George Meredith (1828-1909) was an English novelist and poet during the Victorian era. His Essay on Comedy (1877) is still quoted in most discussions of the history of comic theory. The Egoist, published in 1879, is one of his most enduring novels. Some of his writings, including The Egoist, highlight the subjection of women during the Victorian period. Meredith was honoured from many quarters: he succeeded Lord Tennyson as president of the Society of Authors, and in 1905 he was appointed to the Order of Merit by King Edward VII.