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George Eliot |
Eliot was born in Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire, where her father was a land agent. When she was a few months old, the family moved to Griff, a 'cheerful red-brick, ivory-covered house', and there Eliot spent 21 years of her life among people that she later depicted in her novels. She was educated at home and in several schools, and developed a strong evangelical piety at Mrs. Wallington's School at Neneaton. When her mother died in 1836 she took charge of the family household. In 1841 she moved with her father to Coventry, where she lived with him until his death in 1849. During this time she met Charles Bray, a free-thinking Coventry manufacturer. His wife was a sister of Charles Hennel, the author of a work entitled An Inquiry Concerning the Origin of Christianity (1838). The reading of this and other rationalistic works influenced deeply Eliot's thoughts. After her father's death Eliot travelled abroad and settled in London, and took up work as subeditor of Westminster Review.
In Coventry she met Charles Bray and later Charles Hennell, who introduced her to many new religious and political ideas. Under Eliot's control the Westminster Review enjoyed success. She became the centre of literary circle, one of whose members was George Henry Lewes, who would be her companion until his death in 1878. Their unconventional union caused some difficulties because Lewes was still married when they met and unable to obtain divorce from his wife.
Eliot's first collection of tales, SCENES OF CLERICAL LIFE, appeared in 1858 under the pseudonym George Eliot. It was followed by her first novel, ADAM BEDE, a year later, and other major novels, THE MILL ON THE FLOSS (1860), SILAS MARNER (1861), and MIDDLEMARCH (1871-72), which was propably inspired by her life at Coventry. When impostors claimed authorship of Adam Bede, it was revealed that Marian Evans, the Westminster reviewer, was George Eliot.
In 1860-61 Eliot spent some time in Italy collecting material for her historical romance ROMOLA. It was published serially first in the Cornhill Magazine and in book form in 1863. After Lewes's death she married twenty years younger friend, John Cross, on May 6, 1880. They made a wedding trip to Italy, and returned to London, where she died on the same year on December 22 1880.
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