New Grub Street · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for New Grub Street by George Gissing.
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.
Chapter 6
The Practical Friend
Amy Reardon sits alone in her study, musing on her changing interests from literary merit to practical success, when Jasper Milvain visits. He shares news of meeting Alfred Yule and Marian Yule at John Yule's estate. Later, Jasper advises Edwin Reardon on writing a sensational novel to earn money, and reveals his plans to help his sisters enter literature and his own career prospects with a new editorship.
Chapter 7
Marian's Home
Three weeks after returning from Finden, Marian Yule works at the British Museum Reading Room, collecting materials for an article on French authoresses. She receives a letter from Dora Milvain about the sisters' literary project and their brother Jasper's involvement. At home, she and her mother awkwardly discuss Jasper, revealing the family's reticence and Alfred Yule's disapproval. When Yule returns in a bad mood, he dismisses Mr. Hinks's book and complains about dinner. Later, Mrs. Yule broaches the subject of Jasper's potential interest in Marian, but Yule dismisses it, citing his own selfish need for her assistance and his dislike of Jasper. Mrs. Yule reflects on her own lack of education and the loneliness it causes Marian.
Chapter 8
To the Winning Side
Jasper Milvain visits Marian Yule at her father's study, revealing his financial struggles and his sisters' impending move to London. He confesses his selfishness and ambition, while Marian grapples with her feelings and her father's disapproval. Later, after Mrs. Milvain's death, Jasper calls again, leading to a tense encounter.
Chapter 9
IX: Invita Minerva
Edwin Reardon forces himself to write a potboiler novel at a fixed daily rate, struggling with exhaustion, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts. He and Amy have a tense conversation about his work and reviews, and he catches a winter cold.
Chapter 10
X: The Friends of the Family
Amy Reardon grows increasingly dissatisfied with her isolated life and her husband's failing literary career. She feels ashamed of their poverty and avoids social engagements, particularly with her friend Mrs. Carter, who suspects the truth. Reardon sells a portion of his beloved book collection for a paltry sum to raise money. Later, Jasper Milvain visits and joins Reardon and Harold Biffen for an evening of talk; Amy observes the contrast between Biffen's respectful deference and Milvain's casual ease. The chapter ends with Amy learning that Biffen has pawned his coat, deepening her despair.
Chapter 11
Respite
Edwin Reardon finishes his novel 'Margaret Home' after a grueling fourteen-day writing sprint, despite physical ailments and financial desperation. He pawns his watch and sells books to survive. After delivering the manuscript, he borrows £5 from Carter, which causes tension with Amy, who is humiliated by the disclosure of their poverty. The publishers offer £75 for the copyright, a sum that confirms Reardon's literary failure. The chapter ends with a strained Christmas and growing marital discord over money.
Chapter 12
Work Without Hope
Jasper Milvain visits the Reardons and announces he has moved his sisters to London. He offers to help Reardon by getting his novel reviewed by Fadge, but Reardon refuses. Jasper discusses his many literary acquaintances, including Mrs. Boston Wright and the publisher Jedwood, and suggests Reardon submit his one-volume story to Jedwood. The visit ends with tension between Reardon and Amy, who urges her husband to be more sociable and ambitious.
Chapter 13
A Warning
Alfred Yule's new book 'English Prose in the Nineteenth Century' receives a scathing review in The Current, rumored to be written by Jasper Milvain. Yule confronts Marian with this rumor, leading to a tense argument that reveals his bitterness and Marian's growing resentment. Marian struggles with her father's hostility toward the Milvains and the oppressive atmosphere at home.
Chapter 14
Recruits
Marian Yule reflects on her deepening love for Jasper Milvain, despite his preoccupation with money and ambition. Jasper discusses his sisters' social prospects and his own financial calculations. Marian and Jasper walk together, discussing a rumor that Jasper wrote a hostile review of Alfred Yule's book. Jasper denies it and plans to correct the rumor. Later, Marian visits the Milvain sisters, who reassure her that their friendship is unchanged. Jasper arrives, boasting about his productive day of literary hackwork.
Chapter 15
XV: The Last Resource
Edwin Reardon, now aged and worn by poverty and anxiety, struggles to complete a one-volume novel after months of labor. His marriage to Amy is strained by financial desperation and mutual resentment. Jasper Milvain visits briefly, discussing the three-volume system and the literary marketplace. Reardon reflects on his lost creative freedom and considers abandoning literature altogether.
Chapter 16
Rejection
Reardon struggles with the fear of reading reviews of his novel 'Margaret Home', feeling that his poverty and illness have forced him to produce inferior work. He visits Harold Biffen, and they go together to see Whelpdale, who announces his engagement to a young woman he met through his literary business. Whelpdale receives a letter from her that brings bad news. Biffen mentions seeing Amy Reardon with Jasper Milvain, which disturbs Reardon.
Chapter 17
XVII: The Parting
Reardon and Amy prepare to separate due to financial strain. Reardon contemplates selling his belongings and taking a clerkship, but Amy vehemently opposes this as a disgrace. Their argument culminates in a final break, with Reardon leaving to find lodgings and Amy returning to her mother's home.
