In her mid-thirties, Marian Evans transformed herself into George Eliot—an author celebrated for her genius as soon as she published her debut novel. During those years she also found her life partner, George Lewes—writer, philosopher, and married father of three. After "eloping" to Berlin in 1854, they lived together for twenty-four years: Eliot asked people to call her "Mrs Lewes" and dedicated each novel to her "Husband." The relationship scandalized her contemporaries yet she grew immeasurably within it.
Eloquent and original ... Carlisle vividly animates this dangerous writer ... Carlisle...combines a biographer’s eye for stories with a philosopher’s nose for questions ... Masterly and enriching.
Intriguing, often brilliant ... Ultimately, Carlisle’s thoughtful, comprehensive account of this particular liaison exquisitely probes the complex, thorny, and fascinating question: How much does our choice of partner determine who we ultimately become?
Eliot’s imaginative attraction to violently cruel and thwarting marriages, in contrast with her personal investment in a trustful, lasting intimacy, is a fascinating paradox that Clare Carlisle’s interesting book sets out to investigate ... Carlisle is more fascinated by the disconnect between the painful marriages in the novels and the devoted relationship with Lewes ... As a biographer Carlisle is careful and ruminative rather than trailblazing or defensive. She doesn’t go in for blaming and shaming but picks her way delicately through the story.
