Which novel by George Eliot established her as a prominent novelist?

George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, gained significant recognition with her novel "Adam Bede." This work, published in 1859, was pivotal in establishing her reputation as a serious novelist in the Victorian literary landscape.

"Adam Bede" showcases Eliot's ability to create complex characters and engage with themes such as morality, social norms, and human emotions, which would become hallmarks of her later works. The novel's setting in a rural community, its detailed exploration of human relationships, and its narratives centered around working-class life marked a departure from the more romantic and idealized portrayals common in literature at the time. This realism, combined with Eliot's nuanced writing style, earned her critical acclaim and set the stage for her subsequent success.

While other works by Eliot, such as "Middlemarch" and "The Mill on the Floss," are now considered masterpieces, it was "Adam Bede" that first brought her to the forefront of the literary scene, solidifying her status as a prominent novelist of her era.