1. Imagination and Egoism in "Middlemarch" -- Egoism -- Imagination and interpretation -- Possibilities and plans -- Providence and power -- Consciousness and conscience -- George Eliot and philosophy -- 2. Action and Passion in "AnnaKarenina" -- What is to be done? -- Role-playing -- Action and passion -- Other obstacles to answering the question -- The second question: 'What is the meaning or significance of the situation?' -- 3. The Self and Others in "The Brothers Karamazov" -- The positive doctrine -- Understanding others -- Pride, shame, and resentment: and their passivity -- Self-punishment and other needs -- Ivan and Dmitri -- 4. Knowledge and Illusion in "A la recherche du temps perdu" -- The faculties of, and the obstacles to, knowledge -- The nature of reality -- The role of the artist -- The nature of impressions and of knowledge -- Knowledge of persons -- 5. Philosophy, Criticism, and the Novel -- A theory of interpretation outlined -- Understanding a novel -- Select Bibliography -- Index