George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, was born on November 22, 1819, in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. She was an English novelist, poet, journalist, and translator, recognized as one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Eliot's works are celebrated for their realism, psychological insight, and detailed depiction of rural life.Throughout her career, Eliot wrote seven novels, including Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Romola (1862-1863), Felix Holt, the Radical (1866), Middlemarch (1871-1872), and Daniel Deronda (1876). Her novels often explore complex social and political issues, delving into the intricacies of human relationships and moral dilemmas. Middlemarch is particularly acclaimed, with novelist Virginia Woolf describing it as ""one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.""Eliot's personal life was unconventional for her time; she lived with the married George Henry Lewes from 1854 until his death in 1878, referring to him as her husband despite societal norms. In May 1880, she married her long-time friend, John Cross, who was much younger than her, and she changed her name to Mary Ann Cross. Eliot passed away on December 22, 1880, in Chelsea, London, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence literature and thought.
