By considering both male and female friendships, this book uncovers parallels between them in novels and poetry by authors such as Dickens, Tennyson, Disraeli and Braddon. It also examines conduct manuals, periodicals, and religious treatises, tracing developments from mid-century to the fin de siecle, when romance first came under serious attack.

Concentrating on a period of significant social and political change and exploring both canonical and newly rediscovered texts, this book critically assess the changing culture of the late-Victorian period as represented by a range of women writers through a range of essays by leading academics in the field and cutting-edge work by newer scholars.