THE CASE OF GENERAL OPLE AND LADY CAMPER. And other short stories.

By George Meredith. Introduction by Colin Heston.

George Meredith, best known for his major novels such as The Egoist, Diana of the Crossways, and Beauchamp’s Career, also wrote a number of shorter works—novellas and long stories—that display in concentrated form the hallmarks of his art: ironic wit, subtle psychological insight, satire of societal norms, and a persistent concern with the interplay between the sexes. These works are not mere diversions from his larger projects but compact laboratories in which Meredith sharpens his analysis of human behavior, particularly in the realm of courtship, marriage, pride, and social pretense. This book contains five of his best short stories: The Case of General Ople and Lady Camper, The Tale of Chloe: An Episode in the History of Beau Beamish, The House on the Beach, The Gentleman of Fifty and the Damsel of Nineteen, and The Sentimentalists. Together, these stories encapsulate Meredith’s lifelong investigation into the absurdities and tragedies of human relationships, particularly as they are mediated by vanity, pride, and the rigid codes of Victorian society. These shorter works occupy an important place in George Meredith’s literary canon. While the major novels develop their themes over hundreds of pages, these stories offer distilled reflections of the same philosophical concerns: the comedy of human self-deception, the struggle between individual agency and societal constraint, and the complex dance of genders within a framework of rigid social codes. Far from being minor or incidental, these stories are exquisite miniatures—each a sharply faceted gem that catches the light of Meredith’s extraordinary insight into the follies, tragedies, and redemptive possibilities of human life..

This edition has been reformatted, designed, abridged and annotated  by renowned novelist and story writer Colin Heston to remove errors and other distracting content that occurred in the original edition, making the book more accessible for the present day reader.

Read-Me.Org Inc. New York-Philadelphia-Australia. 2025. 191p.