APS TOGETHER
Day 4
New Grub Street by George GissingChapter 4
November 9, 2023 by Yiyun Li
The much discussed Edwin Reardon in the previous chapters takes the stage: in his miserable, pitiful state, he speaks many true anxieties of writers, loud and clear.
“You can’t afford to hate it... you must write for the market now.”
In one sense, Amy Reardon is so ruthlessly right about the situation. I can’t decide if it feels more horrible or more comforting that the market has always been that shark threatening to devour the souls of writers.
An incompatible marriage: one winces when hearing Amy’s advice to Edwin—“But the plot may be as silly as you like, providing it holds the attention of vulgar readers.” “What does the subject matter? Get this book finished and sold.” And one sighs to hear Edwin’s thought: “Though knowing my work can’t be first-rate—I strive to make it as good as possible.”
