After the success of Middlemarch, published in a series throughout the years of 1871-1872 as a way to make the novel less expensive and thus more accessible to the literate public, the novel was compiled together in 1872 from this series to form the first edition of Middlemarch, consisting of four volumes. Gaskell opposed the separating of her novel into segments, but the publisher ignored her requests. However, Gaskell's publisher worried about the continued interest in following the full novel as each of Middlemarch's books was independent. Nonetheless, the novel was a success, leading the the four-volume's publication out of the three-volume format typical of the time.

Eliot, George. Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life. Edited by Gregory Maertz, Broadview Press, 2004.

Wikipedia contributors. "Middlemarch." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Oct. 2021. Web. 6 Dec. 2021.