New Grub Street Essay

New Grub Street is a novel by George Gissing that was published in 1891. The novel primarily deals with the literary world of London in the 18th century. The title itself refers to Grub Street, London, which was chiefly associated with hack writing. The work centers around a number of authors, entrepreneurs, and their acquaintances that are directly associated with the production of literature. Gissing uses New Grub Street to pose questions about the inherent value of literary works and the impact of hack writing on the medium and society as a whole. Gissing’s novel is extremely relevant in the modern literary era wherein the majority of writing can be seen as having limited intellectual or artistic value. The character first related to the reader is Jasper Milvain. He is a budding, ambitious writer who is described as, “an alarmingly modern young man” (Kindle Location 276). Milvain places little significance on the idea of artistic expression. Instead, he is primarily concerned with using literature to create wealth and advance his station in life. He embodies the idea of a hack writer. Milvain even …show more content…
While writing the novel the author found himself in much the same situation as Reardon; writing for sustenance. This places a huge amount of pressure on an author. In a way Gissing is imparting what he experienced on Reardon, and, perhaps, Reardon is a realization of Gissing’s fears. Whereas Reardon fails, Milvain succeeds (though it is uncertain if he truly found love in Amy or just fiscal gain). Gissing uses Milvain as a tool to portray the flaws in the London literary market. It allows a man with a rather limited talent for writing to become successful, while Reardon, a gifted author, can’t even produce enough income to feed his family. Gissing’s novel can be read as a critique of this period of time wherein “hack” writing excelled while literarily important works