George Meredith

George Meredith – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Discover the life, work, and legacy of George Meredith (1828–1909), the Victorian poet-novelist whose innovative style, psychological insight, and epigrammatic wit earned him a lasting place in English letters. Includes famous quotes, themes, and lessons from his life.

Introduction

George Meredith (12 February 1828 – 18 May 1909) was a major English poet, novelist, and essayist of the Victorian era. Though he began his career as a poet, he gradually gained recognition as a novelist, writing works that pushed boundaries of form, deeply explored character psychology, and blended social commentary with imaginative vision.

Meredith is remembered for both his poetic works (notably Modern Love) and his novels (such as The Ordeal of Richard Feverel, The Egoist, Diana of the Crossways). His style—complex, allusive, rich in layers of meaning—earned him both admiration and critique in his own time and beyond.

In this article, we explore Meredith’s early life, literary evolution, key works, influence, his approach to writing, some of his best-known quotes, and the lessons we can draw from his life’s trajectory.

Early Life and Family

George Meredith was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, the only child of Augustus Urmston Meredith (a naval outfitter) and Jane Eliza (née Macnamara).

Tragedy struck early: his mother died when he was only five, and his father’s business later failed.

Initially, Meredith was articled to a solicitor in London (i.e. trained in law), but he soon abandoned that path in favor of journalism, poetry, and literary endeavors.

In 1849, at age 21, he married Mary Ellen Nicolls (a widow) at St George’s, Hanover Square.

However, that marriage was stormy. Mary became involved with the painter Henry Wallis and bore a child by him, and eventually Mary died in 1861. Marie Vulliamy in 1864, and their marriage lasted until her death in 1885.

In later years, Meredith suffered health challenges (notably limited mobility), possibly linked to osteoarthritis or neurological conditions, which affected his final years.

Youth, Education & Early Literary Efforts

Meredith’s schooling and early exposure to continental (German) education gave him a taste for intellectual independence.

In 1851, he published a collection titled Poems, drawing from work he had contributed to periodicals.

His early poetic voice was influenced by Romanticism (especially Keats), but as he matured, his writing incorporated realism, psychological insight, and social critique.

Meredith’s early novels (e.g. The Shaving of Shagpat in 1856, Farina in 1857) showed his ambition and experimental bent. Shagpat is a fantasy allegory; Farina is comic and grotesque. Although they did not achieve great commercial success, these works demonstrated Meredith’s boldness and willingness to explore diverse genres.

Career, Major Works & Achievements

Novelistic Breakthrough & Themes

Though Meredith began with poetry, his reputation grew more strongly through his novels. His 1859 novel The Ordeal of Richard Feverel shocked Victorian norms by exploring themes of sexual passion, parental authority, and moral conflict. It was controversial in its time.

In 1862, he published Modern Love (originally Modern Love and Poems of the English Roadside), a sequence of fifty sonnets that explore the disintegration of a marriage with emotional candor and psychological subtlety. The work is often described as a "novella in verse."

He then produced a series of novels:

• Evan Harrington (1861) – addressing social class and identity.

• Rhoda Fleming (1865), Vittoria (1867), The Adventures of Harry Richmond (1871), Beauchamp’s Career (1876) – increasing in scope, blending character complexity with social themes.

• In 1877–1879, he published a trio of novellas and short works such as The House on the Beach and The Case of General Ople and Lady Camper.

• His most enduring novels include The Egoist (1879) and Diana of the Crossways (1885). The Egoist is especially celebrated for its psychological realism and satirical portrayal of ego, manners, and the inner life of characters.

• Later works: One of Our Conquerors (1891), Lord Ormont and His Aminta (1894), The Amazing Marriage (1895).

Meredith’s novels often foreground “action of the mind” — internal conflict, moral dilemmas, emotional tensions — rather than mere external events. His dialogue is dense and layered, and many critics have noted that his prose often requires careful reading because of its intellectual richness.

Critical Reception & Recognition

During his lifetime, Meredith was admired by fellow writers and critics, though his style puzzled some readers. Oscar Wilde famously described him as “chaos illumined by brilliant flashes of lightning.”

He also served as a publisher’s reader (for Chapman & Hall), exercising influence over manuscripts and advising fellow writers. East Lynne, which later became a bestseller.

Meredith was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times.

He also succeeded Alfred Tennyson as President of the Society of Authors.

