The book of revelations

Henry James complained that Middlemarch was too messy. But it was George Eliot's 'riot of subjectivity' that made the novel so bold. Zadie Smith salutes the Victorian novelist who gave future writers the freedom to push the form to its limits

George Eliot

'A feeling for all ordinary human life' ... George Eliot. Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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Zadie Smith salutes the Victorian novelist, George Eliot

This article appeared in the Guardian on Saturday May 24 2008 on p2 of the Features & reviews section. It was last updated at 16.02 on July 25 2008.

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