George Gissing: A Critical Biography

A lucid biography of British author George Gissing (1857-1903) that strikes a balance between his life and his work, drawing on letters, a journal, a diary, and the scattered references in other works. Gissing sought to record what he saw--he often walked through the East End of London, notebook in hand, recording the living conditions of the wretched with morbid detail--last half of the 19th century London. His novels were almost always gloomy. 311 pages with Notes, Bibliography and Index. 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Univ of Washington Press, Seattle, WA 1979.