Delve into George Eliot’s 1859 novella, The Lifted Veil, which breaks away from the realistic narratives of her more renowned novels like Middlemarch and Daniel Deronda. This haunting tale echoes the works of middlebrow Sensationists, such as Wilkie Collins (The Moonstone), and renowned Victorian horror writers like Bram Stoker (Dracula) and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein). Eliot navigates the realm of the unseen, exploring mystical themes and the psychological underpinnings of her protagonist, Latimer, whose supposed clairvoyance is intricately tied to his tumultuous early life. As Latimer makes predictions about others, he finds them increasingly unreliable, particularly regarding his enigmatic wife, Bertha, whose thoughts remain a mystery to him. This dynamic raises profound questions about intimacy and understanding, revealing deep truths about both characters. (Introduction by Kirsten Wever)