Well, Darlings, It Did NOT Blow Me Away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly, girls, I was all psyched. Two weeks ago, at work, Christopher, who is a fairly well read, learned individual, told me about this novel, "New Grub Street", by George Gissing, both of which I never heard of. He waxed rhapsodic about it so much, I thought, "I have got to read this." And when he told me it was set in the literary world of 19th Century London, I thought, "Here is something that presses all my buttons." I thought I had struck Victorian gold, and gone to Heaven, because, having read all the standard Victorian fare, I was thrilled to find a whole new set of works by an author I had yet to read.

So, I began "New Grub Street" with high expectation. It read well, is fast paced, beautifully written, and captures the time being depicted superbly. But it is quite a contrast to the Romanticism of the earlier Victorians, which you know I just LOVE, darlings!!!!! Instead, what Gissing give us is essentially a male "House Of Mirth" with two Lily Barts for the price of one--Edwin Reardon and Harold Biffen. Both of whom are aspiring writers of the day--at least they have been published, lambs; though, as the novel makes clear, it is not the ticket to fame--both of whom come to tragic ends. I just LOVED the spinster Milvain Sisters, Dora and Maud; no nineteenth century work should be without at least one spinster, and they took me back to memories of my spinster days, when to be such was merely to be content with the crumbs thrown to one from Life.

They are contrasted by two of the most despicable characters in Literature, Jasper Milvain, and Edwin Reardon's wife, and ex, Amy!!!!! Jasper is basically what today we would call a "careerist," who has no humanity, and job success and so-called professionalism (emphasis on so-called, loves!), is all that he prioritizes!!!! I work with several of these types, who see themselves as so "self-important", but who are so miserable they don't realize it!!!! Clinically, Jasper suffers from NPD, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and it just killed me at the end, when he got all he thought he was entitled to!!!! As for Amy Reardon, she is a selfish, materialistic bitch, and I agree with Maud Milvain, when she says she (Amy) killed her husband. No sooner is his body cold, then she aligns herself with Jasper so her career as a Prestige Wife can rise!!!! These two deserve an early death, and they just may get it; with the way he is, I doubt, if you continued the story, Jasper Milvain would remain faithful to Amy, which means he would go out and catch some horrible STD, pass it on to her, and, with no medical help available, they would die horrible deaths!!! Good for them!!!!!

Honestly, I don't know what Christopher sees in such depressive musings. Grab some Scotch, and a razor, and slash your wrists!!! At least Sylvia Plath was lyrical!!! Give me "Middlemarch" or "Wuthering Heights" any day!!!! Give me a novel about the Milvain Sisters; now THERE'S a story!!!!!

Gissing is a fine writer, and this is his signature book. I am glad I read it, but if all his stuff is in this vein--especially with the despicable getting off Scott free--then I will not tolerate it!!! I DON'T tolerate it in the real world, why should I in fiction?????

Cross this street at your own risk, loves!!!!!!!