Lord Ormont and His Aminta — Volume 1

“Lord Ormont and His Aminta — Volume 1” by George Meredith is a novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative delves into the complexities of love and social dynamics, primarily focusing on the lives of schoolboys and their evolving views on affection, honor, and masculinity, particularly through the character of Matey Weyburn and his interactions with his female counterpart, Aminta Farrell. The beginning of the story introduces us to a group of schoolboys at Cuper's school, where Matey Weyburn is the admired leader. As they partake in a Sunday walk, the presence of schoolgirls becomes a focal point of their attention, sparking a discussion on love and relationships, which starts to ignite feelings among the boys as they observe Aminta, who captures Matey's interest. The boys’ sentiments reveal their disinterest in romance initially, yet they are drawn to Aminta's dark beauty and character, contrasting their prior dismissiveness toward girls. This initial setup sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the emotional intricacies and societal views on love that underpin the boys' coming-of-age experiences. (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.