New Grub Street

New Grub Street

Author	George Gissing
Language	English
Genre	Victorian
Publication date	1891
Publication place	England

New Grub Street is a novel by George Gissing published in 1891.

Plot introduction

The story is about the literary world that Gissing inhabited, turn-of-the-century England, its intrigues, and its petty quarrels. The protagonists are Edwin Reardon, a congenitally uncommercial but talented writer, and Jasper Milvain, an argueably selfish and unscrupulous hack who rejects artistic endeavour for material gain. Milvain's trite, manipulative work ascends while Reardon's work--and his life--spiral downward, suggesting that self-promotion is more useful in the world than artistic sensibility. Both characters can be sympathized with at times, and the reader is inevitably confronted with inherent problems with literature and books as a business, rather than purely as an artistic endeavor. Gissing's deft juggling of emotional concerns and economic/social ones makes this one of the finest and most underrated novels of the Victorian era.

Explanation of the novel's title

Grub Street was the center of literary London during the late 19th century.

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler The primary character of New Grub Street is Jasper Milvain, an “alarmingly modern young man” driven by pure financial ambition in navigating his literary career. He accepts that he will “always despise the people [he] write[s] for,” networks within the appropriate social circle to manufacture opportunity, and authors articles for popular periodicals. Gissing provides a foil to Milvain with Edwin Reardon, who prefers to author novels of a more literary bent and refuses to pander to popular tastes until, as a last-gasp measure against financial ruin, he quickly attempts a popular novel. Even in this venture, Reardon fails, precipitating a separation from his wife, Amy Reardon née Yule, who cannot accept her husband’s fallen status.

The Yule family includes Amy’s two uncles—John, a wealthy invalid, and Edmund, another author—and Edmund’s daughter, Marian. The friendship that develops between Marian and Milvain’s sisters, who move to London following their mother’s death, provides opportunity for the former to meet and fall in love with Milvain. However much Milvain respects Marian’s intellectual capabilities and strength of personality, the crucial element (according to Milvain) for marriage is missing: money. Marrying a rich woman, after all, is the most convenient way to speed his career advancement. Indeed, Milvain slights romantic love as a key to marriage:

‘As a rule, marriage is the result of a mild preference, encouraged by circumstances, and deliberately heightened into strong sexual feeling. You, of all men, know well enough that the same kind of feeling could be produced for almost any woman who wasn’t repulsive.’ Eventually, reason enough for an engagement is provided by a legacy of £5000 left to Marian by John Yule.

Life (and death) eventually end the possibility of this union. Milvain’s initial career advancement is a position on The Current, a paper edited by Clement Fadge. Twenty years earlier, Edmund Yule (Marian’s father) was slighted by Fadge in a newspaper article, and the resulting acerbic resentment extends even to Milvain (an employee of Fadge’s). Edmund Yule refuses to countenance Marian’s marriage; but his objection proves to be an obstacle only after Yule’s eyesight fails and Marian’s legacy is reduced to a mere £1500. As a result, Marian must work to provide for her parents, and her inheritance is no longer available to Milvain.

By this time, Milvain already has detected a more desirable target for marriage: Amy Reardon. Reardon’s poverty and natural disposition toward ill-health culminate in his death following a brief reconciliation with his wife. Amy, besides the receipt of £10,000 upon John Yule’s death, has the natural beauty and grace to benefit her husband (by reflection) in the social events beneficial to his career. Eventually Amy and Milvain marry; however, as Gissing reveals, this marriage motivated by circumstances is not lacking in more profound areas. Milvain has married the woman he loves.

Characters in New Grub Street

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Major themes

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Literary significance & criticism

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Allusions/references from other works

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Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

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Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

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Trivia

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Release details

3 volumes, London: Smith, Elder, 1891 1 volume, Troy, N.Y.: Brewster, 1904

Sources, references, external links, quotations

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