New Grub Street

New Grub Street is a book by George Gissing, first published in 1891. A landmark of Victorian literature, this classic English novel offers a penetrating look at the harsh realities of the late nineteenth-century literary marketplace. Gissing, known for his realism and unsentimental portrayal of urban life, draws on his own experiences to explore the struggles of writers attempting to survive in a competitive and increasingly commercialised world.

Set in London, the story follows two contrasting men of letters: the idealistic Edwin Reardon, who values artistic integrity but faces financial hardship, and the pragmatic Jasper Milvain, who understands that success depends on market trends, networking, and compromise. Through their diverging paths, the novel examines themes of ambition, poverty, authorship, and the moral cost of literary success. The world of publishers, editors, and circulating libraries is depicted with sharp detail, revealing how commercial pressures shape creative work.

This Victorian social novel is also a study of marriage, gender expectations, and intellectual life in fin-de-siècle Britain. Gissing’s realistic style and psychological insight make it essential reading for those interested in classic British fiction, the history of publishing, and novels about writers. Both a critique of the literary profession and a timeless exploration of ambition and compromise, New Grub Street remains one of the most important novels about the writing life.