Oxford reader's companion to George Eliot /

Consisting of more than 600 encyclopedia-style entries surrounding the figure of George Eliot, this volume joins other splendid Oxford reader's companions--notably . . . to Dickens, ed. by Paul Schlicke (CH, Dec'99), and . . . to Trollope, ed. by R.C. Terry (CH, Jun'00). Although the entries in the present volume are not so clubbable and spirited as those dedicated to Eliot's fellow Victorians, this volume offers an equally fascinating glimpse into a particular set of Victorian networks and contexts. The entries are written by first-rate specialists: e.g., Richard Jenkyns on classical literature, Stephen Gill on Wordsworth. Rignall (Univ. of Warwick, UK) includes all manner of topics, some obvious, some not so: there are entries for Eliot's biography (including "appearance, personal," "homes of George Eliot," and "pets owned by George Eliot"), for friends and associates, for her works (including overviews of individual novels and thematic features from all the fiction); also provided are extensive literary contexts along with contexts drawn from feminism, philosophy, religion, science, and publishing. The editor intends that the entries provide "professional scholarship made accessible to the general reader as well as the academic," and this volume abundantly and rewardingly fulfills these goals. All undergraduate and graduate collections. S. C. Dillon; Bates College

Here is a volume providing an indepth and detailed view of George Eliot's intellectual life and her work; her family and friends; her travels; her major themes; her letters, journals, notebooks, and manuscripts; and her career as a writer. The intent is "to situate her work in the broad intellectual and cultural context of the 19th century." Reflecting Eliot's erudition and her knowledge of seven languages besides English, coverage extends beyond national borders and even includes her influence on later thinkers such as Simone de Beauvoir and Sigmund Freud. The volume begins with an impressive list of contributors. A "Classified Contents List" groups entry headings under major topics such as "George Eliot's Life" and "George Eliot's Works." The more than 500 entries are arranged alphabetically, from Addison, Joseph, the celebrated essayist to whose works Eliot referred several times in her letters, to Young, Edward, an English poet who was a favorite source of quotations. More general entries, such as Science and Theatre, discuss how various aspects of the prevailing culture intersected with the writer's life and work. Crossreferencing is indicated by an asterisk as well as see also references. Entries range in length from one paragraph (Cambridge, Fraser's Magazine, Utilitarianism) to several pages. Among the longest are those for major works, such as Felix Holt, the Radical and Scenes of Clerical Life. These entries include discussions of composition, publication, illustrations, reception, plot, and critical approaches. Bibliographic references follow many of the entries. Other helpful features are two maps depicting places associated with Eliot's fiction and her travels, a selected general bibliography of primary and secondary sources, and an alphabetical list of characters, identifying the novels, short fiction, or poems in which they appear. This list is important because there are no entries for characters; instead, characters are discussed within entries for the pertinent works. Finally, a chronology shows Eliot's life in relation to historical and literary events. This volume should be considered a significant resource for academic and large public libraries.