The Adventures of Harry Richmond — Volume 6

"The Adventures of Harry Richmond — Volume 6" by George Meredith is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story continues the saga of Harry Richmond, the protagonist, as he navigates the complexities of his relationships, social standing, and family ties amidst the pressures of London society and romantic entanglements. At the start of this volume, we see Harry observing his father, Roy Richmond, who is well-regarded and respected among a circle of prominent gentlemen at the Opera. As Harry interacts with various characters, including Lady Edbury and Anna Penrhys, he is confronted with the implications of his father's social aspirations and extravagant lifestyle, leading to tensions regarding a perceived engagement with a German princess, Ottilia. Throughout the opening chapters, there is a sense of confusion and frustration surrounding the rumors about his father's intentions, as well as Harry's struggle to assert his own identity and position within a world filled with public scrutiny and familial expectations. The narrative expertly blends social commentary with personal dilemmas, setting the stage for further developments in Harry's journey. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

George Meredith was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. At first, his focus was poetry, influenced by John Keats among others, but Meredith gradually established a reputation as a novelist. The Ordeal of Richard Feverel (1859) briefly scandalised Victorian literary circles. Of his later novels, the most enduring is The Egoist (1879), though in his lifetime his greatest success was Diana of the Crossways (1885). His novels were innovative in their attention to characters' psychology, and also portrayed social change. His style, in both poetry and prose, was noted for its syntactic complexity; Oscar Wilde likened it to "chaos illumined by brilliant flashes of lightning". Meredith was an encourager of other novelists, as well as an influence on them; among those to benefit were Robert Louis Stevenson and George Gissing. Meredith was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times.