This book challenges basic assumptions about Victorian fiction, which was not always great, or even good, in the eyes of its critics. It was only in the late 1970s that literary critics constructed a prestigious version of British realism. This title examines criticism of Victorian novels since the 1850s and suggests how we can rethink our practices and perceptions about books we think we know.
Exploring a range of Victorian literature, the book delves into themes of risk as portrayed in political economy, sanitary reform, and exploration. It examines how Victorian society's definitions of identity—pertaining to gender, class, and geography—create a framework for understanding risk. Freedgood argues that when these identities and boundaries become unstable, perceptions of danger and safety become distorted, revealing the precarious nature of societal constructs.