The Real George Elliot by Lisa Tippings
4 stars
The Real George Eliot is a biography written by Lisa Tippings. For as long as I can remember, I have known that George Eliot was the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans, The Mill On The Floss being her most famous book.
I believe my love of the book and author began from a BBC costume drama shown on Sunday afternoons during my childhood; however, I can recall very little of the story and in my mind the image of a mill and a stream get muddled with another childhood image, Constable’s Haywain. So reading this book and learning about the life of Mary Ann and how much of her upbringing and experiences probably influenced her writing was very interesting.
The book also contains several black and white photographs from landmarks and places associated with Mary’s life. I haven’t spent any time in the part of the country where she lived, but I now feel better prepared should I ever get the chance to visit the area. The author’s enthusiasm for George Eliot and her works shine through in this book and it was a very interesting book to pick up and dabble through.
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The Real George Eliot revisits the life of the ground breaking nineteenth century novelist and focuses on the impact she had on her readers, including the biographer herself. Eliot was a writer who explored the nature of religion, the role of marriage in society, and the struggle that could emerge between a person’s public and private persona. Her own private life was the cause of much speculation and notoriety. Eliot chose to ignore most of the conventions of Victorian society in order to pursue her own happiness, and her relationship with George Henry Lewes scandalised many members of ‘polite’ society. Regardless of this, however, she overcame such prejudice and in later life enjoyed the company of some of the greatest thinkers and academics of the time, and this is a testament to her formidable intelligence. The fact that she is still so widely read today, is a sign of the longevity of her skills as a writer.
Pen Sword Books| AmazonUK | AmazonUS

My most ever favourite author ( yes I know that’s not grammatically correct! !lol). But a strong woman who lived before her time in society. A lovely review, Rosie, thank you. Off to search out this book.
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So glad you enjoyed this Judith.
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Reblogged this on Judith Barrow and commented:
My most ever favourite author ( yes I know that’s not grammatically correct! !lol). But a strong woman who lived before her time in society. A lovely review from Rosie,
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Thanks for sharing, which book that she wrote is your favourite?
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Silas Marner was the first I read, and remains a favourite ( so poignant). And The Mill on the Floss. Never been keen on Daniel Deronda, though, and not sure why.. The Lifted Veil – short weird novella – quite disturbed me – but I was only fifteen when I read it.. And, of course, Middlemarch – the TV series was okay but I always think it spoils the images you make in your head when reading. .
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Hi Rosie, this does sound excellent.
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Thanks Robbie.
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I love books about writers, especially women writers. Thanks for sharing this one, Rosie. I know Pen & Sword have an excellent selection of publications.
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They do Olga, I can often find something that interests me in their listings.
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I read a biography of George Eliot many years ago – she was a fascinating person and quite ‘out there’ for her time. I discovered that I had in fact read many of her books!
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Yes she was an unusual person.
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Reblogged this on SaylingAway and commented:
Another strong (female) author who was way ahead of her time!
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Thanks for sharing.
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This book sounds fascinating, and now a “must read” for me. THANK you for bringing it to our attention!
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You’re welcome, thanks for supporting the blog today.
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I read “The Mill on the Floss” in 1965 surreptitiously under the desk during Latin class. At the end I burst into tears and the Latin teacher called me a “Barbarian”. Have loved George Eliot ever since.
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For the tears for for reading the book under the desk? Glad it began your love for this author though, thanks for stopping by today.
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