Sandra Belloni — Volume 7

"Sandra Belloni — Volume 7" by George Meredith is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story revolves around Emilia, a complex character grappling with her feelings for two men, Merthyr and Wilfrid, against a backdrop of societal expectations and personal aspirations in a period marked by cultural and political tensions. The narrative explores themes of love, ambition, and identity, showcasing Emilia's struggles as she navigates her desires and relationships. The opening of "Sandra Belloni — Volume 7" introduces readers to Emilia, who is preparing for an important day while locked away with her mother. Clad in a luxurious purple dress designed by her friend Merthyr, she oscillates between confidence and insecurity regarding her beauty and voice, the latter seemingly lost to her. The chapter reveals her internal conflicts as she longs for her father's approval and fears change in her relationship with Merthyr. As she engages in reading lessons with Merthyr, tension builds around her feelings for him and Wilfrid, which adds layers of emotional complexity to her character. The interactions reveal hints of rivalry, deep affection, and undercurrents of jealousy as she contemplates her place within their lives, setting the stage for a tumultuous exploration of love and loyalty that unfolds throughout the novel. (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.