Middlemarch

Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life is a novel by the English author George Eliot, first published in eight instalments in 1871-1872. The novel is set in the fictitious Midlands town of Middlemarch during 1829-1832, and follows several distinct, intersecting stories with a large cast of characters. Issues include the status of women, the nature of marriage, idealism, self-interest, religion, hypocrisy, political reform, and education. (from wikipedia.org)