Itcametomefirstofall,quitesuddenly,asasortoflegendarytale,suggestedbymyrecollectionofhavingonce,inearlychildhood,seenalinen-weaverwithabagonhisback;but,asmyminddweltonthesubject,Ibecameinclinedtoamorerealistictreatment.Falselyaccused,cutofffromhispast,Silastheweaverisreducedtoaspider-likeexistence,endlesslyweavinghiswebandhoardinghisgold.Meanwhile,GodfreyCass,sonofthesquire,contractsasecretmarriage.WhilethevillagecelebratesChristmasandNewYear,twoapparentlyinexplicableeventsoccur:Silasloseshisgoldandfindsachildonhishearth.TheimaginativecontrolGeorgeEliotdisplaysashernarrativegraduallyrevealscausesandconnectionshasrarelybeensurpassed.SilasMarner(1861)istheshortestandmostimmediatelyaccessibleofEliot’snovels.Shetakesthematerialsoflegendandfairytaleandprovidesthemwithahistoricallyprecisesetting,drawingonsomeofthemostadvancedideasofherdayinordertorepresentstatesofmindandbeliefatthelimitsofrationalperception.Thisedition,whichisbasedonthecarefullycorrectedtextGeorgeEliotpreparedafewmonthsafterthefirstedition,isaccompaniedbyanintroductionwhichilluminatestheintellectualcontextofwhathasoftenbeenpresentedasanostalgic,sentimentaltale.
