The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 1

"The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 1" by George Meredith is a novel written in the late 19th century. It explores the complexities of human nature, love, and social dynamics through the experiences of its main character, Clotilde von Rudiger, a spirited young woman of aristocratic background who navigates the tumultuous waters of affection and ambition as she becomes entangled with two distinct males: the charming Prince Marko and the controversial demagogue Alvan. The opening of the novel introduces themes of perception and societal expectations while establishing Clotilde's character as both ambitious and conflicted. She is depicted as a woman who feels the weight of her coquetry and societal pressures, struggling to find her own identity amid the expectations of her aristocratic milieu. As her initial interactions unfold, we witness her fascination with a striking yet seemingly impractical love for Alvan, who represents the 'fantastical' aspect of human nature, contrasting with the more conservative Prince Marko. The narrative sets the stage for a deeper exploration of passion, societal constraints, and the personal battles that arise when love encounters the harsh realities of social status and tradition. (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.