Diana of the Crossways — Volume 5

"Diana of the Crossways — Volume 5" by George Meredith is a novel written in the late 19th century. This literary work delves into the complex lives and relationships of its characters, primarily focusing on Diana Warwick, who is portrayed as an intelligent and passionate woman navigating the tumultuous waters of love, societal expectations, and personal freedom. The opening of the volume presents a vivid depiction of the political and personal news that shapes the social landscape, particularly the marriage of a young Minister of State to a wealthy heiress, which captures public attention and gossip. Lady Dunstane, a friend of Diana, is portrayed in distress upon learning of another character's tragic fate in an accident, hinting at the intertwining fates of love and loss. As the narrative unfolds, emotion runs high, with themes of heartlessness, societal expectations, and intellectual femininity taking the forefront. Characters engage in poignant conversations, reflecting on the nature of love, fidelity, and societal judgment, ultimately setting the stage for the deep psychological explorations and relational dynamics that define Diana’s journey. (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.