New Grub Street

Set in the literary and journalistic circles of late-Victorian London, the novel explores the conflict between artistic integrity and the commercial demands of the marketplace. It follows the contrasting lives of Edwin Reardon, a struggling novelist of high ideals, and Jasper Milvain, an ambitious and cynical journalist. Gissing's masterpiece offers a gritty, realistic portrayal of poverty and the professionalization of literature.