First published in 1888, Robert Elsmere was probably the biggest-selling novel of the nineteenth century. Inspired by the religious crises of her father, Ward t

The late Victorian novelist Mrs. Humphry Ward (Mary Augusta Ward) embraced the novel as her medium for exploring the serious dilemmas of the age. Her 1888 maste

"The material presents is not only a history of English fiction, but a view of its variations in atmosphere, motivation, dialogue, and characterization." -- Pre