George Eliot's 'The Complete Works' offers a comprehensive glimpse into the intricate moral and social fabric of 19th-century England through her nuanced characterizations and intricate plot construction. With an engaging narrative style that blends realism and philosophical inquiry, Eliot tackles complex themes such as love, faith, and personal responsibility, often delving into the inner lives of her characters. This collection encapsulates her vision of a compassionate society, revealing the often tumultuous human experiences that shape individual destinies against the backdrop of evolving social mores. Born Mary Ann Evans, George Eliot was a pioneer of the realistic novel, drawing inspiration from her own life experiences and intellectual pursuits. Her struggles against societal conventions, particularly in matters of gender and sexuality, inform her characters' often turbulent journeys. Eliot's education and exposure to a wide range of philosophical ideas, especially those of German idealism, also lend depth to her narratives, enriching readers' understanding of both her literary and social critiques. Readers seeking a profound exploration of human nature and societal dynamics will find 'The Complete Works' an essential addition to their literary library. Eliot's masterful storytelling and empathetic insights invite readers to reflect on their own moral and social journeys, making her collected works timeless and universally relevant.

In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.

George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880), remains one of the preeminent figures in Victorian literature. Renowned for her perceptive psychological insights and detailed character development, Eliot's work often explores themes of rural society, morality, and the individual's place within the social fabric. Born in Warwickshire, England, she broke with conventional gender roles by pursuing a literary career in an era when female authors were often marginalized. Her extensive educational pursuits and fluency in multiple languages enabled her to help edit the Westminster Review, a significant intellectual journal of the time. Eliot's 'The Complete Works' encompasses novels, poetry, and essays, with seminal novels like 'Middlemarch', 'The Mill on the Floss', and 'Silas Marner'. 'Middlemarch', in particular, is acclaimed for its deep humanism and ambition, with Virginia Woolf famously praising it as 'one of the few English novels written for grown-up people'. Eliot's literary style combines realism with a compassionate moral sense, weaving intricate plots that reveal the complexities of life in 19th-century England. She adopted a male pen name to ensure her works were taken seriously and to avoid the stereotypes inflicted upon women's writing at the time. Today, George Eliot's legacy endures through her profound influence on the development of the novel as a literary form and her penetrating explorations of personal morality and social ethics.