Professor Wheeler's widely-acclaimed survey of nineteenth century fiction covers both the major writers and their work and encompasses the genres and 'minor' fiction of the period. It provides the student with the best introduction and reference source to the period on the market. The second edition has been revised in the light of review comments and incorporates new material on lesser-known writers as well as a comprehensively updated bibliography.

Table of Contents:
Preface.

1. Introduction.

2. Pre-Victorian and Early Victorian Fiction
Fads and fashions: historical, silver-fork, Newgate and social-problem novels.
Gamblers and speculators: early Thackeray.
The privilege of chroniclers: early Dickens.

3. Mid-Century Fiction
A Victorian identity: social-problem, religious and historical novels.
No new thing under the sun: Thackeray's major novels.
Souls enslaved: the Brontes.
An environment of circumstances: Elizabeth Gaskell.
Themes and variations: Dickens at mid-century.

4. High Victorian Fiction
Retrospect and prospect: sensational, historical, school and religious novels, fantasy.
The mysteries of identity: late Dickens.
Truth and a high but gentle spirit: Anthony Trollops.
Incarnate history and unhistorical acts: George Eliot.
Those high notes and condensings: Meredith.

5. Late Victorian Fiction
Explorations: the new realists and the romance revival, Utopian and religious novels.
Circles of hell: Gassing.
Significant simplicity: Stevenson.
Art is a disproportioning: Hardy.

Chronology
General Bibliographies
i) English fiction: history and criticism
ii) Victorian background: historical, intellectual, cultural
iii) Victorian fiction
Individual Authors
Notes on biography, major works and criticism
Index