"Middlemarch" is a novel by George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, published in 1871-72. Widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in the English language, it is an intricate portrait of a provincial town and its inhabitants. The narrative explores the lives, ambitions, and relationships of several characters, with the central story revolving around Dorothea Brooke and her marriage to the older, pedantic scholar, Mr. Casaubon. Eliot uses the microcosm of Middlemarch society to provide astute commentary on politics, women's rights, marriage, idealism, self-interest, and the constraints of societal expectations.