Horror was my familiar. Published the same year as her first novel, Adam Bede, this overlooked work displays the gifts for which George Eliot would become famous—gritty realism, psychological insight, and idealistic moralizing. It is unique from all her other writing, however, in that it represents the only time she ever used a first-person narrator, and it is the only time she wrote about the supernatural. The tale of a man who is incapacitated by visions of the future and the cacophony of overheard thoughts, and yet who can’t help trying to subvert his vividly glimpsed destiny, it is easy to read The Lifted Veil as being autobiographically revealing—of Eliot’s sensitivity to public opinion and her awareness that her days concealed behind a pseudonym were doomed to a tragic unveiling (as indeed came to pass soon after this novella’s publication). But it is easier still to read the story as the exciting and genuine precursor of a moody new form, as well as an absorbing early masterpiece of suspense. The Art of The Novella Series Too short to be a novel, too long to be a short story, the novella is generally unrecognized by academics and publishers. Nonetheless, it is a form beloved and practiced by literature's greatest writers. In the Art Of The Novella series, Melville House celebrates this renegade art form and its practitioners with titles that are, in many instances, presented in book form for the first time.
George Eliot
George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, a prominent Victorian-era novelist known for her insightful and complex characterizations. Her most notable works include "Middlemarch," considered one of the greatest novels in the English language, and "Silas Marner," a poignant tale of redemption and community. Eliot's literary style is characterized by its psychological depth, moral complexity, and social commentary. She was a pioneer in the realist tradition, exploring themes of morality, religion, and human relationships in her writing. Eliot's contributions to literature include challenging traditional gender roles and societal norms, as well as expanding the scope and depth of the novel as an art form. Her work continues to be celebrated for its profound insights into the human condition and its enduring relevance in contemporary society.
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