The publication of Amos Barton caused some alarm among those who – rightly or wrongly – suspected that they had been the models for the characters, few of whom are described in a flattering manner. Eliot was forced to apologise to John Gwyther, who had been the local curate in her childhood, and to whom the character of Barton himself bore more than a passing resemblance. [8] Gray, Donald. 'George Eliot and her publishers' in ed. Levine, George. The Cambridge Companion to George Eliot. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. pp. 186–187. [2] Mrs. Higgins, who was an elderly widow, 'well left', reflected with complacency that Mrs. Parrot's observation was no more than just, and that Mrs. Jennings very likely belonged to a family which had had no funerals to speak of." Silly Novels by Lady Novelists': essay by George Eliot". The British Library . Retrieved 17 June 2023.

Eliot, George (October 1856). "Silly Novels by Lady Novelists". Westminster Review. No.66. pp.442–61. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. PDFAmos Barton is a circuit rider—serving three churches—who barely makes enough money from his work to feed and clothe his wife and six children. Not a handsome man, he is the subject of gossip because he is a bad dresser, a deficient speaker, and a thoughtless husband and father. In contrast, his wife Milly (Amelia), a beautiful and graceful soul, holds the household together and is greatly admired—and often pitied—by her neighbors. She works so hard performing the daily chores and keeping the creditors at bay that her health suffers. So concerned with the spiritual health of his parishioners, Barton fails to notice his wife’s ill health until it is too late. Renaming herself "Marian" in private life and adopting the penname "George Eliot," she began her impressive fiction career, including: Adam Bede (1859), The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), Romola (1863), and Middlemarch (1871). Themes included her humanist vision and strong heroines. Her poem, "O May I Join the Choir Invisible" expressed her views about non supernatural immortality: "O may I join the choir invisible/ Of those immortal dead who live again/ In minds made better by their presence. . ." D. 1880. Cooke, George Willis (2004). George Eliot: A Critical Study of her Life, Writings and Philosophy. Whitefish: Kessinger. pp.239–240. ISBN 9781419121579. Eliot’s writing is emotive and evocative, drawing the reader into the story and making them feel the pain and heartache of the characters. The themes of love, sacrifice, and societal expectations are explored in depth, making “Mr. Gilfil’s Love Story” a timeless classic. ‘Janet’s Repentance’

a b c Litvinoff, Adrian (11 June 2008). "George Eliot: Review of Scenes of Clerical Life" . Retrieved 11 November 2008.

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Scenes of Clerical Life” by George Eliot holds immense cultural and historical significance. Published in 1858, it was Eliot’s first work of fiction and marked the beginning of her illustrious career as a novelist. The three stories that make up the book are set in the fictional town of Milby and revolve around the lives of the clergy and their families.