The Amazing Marriage — Volume 4

"The Amazing Marriage — Volume 4" by George Meredith is a novel written in the late 19th century. This installment delves into the complexities of marriage and societal expectations, particularly through the lens of the character Carinthia, as she navigates her tumultuous relationship with her husband, Lord Fleetwood, amidst the backdrop of Welsh highlands and local tensions. The story explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the struggle for autonomy, particularly through Carinthia's fierce maternal instincts and her determination to safeguard her child against a perceived tyrant. At the start of the narrative, Carinthia is depicted walking through the Welsh landscape, reflecting on her father’s lessons and her sense of connection to her child amidst her complicated feelings towards her husband. The opening reveals her internal conflict, marked by a sense of dread as her husband's disdain for her looms large over her existence and that of her boy. In her interactions with her neighbor, Mrs. Wythan, and the communities around her, Carinthia demonstrates resourcefulness and a passion for helping others, even as she faces personal strife. This section sets the stage for a powerful exploration of her character, hinting at the social upheaval and pressing issues she will confront, particularly regarding her child’s safety and her husband’s intentions. (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.