Description
George Eliot was one of the great thinkers of her time, a figure central to the main currents of thought and belief in the nineteenth century. Yet when this distinguished public intellectual turned to fiction writing at the age of thirty-six, she regarded it not as a lesser pursuit, but as the distillation of all of her knowledge and ideas. For Eliot, fiction enabled the consideration of life 'in its highest complexity', and had the capacity not merely to elicit, but actually to create, moral sentiment by surprising readers into the recognition of realities other than their own.
In this new study, Pauline Nestor offers a challenging reassessment of Eliot's contribution to the critical debates, both of her age and of her own era. In particular, she examines the author's literary expolration of ethics, especially in relation to the negotiation of difference. Nestor argues compellingly that, through a reading of their sophisticated drama of otherness, Eliot's novels can be seen as freshly relevant to contemporary theoretical debates in feminism, moral philosophy, post-colonial studies and psychoanalysis.
Covering the writer's complete body of major fiction, this is an indispensable voume for anyone studying the work of one of the most important and influential novelists of the nineteenth century.
'Useful up-to-date critical survey, written in accessible but scholarly way.' - Clare Pettit, Newnham College, Cambridge 'This useful and incisive book does an excellent job of introducing Eliot to readers unfamiliar with her work...' - S.F. Klepetar, Choice '...well-written and based on close readings of the texts...characterized by accessible, detailed and interesting analyses of the stories and novels. Suitable for readers not familiar with the whole of Eliot's canon, therefore, it also offers the specialist the added bonus of lucidly tracing Eliot's evolving insight into individuals and groups negotiating difference - and proving that such ideas remain important.' - A. G. van den Broek, Forest School, The George Eliot Reviews
About the Author
PAULINE NESTOR is Associate Professor in English at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of a number of critical studies of Charlotte Bronte, and is the editor of Villette, also published by Palgrave, as part of the New Casebooks series.
Reviews
'Useful up-to-date critical survey, written in accessible but scholarly way.' - Clare Pettit, Newnham College, Cambridge 'This useful and incisive book does an excellent job of introducing Eliot to readers unfamiliar with her work...' - S.F. Klepetar, Choice '...well-written and based on close readings of the texts...characterized by accessible, detailed and interesting analyses of the stories and novels. Suitable for readers not familiar with the whole of Eliot's canon, therefore, it also offers the specialist the added bonus of lucidly tracing Eliot's evolving insight into individuals and groups negotiating difference - and proving that such ideas remain important.' - A. G. van den Broek, Forest School, The George Eliot Reviews
Book Information
ISBN 9780333722015
Author Pauline Nestor
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Red Globe Press
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 254g
In this new study, Pauline Nestor offers a challenging reassessment of Eliot's contribution to the critical debates, both of her age and of her own era. In particular, she examines the author's literary expolration of ethics, especially in relation to the negotiation of difference. Nestor argues compellingly that, through a reading of their sophisticated drama of otherness, Eliot's novels can be seen as freshly relevant to contemporary theoretical debates in feminism, moral philosophy, post-colonial studies and psychoanalysis.
Covering the writer's complete body of major fiction, this is an indispensable voume for anyone studying the work of one of the most important and influential novelists of the nineteenth century.
'Useful up-to-date critical survey, written in accessible but scholarly way.' - Clare Pettit, Newnham College, Cambridge 'This useful and incisive book does an excellent job of introducing Eliot to readers unfamiliar with her work...' - S.F. Klepetar, Choice '...well-written and based on close readings of the texts...characterized by accessible, detailed and interesting analyses of the stories and novels. Suitable for readers not familiar with the whole of Eliot's canon, therefore, it also offers the specialist the added bonus of lucidly tracing Eliot's evolving insight into individuals and groups negotiating difference - and proving that such ideas remain important.' - A. G. van den Broek, Forest School, The George Eliot Reviews
About the Author
PAULINE NESTOR is Associate Professor in English at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She is the author of a number of critical studies of Charlotte Bronte, and is the editor of Villette, also published by Palgrave, as part of the New Casebooks series.
Reviews
'Useful up-to-date critical survey, written in accessible but scholarly way.' - Clare Pettit, Newnham College, Cambridge 'This useful and incisive book does an excellent job of introducing Eliot to readers unfamiliar with her work...' - S.F. Klepetar, Choice '...well-written and based on close readings of the texts...characterized by accessible, detailed and interesting analyses of the stories and novels. Suitable for readers not familiar with the whole of Eliot's canon, therefore, it also offers the specialist the added bonus of lucidly tracing Eliot's evolving insight into individuals and groups negotiating difference - and proving that such ideas remain important.' - A. G. van den Broek, Forest School, The George Eliot Reviews
Book Information
ISBN 9780333722015
Author Pauline Nestor
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Red Globe Press
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 254g
