The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 2

"The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 2" by George Meredith is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story explores themes of love, societal expectations, and personal ambition through the relationship between the main characters, Sigismund Alvan and Clotilde von Rudiger. These characters grapple with the complexities of their emotions and external pressures as they navigate their tumultuous engagement amidst family disapproval and political ramifications. At the start of the volume, Alvan and Clotilde reunite after a separation, with their affection seemingly undiminished. However, their interaction reveals underlying tensions, particularly regarding Clotilde's concern about her mother's potential influence and disapproval. Alvan reminds Clotilde of his bond with an older woman, the baroness, which deepens the complexity of their relationship. As Clotilde shows interest in properly communicating with the baroness, Alvan expresses his disdain for writing commercially, championing instead a heartfelt connection. Their conversation unfolds against the backdrop of a world filled with political intrigue and societal constraints, suggesting an impending struggle for both love and legitimacy as they prepare to face Clotilde's parents. The tension builds as they plan their future and confront the challenges ahead. (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.