Book excerpt: George Eliot's Life, as Related in Her Letters and Journals is a specific kind of autobiography of English author Mary Ann Evans, better known as George Eliot. This book is based on her correspondence and journals, edited by her husband John Walter Cross. His goal in assembling this work was to make known the woman, as well as the author, through the presentation of her daily life and to show the development of her intellect and character. Eliot was married to Cross only for six months before she died, leaving him with the task to present her life to the public. By arranging all the letters and journals so as to form one connected whole, keeping the order of their dates, the editor and the husband managed to combine a narrative of day-to-day life of this prominent literary figure.