New Grub Street · Chapters

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Chapter companions for New Grub Street by George Gissing.

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Chapter 1
A Man of His Day
Jasper Milvain discusses the literary marketplace with his sisters, advocating for writing as a trade rather than an art. He criticizes his friend Edwin Reardon for his impractical artistic ideals and predicts his financial ruin. The chapter also reveals family tensions over Jasper's financial dependence on his mother and sisters.
Chapter 2
The House of Yule
Jasper Milvain and his family discuss his sighting of Alfred Yule and his daughter Marian. Miss Harrow visits and invites the Milvains to meet the Yules. Jasper and his sisters visit the Yule household, where Jasper meets both Alfred and John Yule. John Yule expresses his contempt for the literary profession and modern civilization, while Alfred Yule is preoccupied with a scandal involving the editor Fadge and a duplicated book review.
Chapter 3
Holiday
Jasper Milvain spends his holiday with his mother and sisters in Wattleborough. He meets Marian Yule and her father Alfred, and later visits them to say goodbye before returning to London. The chapter explores the social and financial struggles of the Milvain sisters, who are educated but poor, and Jasper's calculated social maneuvering.
Chapter 4
An Author and His Wife
Edwin Reardon and his wife Amy engage in a tense conversation about his failing writing career and their financial struggles. Reardon laments his inability to produce marketable work, while Amy urges him to write for money rather than artistic integrity. Their discussion reveals growing strain in their marriage as Amy's disappointment and Reardon's despair deepen.
Chapter 5
The Way Hither
This chapter provides a detailed backstory of Edwin Reardon's life, from his childhood in Hereford to his struggles as a struggling writer in London. It recounts his inheritance, his years of poverty in a garret, his eventual clerkship at a hospital, and his early literary efforts. The chapter culminates in his meeting with Amy Yule at the Grosvenor Gallery, an event that will shape his future.

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A Man of His Day

The House of Yule

Holiday

An Author and His Wife

The Way Hither