The Sentimentalists

Meredith, George, 1828-1909Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.4

Word count: 7.1K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Sentimentalists by George MeredithAuthor: Meredith, George, 1828-1909,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Sep 1, 2003

Editor's review

The Sentimentalists is a play by Meredith that continues his satirical interest in human weakness and social posturing. The work drives character relationships through dialogue and revolves around the authenticity of emotional expression, with a clear comic and reflective bent. Meredith's language is dense with wit, and characters often expose self-deception and affectation in their exchanges, so readers need to slow down to catch the irony. As a play, it is better read on an imagined stage, focusing on how characters package emotion in words. For readers familiar with Victorian drama and the novel tradition, this work offers another entry point into Meredith's intellectual style; for those encountering his work for the first time, they may first need to adjust to its dense dialogue rhythm. Overall, it is moderate in length and suitable as a discussion text for English literature courses or reading groups.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Victorian drama and satirical comedy
Those interested in Meredith's works and the sentimental tradition in English literature
English literature students analyzing dramatic dialogue and characterization
Reading group members who wish to discuss authenticity of emotional expression and social masks

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative
Those unaccustomed to reading plays and dense dialogue
Beginners whose English reading ability is not yet sufficient for nineteenth-century literary language

Reading tips

Read it as a play: first map out the character relationships, then enter the dialogue.
Read key dialogue passages aloud to appreciate the rhythm and irony in Meredith's lines.
While reading, notice who is performing emotion and who exposes the performance, and make brief notes.
Compare with similar characters in Meredith's novels to understand his satirical targets.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a novel or a play?

It is a play, driven mainly by character dialogue and scenes rather than narrative fiction. When reading, imagine the stage blocking and characters' entrances and exits, and pay attention to tone and subtext in the lines rather than expecting long descriptions of scenery or psychology.

What does "The Sentimentalists" in the title refer to?

The title points to an examination of sentimental emotional posturing. Meredith often uses dialogue to reveal self-deception and social performance in emotional expression. Readers can note who deliberately displays emotion and who questions it, thereby understanding the title's ironic meaning.

Do I need to know Meredith's other works first?

Not necessarily. This play can be read on its own, but familiarity with the satirical treatment of social affectation in Meredith's novels will make its verbal wit easier to grasp. First-time readers are advised to read the introduction or background material before entering the dialogue, which can reduce comprehension difficulties.

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About the author

Meredith, George, 1828-1909 Author

George Meredith (1828–1909) was a nineteenth-century British novelist and poet, whose works are represented here by as many as 111 titles, indicating that his writing has continued to circulate among readers and researchers. His representative work, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel, centers on a father-son relationship and examines the conflicts of pride and emotion in a young man's growth; The Egoist, subtitled “A Comedy in Narrative,” uses marriage and social situations to portray character weaknesses and self-reflection. His novels are often marked by witty dialogue, psychological insight, and an ironic tone, with plot and character relationships unfolding layer by layer. Public information is limited, and biographical details remain to be supplemented, but the existing bibliography shows that narrative novels and multi-volume series form the main body of his work, reflecting the Victorian novel's detailed exploration of individual morality and emotional life.