A New Scene of Thought, Studies in Romantic Realism

Eighteenth-century literature is often associated with the birth of the realistic novel, just as the Romantic movement is often associated with intellectual idealism. This study asks its readers to reconsider and perhaps even to invert impressions like these. It re-examines English Romantic literature in the light of a profound shift of realistic understanding, going beyond the empirical representation of people and objects into new and bold explorations of moral psychology.