书目

The Lifted Veil

内容简介

Tooshorttobeanovel,toolongtobeashortstory,thenovellaisgenerallyunrecognizedbyacademicsandpublishers.Nonetheless,itisaformbelovedandpracticedbyliterature'sgreatestwriters.InTheARTOFTHENOVELLAseries,MelvilleHousecelebratesthisrenegadeartformanditspractitionerswithtitlesthatare,inmanyinstances,presentedinbookformforthefirsttime.Publishedthesameyearasherfirstnovel,"AdamBede,"thisoverlookedworkdisplaysthegiftsforwhichGeorgeEliotwouldbecomefamous--grittyrealism,psychologicalinsight,andidealisticmoralizing.Itisuniquefromallherotherwriting,however,inthatitrepresentstheonlytimesheeverusedafirst-personnarrator,anditistheonlytimeshewroteaboutthesupernatural.Thetaleofamanwhoisincapacitatedbyvisionsofthefutureandthecacophonyofoverheardthoughts,andyetwhocan'thelptryingtosubverthisvividlyglimpseddestiny,itiseasytoreadTheLiftedVeilasbeingautobiographicallyrevealing--ofEliot'ssensitivitytopublicopinionandherawarenessthatherdaysconcealedbehindapseudonymweredoomedtoatragicunveiling(asindeedcametopasssoonafterthisnovella'spublication).Butitiseasierstilltoreadthestoryastheexcitingandgenuineprecursorofamoodynewform,aswellasanabsorbingearlymasterpieceofsuspense.

作者简介

GeorgeEliotwasbornMaryAnneEvansinChilversCoton,Englandin1819onanestatemanagedbyherfather.Whenhermotherdidsheleftschooltorunthehousehold,continuinghereducationaloneintheestate’slibrary.Shewasmulti-lingualandsteepedinclassicalliteraturebythetimeaseriesofheressaysandtranslationsledtoaninvitationtoLondontoedittheprestigiousWestminsterReview—anonymously,forfearafemaleeditorwouldputoffreaders.Whennearly40shepublishedthestorycollectionScenesofClericalLife,underthepseudonymGeorgeEliot,partlybecauseshewaslivingwithamarriedman,radicalpublisherGeorgeHenryLewes,andfearedbeingshunnedbythepublic.Butin1849herfistnovelAdamBede,withitsstartlingrealismandpsychologicallyastutecharacterizations,causedasensation—andpromptedanimpostertoclaimauthorship.Evansrevealedherselfandwasindeedostracized,althoughlesssowitheachsuccessfulnewbook,fromTheMillontheFlosstoSilasMarnerandMiddlemarch.After25yearstogetherLewesdiedand,stillgrieving,shemarriedtheirbanker,aman20yearsherjunior.Shediedshortlythereafterin1880.,,

丛书

Art of the Novella

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