Scenes of Clerical Life
by George Eliot
First published 1857 · 340 pages
- Novels
- Historical fiction
- Biography and memoir
Eliot's first work of fiction gathers three stories about the lives of English clergymen and their parishioners in the Midlands. They are "The Sad Fortunes of the Reverend Amos Barton", "Mr Gilfil's Love-Story" and "Janet's Repentance". Rather than heroes, Eliot gives us ordinary, flawed people dealing with money, marriage, temptation and prejudice in everyday parish life. The stories show the sympathy and realism that would mark her later novels, and they introduced the name George Eliot to readers.
Quotes
Every man who is not a monster, a mathematician, or a mad philosopher, is the slave of some woman or other.
Any coward can fight a battle when he's sure of winning; but give me the man who has pluck to fight when he's sure of losing. That's my way, sir; and there are many victories worse than a defeat.
Opposition may become sweet to a man when he has christened it persecution.
The blessed work of helping the world forward, happily does not wait to be done by perfect men.