English Fiction of the Victorian Period

Michael Wheeler

Preface.

1. Introduction.

2. Pre-Victorian and Early Victorian Fiction
Fads and fashions: historical, silver-fork, Newgate and social-problem novels.
Gamblers and speculators: early Thackeray.
The privilege of chroniclers: early Dickens.

3. Mid-Century Fiction
A Victorian identity: social-problem, religious and historical novels.
No new thing under the sun: Thackeray's major novels.
Souls enslaved: the Brontes.
An environment of circumstances: Elizabeth Gaskell.
Themes and variations: Dickens at mid-century.

4. High Victorian Fiction
Retrospect and prospect: sensational, historical, school and religious novels, fantasy.
The mysteries of identity: late Dickens.
Truth and a high but gentle spirit: Anthony Trollops.
Incarnate history and unhistorical acts: George Eliot.
Those high notes and condensings: Meredith.

5. Late Victorian Fiction
Explorations: the new realists and the romance revival, Utopian and religious novels.
Circles of hell: Gassing.
Significant simplicity: Stevenson.
Art is a disproportioning: Hardy.

Chronology
General Bibliographies
i) English fiction: history and criticism
ii) Victorian background: historical, intellectual, cultural
iii) Victorian fiction
Individual Authors
Notes on biography, major works and criticism
Index