George Gissing
New Grub Street
"New Grub Street" by George Gissing is a novel published in 1891, set in the literary and journalistic circles of 1880s London. The story follows two contrasting writers: Edwin Reardon, a talented but struggling novelist who refuses to compromise his artistic standards, and Jasper Milvain, a cynical journalist driven by financial ambition. As poverty strains Reardon's marriage and Milvain navigates social networks for advancement, their intertwined lives expose the harsh realities of surviving in a commercialized literary world.