The Lifted Veil

The Lifted Veil by George Eliot is a haunting novella that explores the psychological and supernatural experiences of its narrator, Latimer. Facing the imminent end of his life, Latimer recounts his troubled past, marked by his sensitive nature and isolation. Raised in the shadow of his more favored brother, he was unable to endure the harshness of public school and instead received private tutoring. His life takes a strange turn when, at the age of sixteen, he begins to experience eerie visions and an unsettling ability to peer into the inner lives of others. In Geneva, he meets Bertha Grant, whom he becomes infatuated with, only to discover she is engaged to his brother. As Latimer's psychic powers intensify, he learns dark truths about those around him, particularly Bertha, leading him into despair. A tale of obsession, alienation, and the burdens of knowing too much, The Lifted Veil masterfully blends gothic suspense with psychological depth

George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, was a prominent 19th-century English novelist celebrated for her psychological depth and realistic portrayal of human nature. Born in rural Warwickshire, Eliot's early life was shaped by the responsibilities of caring for her family after her mother's death. Following her father's passing, she moved to London and became involved in intellectual circles. Eliot began her literary career with Scenes of Clerical Life, and her first novel, Adam Bede, was a major success. To ensure her works were taken seriously, she used a male pen name, as female authors were often dismissed in her time. Her later works include The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Middlemarch, Daniel Deronda, and the psychological novella The Lifted Veil, which explores themes of clairvoyance, fate, and despair. Despite personal controversies, including her relationship with the married George Henry Lewes, Eliot became a respected literary and intellectual figure.