George Eliot was the nom de plume of Mary Ann Evans (1819-80), a novelist, poet, journalist and translator who was considered one of the leading writers of the Victorian Age.

In her time she was spoken of as a modern Shakespeare, and the enduring legacy of her penultimate novel, ‘Middlemarch’, bears testimony to the assertion.

In 1851 Eliot began the life she would continue on until her death, becoming assistant editor of the Westminster Review: while female writers were not uncommon, female editors were.

After surrendering the editorship and abruptly travelling abroad, her first complete novel, ‘Adam Bede’, was finally published in 1859.

Noted for drawing upon the places and people around her as much as the era and its many facets, Eliot also delved into history, and her works became literary and popular successes.

This biography, written by a friend of Eliot’s, also acts as a criticism, candidly exploring parallels and inspirations in her life so that we might better understand her as a writer.

Oscar Browning (1837-1923) was a historian and educational reformer, writing more than twenty books of British and European history, memories and educational theory over the course of his lifetime and co-founding the Cambridge University Day Training College.

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