Impressions of Theophrastus Such

by George Eliot

Overview

The last work published by Eliot in her lifetime, Impressions of Theophrastus Such is her literary and philosophical testament. This scholarly edition - the first in over three decades - is a tribute to Eliot's writing and a literary rescue operation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781988963396
Publisher:	University of British Columbia Press
Publication date:	05/01/2023
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

George Eliot (born Mary Ann Evans in 1819) is one of the greatest writers of the English language. Her best-known works are Middlemarch, Adam Bede, and Silas Marner.

Table of Contents

Looking Inward
Looking Backward
How We Encourage Research
A Man Surprised at His Originality
A Too Deferential Man
Only Temper
A Political Molecule
The Watch-Dog of Knowledge
A Half-Breed
Debasing the Moral Currency
The Wasp Credited with the Honeycomb
"So Young!"
How We Come to Give Ourselves False Testimonials, and Believe in Them
The Too Ready Writer
Diseases of Small Authorship
Moral Swindlers
Shadows of the Coming Race
The Modern Hep! Hep! Hep!

Editorial Reviews

Released in 1879, this was Eliot's last published work. Via protagonist Theophrastus Such, Eliot commented on society, especially the arts, drawing on her own experiences with the speculation that circulated about her during her life.

Library Journal

George Eliot's last published work has been overlooked, underrated, and long out of print in the U.S. In her enlightening introduction, editor Henry expresses surprise at this neglect, but the fact is, Eliot's last novel is a bit forbidding. It takes the form of a set of essays, or impressions, by a fictional narrator whose name, contrary to the title's suggestion, is not Theophrastus Such: Theophrastus was a student of Aristotle. The author of this set of character sketches and intellectual fables is an unnamed London bachelor blessed with a great deal of wisdom, patience, and discernment regarding the foibles of his species. In 1879, critics found "Theophrastus Such" cryptic, "ponderous and moralizing," but with a little help from an editor, modern readers will find Eliot's viewpoints relevant and often brilliant, her style sophisticated, and her humor sharp. Eliot has her alter ego consider such topics as the consequences of self-importance and prejudice. He also mocks academia and the confusion of reputation with achievement and condemns the "habit of contempt," which ultimately "debases moral currency." Eliot's great intellect and insight radiate from every page of this clever and provoking narrative, inspiring renewed respect.

Donna Seaman

Eliot's last published work has been overlooked, underrated, and long out of print in the U.S. In her enlightening introduction, editor Henry expresses surprise at the neglect…with a little help from an editor, modern readers will find Eliot's viewpoints relevant and often brilliant, her style sophisticated, and her humor sharp…Eliot's great intellect and insight radiate from every page of this clever and provoking narrative, inspiring renewed respect.”—Booklist

From the Publisher