Literary Context & Innovation

Meredith worked during the Victorian period, when the novel was a dominant form, and literary realism was on the rise. But within that context, Meredith pushed boundaries:

• Psychological and moral complexity: He delved into the internal contradictions of characters—especially in marital conflicts, ego, and the tension between selfish desire and social duty.

• Form and style: His prose is often aphoristic, rhetorical, allusive. He frequently compressed meaning, omitted pronouns or connectors, and demanded active reading.

• Blend of poetry and fiction: Meredith’s background as a poet influenced his novels; he was attentive to rhythm, metaphor, imagery, and internal coherence.

• Social conscience: He addressed gender, class, marriage laws, hypocrisy, and the constraints on women in Victorian society (especially in Modern Love and Diana of the Crossways).

In sum, Meredith stands among those Victorian writers who pushed the novel toward greater psychological depth, foreshadowing techniques that would become more widespread in the 20th century.

Legacy and Influence

George Meredith’s legacy is multifaceted:

• Influence on other writers: He was a mentor or inspiration to writers such as Thomas Hardy and George Gissing. Hardy at times sought or received Meredith’s feedback.

• Timeless psychological insight: His portrayal of conflict, doubt, disillusionment, ego, and desire continue to resonate with modern readers.

• Challenging style as hallmark: While some readers find Meredith dense, for admirers, the intellectual rigor, layered meaning, and epigrammatic wit make his work rewarding.

• Place in literary history: He is often cited as bridging Victorian and modern sensibilities—less romantic than earlier Victorians, but more lyrical and psychologically adventurous than many later realists.

• Critical revival: Over time, critics have re-examined Meredith’s contributions, especially in terms of gender, modernism, and psychological realism.

Though he is not as widely read today as some Victorian giants, scholars and dedicated readers continue to explore his works, and excerpts (especially Modern Love) are frequently anthologized.

Personality, Beliefs & Writing Approach

Meredith was known for independence, intellectual seriousness, and a certain pride in his own path. His experiences—family loss, marital turbulence, financial pressures—shaped a worldview attuned to the frailties of human ambition and emotional life.

He held Radical Liberal political sympathies, opposing jingoistic nationalism, supporting greater democracy, and expressing distaste for priestcraft and reactionary conservatism.

In letters and essays, Meredith emphasized sincerity, moral courage, and attention to inner life. His writing method involved dense reflection, reworking, searching for precise phrasing, and a willingness to challenge readers.

He once said poetry is “talking on tiptoe” (i.e. subtle, suggestive expression) — a line often attributed to him in collections of his quotes.

His aesthetic judgment was exacting; he took his role as a reader seriously, and in his role at Chapman & Hall he evaluated manuscripts weekly.

Famous Quotes of George Meredith

Below are select quotations that capture Meredith’s wit, insight, and style:

“A witty woman is a treasure; a witty beauty is a power.” “The most dire disaster in love is the death of imagination.” “Caricature is rough truth.” “We are betrayed by what is false within.” “Speech is the small change of silence.” “Kissing don’t last: cookery do!” “My religion of life is always to be cheerful.” “I expect that Woman will be the last thing civilized by Man.” “The man of science is nothing if not a poet gone wrong.”

These aphorisms reflect his recurring concerns: gender, creativity, inner integrity, the tension between appearance and authenticity, and expressive restraint.

Lessons from George Meredith’s Life & Work

1. Courage in originality
   Meredith often defied popular taste. His willingness to risk obscurity for the sake of his vision is inspiring to writers and creators.

2. Depth over superficiality
   His emphasis on internal conflict, moral struggle, and character psychology reminds us that great art often lies below the surface.

3. Melding genres
   He treated poetry and fiction as complementary rather than separate realms—something modern writers can learn from.

4. The burden of expectation
   Personal tragedy (e.g. marital strife) and public critique shaped Meredith’s life. He navigated reputation, disappointment, and perseverance.

5. Reading as creation
   His practice as a critic and evaluator sharpened his own views. Engaging deeply with others’ work can refine one’s own.

6. Timelessness through complexity
   Though some passages in his work are often considered “difficult,” the reward is a richness of insight that invites repeated reading.

Conclusion

George Meredith remains a compelling, complex figure in English literature. His life contained joys and sorrows, ambitions and setbacks, yet he persisted in a style and voice that challenged conventions and opened new depths of psychological and moral exploration. His novels and poetry, though demanding, continue to reward patient readers with insight, beauty, and a voice that echoes into modern sensibilities.