One of Our Conquerors — Complete

"One of Our Conquerors — Complete" by George Meredith is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story revolves around Victor Radnor, a lively gentleman in London who experiences both physical misadventure and philosophical musings as he navigates the complexities of his social environment. The narrative explores themes of class distinctions and personal ambitions amidst the backdrop of a bustling London, particularly highlighting the interactions and conflicts between different societal strata. At the start of the novel, Victor Radnor crosses London Bridge when he unexpectedly slips and falls, leading to a humorous yet reflective examination of his situation. As he recovers from the fall, he contemplates his relationships, particularly with his political-minded friend Fenellan and his family. The gathering of characters around him hints at ongoing discussions about societal values, personal aspirations, and the burdens of the past, particularly concerning his wife, Nataly, and their daughter, Nesta. This opening chapter sets the stage for a deeper exploration of Radnor’s life as he grapples with both internal and external conflicts, laying the groundwork for the social commentary and character development that define the novel. (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.