Skip to content
The Egoist: A Comedy in NarrativeGeorge Meredith

The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative

by OpenStories

Original author: George Meredith

CompletedPublished Updated

"The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative" by George Meredith is a tragicomical novel published in 1879. The story centers on the self-absorbed Sir Willoughby Patterne and his troubled pursuit of marriage. After being jilted by his first bride-to-be, he wavers between two women: the sentimental Laetitia Dale and the strong-willed Clara Middleton. The novel follows Clara's struggle to escape her engagement to Willoughby, who sees women merely as mirrors for himself, dramatizing the constraints faced by women in Victorian society.

The Egoist: A Comedy in Narrative, by George Meredith. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #1684.

  • 182,141words
  • 51chapters
  • 0stars
  • 0bookmarks
  • 5hits
Start reading

51 Chapters

  1. 1.Front Matter1,802 words
  2. 2.Chapter I: A Minor Incident Showing an Hereditary Aptitude in the Use of the Knife1,192 words
  3. 3.Chapter II: The Young Sir Willoughby1,976 words
  4. 4.Chapter III: Constantia Durham3,059 words
  5. 5.Chapter IV: Laetitia Dale5,173 words
  6. 6.Chapter V: Clara Middleton3,139 words
  7. 7.Chapter VI: His Courtship3,288 words
  8. 8.Chapter VII: The Betrothed4,444 words
  9. 9.Chapter VIII: A Run with the Truant; a Walk with the Master2,828 words
  10. 10.Chapter IX: Clara and Laetitia Meet: They Are Compared4,026 words
  11. 11.Chapter X: In Which Sir Willoughby Chances to Supply the Title for Himself5,971 words
  12. 12.Chapter XI: The Double-Blossom Wild Cherry-Tree4,425 words
  13. 13.Chapter XII: Miss Middleton and Mr. Vernon Whitford1,843 words
  14. 14.Chapter XIII: The First Effort After Freedom4,175 words
  15. 15.Chapter XIV: Sir Willoughby and Laetitia3,315 words
  16. 16.Chapter XV: The Petition for a Release3,982 words
  17. 17.Chapter XVI: Clara and Laetitia3,101 words
  18. 18.Chapter XVII: The Porcelain Vase2,425 words
  19. 19.Chapter XVIII: Colonel De Craye2,853 words
  20. 20.Chapter XIX: Colonel De Craye and Clara Middleton3,939 words
  21. 21.Chapter XX: An Aged and a Great Wine3,715 words
  22. 22.Chapter XXI: Clara's Meditations4,130 words
  23. 23.Chapter XXII: The Ride4,355 words
  24. 24.Chapter XXIII: Treats of the Union of Temper and Policy4,348 words
  25. 25.Chapter XXIV: Contains an Instance of the Generosity of Willoughby4,311 words
  26. 26.Chapter XXV: The Flight in Wild Weather5,308 words
  1. 27.Chapter XXVI: Vernon in Pursuit2,064 words
  2. 28.Chapter XXVII: At the Railway Station2,945 words
  3. 29.Chapter XXVIII: The Return2,480 words
  4. 30.Chapter XXIX6,917 words
  5. 31.Chapter XXX: Treating of the Dinner-Party at Mrs. Mountstuart Jenkinson's3,238 words
  6. 32.Chapter XXXI: Sir Willoughby Attempts and Achieves Pathos4,053 words
  7. 33.Chapter XXXII: Laetitia Dale Discovers a Spiritual Change and Dr Middleton a Physical3,231 words
  8. 34.Chapter XXXIII: In Which the Comic Muse Has an Eye on Two Good Souls2,425 words
  9. 35.Chapter XXXIV: Mrs. Mountstuart and Sir Willoughby4,559 words
  10. 36.Chapter XXXV: Miss Middleton and Mrs. Mountstuart5,558 words
  11. 37.Chapter XXXVI: Animated Conversation at a Luncheon-Table3,498 words
  12. 38.Chapter XXXVII: Contains Clever Fencing and Intimations of the Need for It3,406 words
  13. 39.Chapter XXXVIII: In Which We Take a Step to the Centre of Egoism1,581 words
  14. 40.Chapter XXXIX: In the Heart of the Egoist2,788 words
  15. 41.Chapter XL3,752 words
  16. 42.Chapter XLI: The Rev. Dr. Middleton, Clara, and Sir Willoughby5,219 words
  17. 43.Chapter XLII: Shows the Divining Arts of a Perceptive Mind4,958 words
  18. 44.Chapter XLIII4,870 words
  19. 45.Chapter XLIV: Dr Middleton: the Ladies Eleanor and Isabel: and Mr. Dale3,250 words
  20. 46.Chapter XLV2,662 words
  21. 47.Chapter XLVI: The Scene of Sir Willoughby's Generalship4,775 words
  22. 48.Chapter XLVII: Sir Willoughby and His Friend Horace De Craye3,501 words
  23. 49.Chapter XLVIII: The Lovers3,063 words
  24. 50.Chapter XLIX: Laetitia and Sir Willoughby2,923 words
  25. 51.Chapter L: Upon Which the Curtain Falls1,302 words