Silas Marner

George Eliot, first published 1861

A miserly weaver’s isolated life is transformed by the theft of his precious money and the sudden appearance of an abandoned infant, whom he adopts and raises.

Length: 22 chapters
Reading time: About 4 hr 58 min
Words: 70,832

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About the book

In Silas Marner, author George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans) introduces an embittered linen weaver who withdraws from society after a betrayal of trust. He retreats to work his loom or count and re-count his accumulated gold and silver. The abrupt theft of his money sends Marner into despair, which is interrupted just as suddenly by the appearance of an abandoned infant on his hearth. Marner adopts and raises the child, finding a new place among his community.

Silas Marner was well-received at the time of its release for its “fairy tale” charm, and has since gained appreciation for Eliot’s treatment of alienation, religious feeling and community. It has remained popular ever since its publication and has been adapted many times to stage and film.

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Victorian novels

This edition

Text from Standard Ebooks, who proofread and typeset it and dedicate their edition to the public domain. George Eliot died more than 70 years ago, so the work is out of copyright in the UK. Includes the original epigraph.