The Egoist

I find Henry James writing a challenge, but enjoyable. Not so with George Meredith.

In "Decay of Lying", Oscar Wilde's essay in dialogue form, he discusses George Meredith: "if the man's fine spirit did not revolt against the noisy assertions of realism, his style would be quite sufficient of itself to keep life at a respectful distance" It is a wonderful summary of Meredith, particularly in the case of The Egoist. The novel combines some really interesting and impressive realism of character with a style that is almost opaque-- a style that requires some adjustment for the modern reader. It certainly took me a quite a few pages to get used to the diction of Meredith as an author. In particular, the seemingly endless and theatrical dialogue sections were often difficult. This said, once I stopped fighting the style and really let myself read the book, I was very glad that I did. The plot is perhaps a little bit thin for the number of pages (602 pages of small print!) but that only gives Meredith room to develop the characters. He does that through his use of dialogue; he teaches us with our ear what these characters are like and who they really are. Willoughby (the Egoist) is a character who should be familiar to virtually every woman alive. He wraps himself in a pretense of romance in a way that only serves to disguise his need for control. The two women, Clara and Laetitia, are both bound by the possibilities of their time and both learn to be realists rather than romantics when faced with the Egoist. The interplay between the three is delighful, and often genuinely very funny. When I first started the book, I would not have believed that I would ever laugh out loud reading it, but there were several moments where I did just that. In short, a really good read. Meredith deserves his reputation-- both for his skill and for the effort needed to enjoy the work. Pair this book with The Way We Live Now by Trollope, and you have a nice look at the choices of the Victorian woman as seen by the male writers of the day.

Meredith's masterpiece is woefully underread, and it is a sad truth that the Norton scholarly edition is the only edition of THE EGOIST now in print. This is not an easy read, however: Meredith's caustic dialogue foreshadows henry James's in its mastery of ambiguities, and his witty paradoxes surpass even Oscar Wilde (who admitted his debt to Meredith). The plot is a simple one: the wealthy handsome and titled Sir Willoughby Patterne, having been jilted by one fiancée, proposes to another young woman, the intelligent and intensely likeable Clara Middleton, who accepts him; before very long, Clara has realized what a monstrous egoist Sir Willoughby is, but not after it seems too late for her to go back on her word. This is one of the most brilliant studies of mortification ever accomplished, and what makes it all the more amazing is that Meredith clearly modelled Sir Willoughby in part on himself and the extraordinarily sympathetic Clara on his wife, Mary Ellen Peacock, who deserted Meredith for another man. This book is funny, thought-provoking, and exceptionally poignant: there are moments when you read it that your heart will go into your stomach as you sympathize with Clara's appalling plight.

This is one of the funniest novels I've ever read. The basic story is simple: Sir Willoughby Patterne's betrothal to the young Clara Middleton is threatened when she realizes his enormous love of himself. The novel consists of Clara's efforts to get out of the engagement without doing something so scandalous as eloping with someone else. The characters are drawn vividly and with depth. The incidents are both amusing and realistic. Clara Middleton is one of the great witty heroines of English literature, perhaps the wittiest Victorian heroine.The beginning can be slow going. Meredith likes to use twenty words when other people might use ten. He also likes to play verbal games. As you proceed in the novel and get used to the style, you can have a lot of fun picking out the puns, allusions, etc.This is Meredith's best novel. The plot is tightly controlled and the ending is pure comedy in the tradition of Fielding, Austen and Thackeray. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who feels comfortable reading Victorian English and likes a good love-comedy.

Meredith's masterpiece has been unjustly neglected in recent years, although it is one of the funniest novels in the English canon. If you like the comedies of Trollope and Austen, Meredith is a real treat (although his style is much more mannered, and his approach more difficult to appreciate, than either Trollope's or Austen's). The genius of THE EGOIST is not only in exposing Sir Willoughby's faults, and Clara's mounting panic as she can't maneuver her way out of her engagement, but in its serious appraisal of the difficulties faced by Victorian women in their limited possibilities after childhood. Meredith was an enormous influence on the later modernists, such as Woolf, Joyce, and particularly Forster, but although they more often mention THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVERAL as Meredith's keystone text THE EGOIST is the one to enjoy.

This novel was written, and takes place in, 19th Century England. 'The Egoist' is Sir Patterne, a well to do gent in search of a wife. After being jilted once, he pursues Miss Clara Middleton. The majority of the novel takes a look at their engagement, and her doubts about it. There is a wealth of clever dialog to be found in this novel, much of which stays with the reader (or at least this one) well after the last page is turned. Most of the comedy comes from Meredith's exposing of the Egoist (of which there is more than one in this novel). Miss Middleton actually has the attention of a few men, and this adds to both the drama and comedy of the novel. A sample of the witty dialog should be provided so you may decide whether to get this book. A friend of Clara's gets wind of her doubts. He can't come right out and let her know, but he hints at it. He starts off by informing her that he 'has written half an essay on honeymoons'. She responds by asking 'whether that is the same as a half written essay'. He tells her 'that it is, except that my essay is completely told, but just from one side.' 'And which side is that' she asks. 'The grooms' he replies. So I would suggest that you give this novel a try, especially if you like 19th century writers.