George Meredith, 1828-1909, was an English novelist and poet of the Victorian era. This book is of particular interest to scholars interested in his early life, his relationships with his friends, his marriages, and of his work as a journalist. Discussions of his literary output are viewed partially through those relationships, which can be seen as "chatter about Harriet," the book is, nevertheless, replete with quotations from people who knew him during all the phases of his life.

The Critical Heritage gathers together a large body of critical sources on major figures in literature. Each volume presents contemporary responses to a writer's work, enabling the student and researcher to read the material themselves.