Author George Eliot was a British novelist, poet, and essayist who wrote during the Victorian era. Her real name was Mary Ann Evans, but she chose to use a male pen name in order to be taken seriously as a writer. She is best known for her novel Middlemarch, which is considered one of the greatest works of English literature. Author George SAND was a French novelist, playwright, and memoirist who wrote during the Romantic era. She was born Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin and was the first female writer to gain recognition in France. She is best known for her novels Indiana and The Devil's Pool.