The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Volume 4

"The Ordeal of Richard Feverel — Volume 4" by George Meredith is a novel written in the late 19th century. This work continues the story of Richard Feverel as he navigates the complex terrain of love, relationships, and personal growth, particularly exploring the themes of desire and the societal pressures surrounding marriage. The opening of the book introduces a vibrant scene filled with characters preparing for a significant event, hinting at a wedding. Richard Feverel and his friend Ripton Thompson share a moment of introspection as they discuss love and the joys of life. The narrative follows Richard's excitement and anxiety as he anticipates his union with Lucy, while also revealing Ripton's innocent curiosity about love. As the characters engage with their feelings and the societal expectations that shape their lives, the atmosphere is a blend of anticipation and the bittersweet reality of their circumstances, particularly concerning familial pressures and personal identities. Thus, the beginning sets the stage for a deep exploration of love's trials, particularly for a young hero facing both external and internal challenges. (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.