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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
The novel is very dialogue driven, weaving a fabulous discourse between characters.
Gissing delves into and writes about a great number of themes - poverty being the foremost; also class and how idealistic and dreamy people cannot be a success in the world. He has many ideas and opinions that he presents in his novels through the voices of his characters. These are thought provoking and in my mind appear to have some truth to them.
One of the very best Victorian novels I have read.
Gissing delves into and writes about a great number of themes - poverty being the foremost; also class and how idealistic and dreamy people cannot be a success in the world. He has many ideas and opinions that he presents in his novels through the voices of his characters. These are thought provoking and in my mind appear to have some truth to them.
One of the very best Victorian novels I have read.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is for anyone who has wanted to be a writer or has published a book. This is for the people who worry about being a "sellout." For people who contemplate the difference between what is popular and what is art. For people who question what "good" means.
Every Anxiety I've Ever Had About Being A Writer: The Novel
I started this book with both reservations and expectations; I was excited because I am quite familiar with the (old) Grub Street of the 18th century, but I haven't had many 19th century novels really strike my fancy yet.
New Grub Street, though, was captivating, due in large part to its subject matter (writing/lack thereof) and stark tension between aesthetics and practicality. The practice of writing, dealing with writer's block, impostor syndrome - all the familiar frustrations are here. I liked the way that the female characters were written, with believable emotion but without the sentimentality that I often find frustrating in Victorian pieces. I also particularly enjoyed the ways that the narrator sometimes manipulated the reader into feeling first one way, then another. In fact, the narrator throughout felt unreliable, but in a good and engaging way, encouraging the reader to strive instead of just being stifling and obtuse. The addresses to the reader, though few, were particularly interesting, establishing the reader as a member familiar with contemporary print culture and growing increasingly intimate as the plot continues.
Read (of course) for Victorian Metafiction; I'm probably going to write my paper on this text!
New Grub Street, though, was captivating, due in large part to its subject matter (writing/lack thereof) and stark tension between aesthetics and practicality. The practice of writing, dealing with writer's block, impostor syndrome - all the familiar frustrations are here. I liked the way that the female characters were written, with believable emotion but without the sentimentality that I often find frustrating in Victorian pieces. I also particularly enjoyed the ways that the narrator sometimes manipulated the reader into feeling first one way, then another. In fact, the narrator throughout felt unreliable, but in a good and engaging way, encouraging the reader to strive instead of just being stifling and obtuse. The addresses to the reader, though few, were particularly interesting, establishing the reader as a member familiar with contemporary print culture and growing increasingly intimate as the plot continues.
Read (of course) for Victorian Metafiction; I'm probably going to write my paper on this text!
medium-paced
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
