containing two books of the original subscription in
a single volume.
Middlemarch, volume I
by George Eliot |
Size: 268 KB |
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Middlemarch, volume II
by George Eliot |
Size: 240 KB |
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Middlemarch, volume III
by George Eliot |
Size: 246 KB |
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Middlemarch, volume IV
by George Eliot |
Size: 234 KB |
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You can also get free copies of Charles Dickens'
A Christmas Carol and
David Copperfield
on this site.
These ebooks are formatted for the
eReader.
You can get a free copy of the eReader
here.
The eReader was formerly known as the
PalmReader.
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Software and eBooks
for your Palm-powered PDA.
