The Amazing Marriage — Volume 2

"The Amazing Marriage — Volume 2" by George Meredith is a novel written during the late 19th century. The book continues to explore the complex relationships and societal expectations surrounding marriage, primarily through the characters of Gower Woodseer and his interactions with various women, especially in the context of Lord Fleetwood and his bride, Carinthia. At the start of this volume, we encounter Gower Woodseer reflecting on his feelings for a mysterious woman, indicated by his romantic contemplation of her enchanting grey eyes and composure. The scene shifts as Woodseer prepares for a drive but is pulled back by the playful insistence of friends who wish him to join a gaming event involving Lady Fleetwood, revealing the camaraderie and vibrancy of their social circle. The unexpected arrival of Lady Henrietta Fakenham, aboard a carriage with a military gentleman, introduces new dynamics and potential conflicts to the unfolding narrative. Meanwhile, Henrietta is preoccupied with the emotional consequences of her brother Chillon's romance with Carinthia, further complicating the web of relationships as love, duty, and societal roles intertwine. (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.