APS TOGETHER
Day 28
New Grub Street by George GissingChapter 28
December 3, 2023 by Yiyun Li
“The trio had had supper in the girls’ sitting-room, and it was a moment for frank conversation.”
Chapters about Milvain bring some energy compared to the Reardon chapters. I think part of the reason is that Reardon lives in self-delusion and self-pity, neither of which offers real understanding of the world. Milvain has a clear—perhaps too clear—understanding of the world he has to deal with.
“How can I get the eyes of men fixed upon me? The answer: By pretending I am quite independent of their gaze.”
I like how Milvain sees through many things, and how Gissing sees through Milvain.
Whelpdale’s very engaging narrative about America was based on Gissing’s American adventure. Among many different endeavors during the time he lived in the States, he wrote for the Chicago Tribune. $18 in the 1880s will be between $500 and $600 today—that was for a very short story, three columns in a newspaper (1000 words, perhaps?). It’s stark how much less we writers are paid these days…
