Rose, Blanche, and Violet, Volume 1 (of 3)

"Rose, Blanche, and Violet, Volume 1 (of 3)" by George Henry Lewes is a novel written in the mid-19th century. The story revolves around the lives of the three titular characters, focusing particularly on the sisters Rose and Blanche, and their complex familial dynamics, including their stepmother and the effects of their mother’s recent death. The novel explores themes of will, strength of character, and the subtleties of human relationships, set against a backdrop of English society's moral expectations. At the start of the book, readers are introduced to a series of somber events following the death of Mrs. Vyner, as her husband Meredith and their daughters—Rose, Blanche, and Violet—struggle to cope with their loss. Captain Heath, a close friend of the deceased, visits the Vyner household, emphasizing the depth of their mourning and foreshadowing future interactions. The narrative then shifts four years ahead, depicting Rose and Blanche as they adjust to life under the manipulative influence of their stepmother, Mary Hardcastle. Each character’s distinct personality begins to emerge, setting the stage for the internal and external conflicts they will face, particularly as Violet’s feelings of disdain towards their stepmother build. The opening portion establishes an atmosphere ripe with emotional complexity and hints at the trials ahead for its characters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

George Henry Lewes was an English philosopher and critic of literature and theatre. He was also an amateur physiologist. American feminist Margaret Fuller called Lewes a "witty, French, flippant sort of man". He became part of the mid-Victorian ferment of ideas which encouraged discussion of Darwinism, positivism, and religious skepticism. However, he is perhaps best known today for having openly lived with Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the pen name George Eliot, as soulmates whose lives and writings were enriched by their relationship, though they never married each other.