THIS IS A NEW YORK REVIEW BOOK

PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS

435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

www.nyrb.com

Copyright © 1972 by Diane Johnson

Introduction copyright © 2020 by Vivian Gornick

All rights reserved.

First published as a New York Review Books Classic in 2020.

Cover image: George Meredith, illustrated manuscript page (adapted); courtesy of Diane Johnson

Cover design: Katy Homans

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Johnson, Diane, 1934– author. | Gornick, Vivian, author of introduction.

Title: The true history of the first Mrs. Meredith and other lesser lives / by Diane Johnson ; introduction by Vivian Gornick.

Description: New York City : New York Review Books, 2020. | Series: New York Review Books classics | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019047022 (print) | LCCN 2019047023 (ebook) | ISBN 9781681374451 (paperback) | ISBN 9781681374468 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Meredith, Mary Ellen, 1821–1861. | Authors’ spouses—Great Britain—Biography. | Novelists, English—19th century—Biography. | Meredith, George, 1828–1909—Marriage. | Wallis, Henry, 1830– | England—Social life and customs—19th century.

Classification: LCC CT788.M378 J64 2020 (print) | LCC CT788.M378 (ebook) | DDC 942.07092 [B]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019047022

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019047023

ISBN 978-1-68137-446-8

v1.0

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