Review: "The Lifted Veil" and "Brother Jacob" by George Eliot

Contents originally published: 1859-64
Acquired: September 2012
Read: October 2020

The Lifted Veil, Brother Jacob by George Eliot

This slim volume collects George Eliot's only two standalone pieces of short fiction. The first, "The Lifted Veil," I had known to contain scientific elements, but I did not realize until reading it that it was in fact a proper piece of what we would now call "science fiction." As ably demonstrated by the editor of my edition, Helen Small, Eliot invokes contemporary scientific terminology to justify the strange happenings of her story. It's a neat, dark, dismal story of a man who can piece the veil that separates us from each other and from the future, and is all the worse for it. The set piece that ends the story is dynamic and powerful. I'm sad it took me so long to get around to reading it, but glad to have experienced it. Though I don't think it belongs in my book project, I think it would be really interesting to teach in any number of contexts (an sf class, a Victorian lit class, a science and lit class).

The other story, "Brother Jacob," is a cute example of Eliot's attention to character, and fun enough, but ultimately feels rather slight. It's not very long, but still feels like there's not enough substance to quite justify its length, in terms of either comedy or drama. But even weak Eliot is superior work!