– Explores the height of Victorian prosperity (symbolized by the Crystal Palace) alongside the growing sense of social alienation and doubt found in works like Dickens's Bleak House .
: Adams analyzes literature in conjunction with major developments in science, religion, and politics, including the impact of Darwinism, the "Irish question," and the expansion of the British Empire.
: The book doesn't just stick to the "golden age" of the novel; it provides detailed readings of poetry (Tennyson, the Brownings, Arnold), drama (Wilde), autobiography, and critical prose.
– Explores the height of Victorian prosperity (symbolized by the Crystal Palace) alongside the growing sense of social alienation and doubt found in works like Dickens's Bleak House .
: Adams analyzes literature in conjunction with major developments in science, religion, and politics, including the impact of Darwinism, the "Irish question," and the expansion of the British Empire.
: The book doesn't just stick to the "golden age" of the novel; it provides detailed readings of poetry (Tennyson, the Brownings, Arnold), drama (Wilde), autobiography, and critical prose.