The Egoist

This is a marvelous and highly witty example of the Victorian society novel at its best. THE EGOIST has much in common with Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Meredith offers extraordinary psychological insights -- especially about the nature of vanity and how unintentionally hilarious (and destructive) people can be when they are indulging in it. Readers have to be ready for his elaborate sentence structures, however. The complicated syntax intensifies the humor while making it impossible for readers to give anything less than their full attention to the text. This is, in any case, the only way to read. Lawrence Kinsman, MERCURY BOOK REVIEWS, mercurybookreviews.com

Very interesting, at first hard to get started, then gets easier.

The "Egoist" is not an easy read as it is slow moving, with lots of details that only come together in a meaningful manner only after finishing the book. The use of Latin quotations to most of us is lost, but in retrospect, you see that they are being used to develop the users as a way of showing that they are proud of their education.It helps to read and discuss the book with others over a period of time allowing for re-reading portions.

Not just satirical--sarcastic. Pillorying people, classes, attitudes, poses, feelings, notions, and of course, as the title more than hints, self-conceits. A bit of a shocker, written in a style that's utterly sui generis--kind of the way Patrick White (who's much more impressionistic, skyey, though Meredith is WAY poetic, in the best way) sweeps you away with analogies and twists/turns of phrase that nobody's ever thought of. Frightfully cynical, this book. Wickedly delicious. Thackeray's masterpiece is the closest thing to it, come to think of it. And it's not even close, really. You get past the impossibly ponderous and flowery prelude prologue and this novel just soars with defeatist joy. So glad I bought it.

I would have to agree with Margaret Oliphant when she implied, in her review of the Egoist, that Meredith was rather wordy. Overall, I enjoyed the book and frequently thought of many Shakespearian comedies as the main characters traveled in and out of scenes causing chaos and confusion. In the end, like all good comedies, everyone found his or her mate even though it was exact opposite of their first intension.

I bought it, so I would have a copy for my graduate seminar. The editor gets into the spirit of the book with the foot notes, but it's an incredibly useful Norton edition.It might take some getting used to and hard thinking, but Meredith is hilarious with this work.

One of the most entertaining Victorian novels. Brilliant satire of upper class male pretension.

A little known book that deserves a lot more attention. Really excellent from beginning to end. Memorable characters, interesting plot and a fabulous insight into the plight of women in Victorian England.

I love Victorian novels, but this one is absurdly too long and boring. What's more, many scholars say The Egoist is a "comical" novel, but there is absolutely nothing comical in it. Meredith's overflowing language is very clever at the beginning, then it becomes pathological.

This is a famous novel and much dissected and praised. I will give my reaction to it:The writing is very verbose and I find it hard to believe anyone would have the conversations in the words written.Most readers would be put off by the sheer volume of verbiage.This is not to say that the book is not an extremely perceptive study of humanity. Willoughby,The Egoist, is a rich spoilt young man adored by all around him.He is an unpleasant character who uses money to control people. To some extent he is portrayed a a figure of fun, although a lot of what he does is not funny.At the beginning we are told of his jilting by a fiancee, and the book is mostly and account of how his new fiancee tries to escape from him.There various supporting characters who are a lot of fun, including Laetitia Dale and Crossjay, a young cousin.Laetitia adores Willoughby until the scales fall from her eyes.For someone with stamina this is a book worth reading.

The Egoist has the potential of a great novel but just misses through over-writing ( one can feel the padding towards the 3 volumes required at the time) and a phoney "comic" ending which is less true to life than to art - though it justifies the opening chapter on the nature of comedy (which may put some readers off - don't let it!). But there is much splendid writing - comic, poetic, dramatic; dialogues are lively, though sometimes over-stretched just to take up necessary space; the characterizations are astute, especially the narcissistic Willoughby (though the softening at the end is not convincing), Mrs Mountstuart (somewhere between Millamant and Lady Bracknell), Dr Middleton and the boy Crossjay - one of the most memorable children in 19th Century literature. The psychology of the lead females is penetrating, convincing and has a post-Freudian feel, though it is finally thrown away in the interests of effective comedy. In the end the comic framework diminishes themes of Hardyesque and Lawrentian potential but the journey there is well worth the travelling for those who have explored the peaks of literature and have some curiosity over the foot hills. Kindle is now making such journeys far more accessible than they used to be.

This starts as a Victorian love story but is not superficial it examines the motives of the main charactersTo our modern tastes it is very wordy however it is worth persevering as it develops into almost a drama similar to she stopped to conquer or the rivals although it is some years since a read those

A heavyweight, frustrateing read with not a lot happening on the surface — but, I couldn’t stop reading. Somebody should use “a leg” and give Willoughby a good kick were it hurts.