George Eliot's Life, as Related in Her Letters and Journals. Vol. 2 (of 3)

In Short

This second volume of George Eliot’s letters and journals, assembled by her husband J. W. Cross, traces the novelist’s rise to mid-Victorian literary supremacy between 1858 and 1866. Covering the period from the publishing triumph of Adam Bede through the creation of The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, and Felix Holt, the text reveals the internal life of an author struggling with chronic ill-health, self-doubt, and the burdens of fame. Through intimate correspondence and reflective diary entries, it illustrates how private devotion, rigorous study, and European travel nourished one of the nineteenth century’s greatest creative minds.

The Story

The narrative begins in early 1858 with George Eliot—the pseudonym of Marian Evans—living abroad in Germany with her partner, George Henry Lewes. Resting in Dresden and Munich, she works quietly on Adam Bede, filling long mornings at her writing desk before visiting art galleries to contemplate the works of Titian and Holbein. Upon returning to England, the explosive success of her early fiction brings immediate fame, forcing her to reveal her true identity to close friends, who react with overwhelming astonishment. Yet public acclaim offers little insulation against severe self-criticism. As she moves into the composition of The Mill on the Floss, she wrestles constantly with the fear that her creative capacity might falter, finding solace only in the steady encouragement of Lewes and her publisher, John Blackwood.

To refresh her mind, Eliot undertakes an extensive journey to Italy in 1860, soaking in the architecture of Pisa, the vibrant streets of Naples, and the historical art of Siena and Florence. This Italian immersion plants the seed for her grand historical novel, Romola. Returning home, however, she is sidelined by a sudden, unexpected inspiration that yields the shorter masterpiece Silas Marner. When she finally turns her full attention back to Romola, the immensity of the research required produces profound mental and physical exhaustion. Daily struggle with depression and headaches accompanies her writing process, leading her to temporarily declare that she must break her mental bonds and stop thinking about composition altogether.

A major transition occurs when the couple moves into The Priory at Regent’s Park, establishing a permanent London home where they host leading intellectuals such as Herbert Spencer and Frederic Harrison. Eliot increasingly consults legal and historical experts to ensure absolute factual accuracy in her fiction. While constructing Felix Holt, The Radical, she actively solicits Harrison’s rigorous critique on legal matters and public questions, driven by a deep dread of introducing errors into her art. Amidst the practical strains of household management, shifting publishing arrangements, and recurring trips across Holland, Germany, and Switzerland to restore her frail physique, she relentlessly pursues her craft. By late 1866, having completed Felix Holt and resumed work on her ambitious poetic drama The Spanish Gypsy, she prepares for a journey to Spain, standing at the height of her literary prestige yet remaining profoundly humble before her art.

How It Unfolds

A literary vocation realized Emerging from the quiet success of Scenes of Clerical Life, the author spends quiet months in Dresden completing Adam Bede, balancing intense morning writing sessions with afternoons studying the Old Masters in public galleries.

The unveiling of identity As Adam Bede captivates the reading public and earns praise from contemporaries like Mrs. Carlyle and Charles Dickens, the secret of the author’s pseudonym is revealed to close friends, exposing the stark contrast between public renown and private retreat.

Italian horizons and sudden inspiration A three-month journey through Italy expands her artistic vision, but upon her return, a sudden "millet-seed of thought" interrupts her plans, blossoming rapidly into the manuscript of Silas Marner.

The burden of historical fiction Embarking on Romola, the author enters a period of intense intellectual strain and physical exhaustion, repeatedly forced to pause writing to contend with debilitating headaches and profound self-doubt.

Establishing a London sanctuary Moving into The Priory in Regent's Park, she settles into a new domestic routine, entertaining fellow thinkers while quietly enduring the exasperating distraction of home decoration and practical household errands.

Seeking truth in radical themes Determined to make her work politically and legally accurate, she consults experts like Frederic Harrison while drafting Felix Holt, finishing the book amidst intense emotional exertion before embarking on further Continental travels.

The People

• George Eliot (Marian Evans): The central figure, a brilliant and scrupulous novelist who strives to create art of high moral purpose. What she wants above all is to speak truthfully to her fellow human beings through her writing, yet she is constantly thwarted by physical illness, bodily discomfort, and an overwhelming dread of failure. Over the years, she transforms from an anxious author hiding behind a pseudonym into a recognized literary authority, remaining deeply self-critical throughout.
• George Henry Lewes ("G."): Eliot's devotion-steeped life partner, who acts as her primary intellectual sounding board, business advocate, and emotional anchor. He seeks to protect her fragile confidence, managing negotiations with editors, managing her working environment, and shielding her from harsh criticism.
• John Blackwood: Eliot's primary publisher, who offers unfailing professional encouragement and gentlemanly support, though their commercial relationship experiences occasional tension when lucrative offers draw her toward rival publications.
• Frederic Harrison: A trusted legal expert and intellectual correspondent whom Eliot consults to ensure the legal framework and moral philosophy of Felix Holt remain completely authentic and robust.
• Sara Hennell and Cara Bray: Early, devoted friends to whom Eliot writes candidly about her personal failings, her spiritual reflections, and the lingering emotional fallout of human misunderstandings.

In Its Own Voice

When reflecting on the transcendent power of art in the Dresden Picture Gallery, she captures the profound reverence that great painting instills in her:

"I sat down on the sofa opposite the picture for an instant, but a sort of awe, as if I were suddenly in the living presence of some glorious being, made my heart swell too much for me to remain comfortably, and we hurried out of the room."

Writing to her close friend regarding the difficulty of genuine human communication, she reflects on the internal barriers that separate even loving companions:

"There is always an after sadness belonging to brief and interrupted intercourse between friends--the sadness of feeling that the blundering efforts we have made towards mutual understanding have only made a new veil between us--still more, the sadness of feeling that some pain may have been given which separation makes a permanent memory."

What It's Really About

Beneath the chronicle of publishings and travel itineraries lies an intense meditation on the moral duty of the creative artist. The book explores the tension between an author’s inner life and public expectation, probing how authentic writing demands total emotional self-giving. It repeatedly asks how an individual can maintain intellectual integrity and sympathetic understanding in a world driven by egoism, commercial trickery, and superficial literary journalism. Furthermore, the narrative reveals how physical frailty and psychological vulnerability coexist with extraordinary artistic discipline. Eliot’s ongoing engagement with philosophy, science, and historical detail reflects her belief that art must rest upon rigorous truth, serving as a vital instrument for human sympathy and moral growth.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an unvarnished look at the creative labor behind some of the greatest novels in the English language. Readers who appreciate Victorian literature, historical biography, or the psychology of artistic creation will find it immensely rewarding. Rather than presenting a sanitized success story, the journals and letters capture the authentic texture of a working writer's life: the agonizing slow days, the crippling self-doubt, the physical ailments, and the mundane interruptions of domestic life.

It feels like sitting in a quiet room with a profound mind who speaks without pretension about her highest aspirations and deepest fears. The difficulties for a contemporary reader lie primarily in the slow, episodic pacing inherent to diary entries, as well as period-specific references to nineteenth-century intellectuals, legal points, and classical literature. Yet what stays with you is the sheer fortitude of a woman who, despite constant bodily suffering and emotional fragility, continuously held herself to the highest standard of truth and produced timeless art.