Middlemarch

George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Anne Evans (1819-1880), a British author whose works, Silas Marner, The Mill on the Floss, Middlemarch and others are distinguished by their eloquent prose and realism. The author's sharp insight into the minds and motivations of her characters is credited with pioneering psychological realism in fiction. Evans led an unorthodox life for the Victorian era, leaving the church and spending years as the companion of a married man, but the popularity of her novels won her acceptance into society and made her a celebrity. Her books are classics, but Middlemarch stands out as one of the most highly praised novels in English.