George Eliot

Mr Jones treats the main novels in chronological sequence examining with the aid of extensive quotation George Eliot's means of description and characterisation and the moral purpose of her fiction. He emphasises her appeal to the inner life of her readers, as exemplified in her frequent use of such phrases as 'Have we not all...' George Eliot assumes that no human act or emotion is entirely unconnected with what we have all done or felt at some time. Her sympathy with human weakness often carries her to the point where she has difficulty in reconciling her tolerance with her moral purpose. This book gives a useful introduction to George Eliot's novels. As in the other books in the series British Authors: Introductory Critical Studies, the author assesses his subject simply and clearly, using as a basis the internal evidence of the novels themselves rather than biographical detail.