MILL ON THE FLOSS; MIDDLEMARCH; ROMOLA [and] SILAS MARNER by Eliot George - 1909

New York: The Century Company, 1909. Ten volumes published as five, as issued. The Century Library Edition, printed uniformly as part of the Works of George Eliot series. Illustrated with a total of 20 fine black and white plates with tissue guards. 8vo, publisher's original green cloth, the spine with deep green label gilt framed and lettered, t.e.g. 439, 347; 492, 112; 113-491, 237; 443, 132; 133-423, 506 pp. A fine set, near as new but for the most minor of age mellowing. A HANDSOME ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF FOUR OF ELLIOT'S BEST NOVELS. Copies in fine condition are becoming scarce.
With MILL ON THE FLOSS Eliot became firmly ingrained in the public consciousness. It went into a second printing almost immediately and has remained to this day one of her most popular novels.
Her reputation reached its peak with the publication MIDDLEMARCH, her next to last book. It has multiple plots with a large cast of characters, and in addition to its distinct though interlocking narratives it pursues a number of underlying themes, including the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism and self-interest, religion and hypocrisy, political reform, and education.
ROMOLA can be seen as a deep study of life in the city of Florence as the fictional events all take place amidst actual historical events during the Italian Renaissance, and includes in its plot several notable figures from Florentine history.
SILAS MARNER is one of Eliot's most adapted novels. While outwardly the simple tale of a linen weaver, it was groundbreaking for its strong realism and its sophisticated treatment of a variety of issues ranging from religion, to industrialization, and to community.