Marriage Question

Clare Carlisle's The Marriage Question delves into the life and philosophical thought of Mary Anne Evans, known to the world as George Eliot. This biography explores the author's unconventional "double life," focusing on her twenty-four-year partnership with George Lewes, a man who was already married. Despite the societal scandal this union caused in the mid-nineteenth century, Eliot considered herself his wife and found immense personal and creative growth within the relationship.

The book reveals how Eliot, a brilliant novelist and philosopher, channeled her personal experiences and profound inquiries into the nature of marriage, desire, sacrifice, and societal expectations into her groundbreaking works of fiction. Carlisle intertwines Eliot's biography with her literary output, illustrating how the complexities of her own shared life informed the intricate marriage plots and psychological depth found in her novels. Readers will gain insight into the mind of an author who lived both inside and outside the conventional bounds of marriage, offering a unique perspective on a fundamental human institution.