Chapter 18
The Old Home
This chapter delves into the character of Mrs. Edmund Yule, her social pretensions, and her deep disappointment over Amy's marriage to Edwin Reardon, which has ended in separation. It depicts the family's struggle to maintain appearances and their discussions about Reardon's failure as a writer and husband, with John Yule expressing frustration and proposing to confront Reardon.
Chapter 19
The Past Revived
Edwin Reardon wakes to a new day feeling relief that his wife Amy has left him, but soon sinks into despair over his poverty and failed literary career. He sells his furniture, moves to cheap lodgings in Islington, and begins a clerkship arranged by Mr. Carter. He receives a cold letter from Amy, replies bitterly, and reflects on his lost love and the harsh realities of his situation.
Chapter 20
XX: The End of Waiting
Jasper Milvain receives a visit from his sister Dora, and later from Whelpdale, who discusses the success of his manual and the progress of Biffen's novel. Jasper then visits Mrs. Edmund Yule, where he learns of Reardon's abrupt decision to take a clerkship and move to a poor district, leading to his separation from Amy. After leaving, Jasper encounters Reardon on the street, who accuses him of influencing Amy against him through his glorification of success.
Chapter 21
Mr. Yule Leaves Town
After a violent confrontation with Mrs. Goby over a domestic servant, Alfred Yule leaves home for several days, deepening the rift with his daughter Marian. The chapter explores Yule's jealousy and suspicion of Jasper Milvain, Marian's internal conflict between her feelings for Jasper and her loyalty to her father, and the tense household atmosphere upon Yule's return.
Chapter 22
XXII: The Legatees
The chapter opens with Jasper Milvain and Whelpdale discussing marriage, love, and compatibility, with Jasper arguing that romantic love is outdated and that marriage should be based on prudence and material advantage. Meanwhile, Marian Yule learns she has inherited five thousand pounds from her uncle John Yule, while Amy Reardon receives ten thousand. The Milvain sisters discuss the implications of these inheritances, and Dora brings the news to Jasper, who reacts with excitement and amusement, though he remains anxious about his own prospects. The chapter ends with Jasper struggling to work, tormented by indecision about his future.
Chapter 23
A Proposed Investment
Alfred Yule, after his disappointment, behaves with unusual mildness at home and discusses Marian's legacy from her uncle John Yule, which is tied to a stationery business. He hosts a literary gathering with Mr. Hinks and Mr. Quarmby, where they debate the need for a new literary review. Later, Yule proposes to Marian that she invest her inheritance in starting such a review, with himself as editor, but Marian is uneasy and resists the idea, recognizing the risks and her father's limitations. The chapter ends with Yule's strained attempt to learn where Marian is going on Sunday afternoon.
Chapter 24
XXIV: Jasper’s Magnanimity
Jasper Milvain arranges a private meeting with Marian Yule by sending his sisters away. During their conversation, he reveals his role in the Reardons' separation, confessing that his talk of worldly success may have influenced Amy. Marian reacts with unexpected independence, questioning his self-deprecating remarks. Jasper then proposes marriage, and Marian accepts, though she asks to keep it secret until her inheritance is settled. The chapter ends with Jasper walking away in deep thought, while Marian feels reborn.
Chapter 25
XXV: A Fruitless Meeting
Reardon struggles with self-pity and resentment after separating from Amy. He sends her monthly remittances, which she deposits in their son Willie's name. A bitter correspondence ensues. Reardon meets Amy to demand a decision about their future; she refuses to return immediately, leading to a formal separation. Biffen visits Reardon, offering sympathy and trying to encourage him to resume writing, but Reardon remains despondent and unable to work.
Chapter 26
Married Woman's Property
After church, Mrs. Edmund Yule anxiously awaits news of Amy's meeting with Reardon, hoping for reconciliation now that Reardon has a better offer. Amy instead announces a formal separation, insisting she will live on £75 a year. News arrives of a relative's death at Wattleborough, raising hopes of a legacy, but John Yule reveals there is no inheritance. Amy, restless and intellectually maturing, criticizes love in novels and expresses her wasted potential. Later, she encounters Jasper Milvain, who reveals his engagement to Marian Yule, prompting a tense, ironic exchange about his motives and ambitions.
Chapter 27
XXVII: The Lonely Man
Reardon, living in isolation and poverty, receives a letter from Amy informing him of her inheritance of ten thousand pounds and offering to reunite. He responds by declining her offer, insisting that without love there is no true marital obligation, and resolves to cease sending money. Earlier, Reardon and Biffen dine with Mr. Sykes, a failed writer who recounts his struggles in the literary marketplace.
Chapter 28
Interim
Jasper Milvain discusses his upcoming marriage with his sisters, Dora and Maud, and his plans to use Marian Yule's dowry to advance his social and literary position. He hosts an evening with Whelpdale, who entertains the group with stories of his hardships in America. Jasper reflects on his own ambitions and the compromises he has made, while also grappling with doubts about his choice of Marian over wealthier prospects like Miss Rupert.
Chapter 29
XXIX: Catastrophe
Marian Yule completes a paper on James Harrington, and her father Alfred Yule praises her work, suggesting she sign it. He attempts to involve her in his literary ambitions, proposing a new review titled 'Letters.' Meanwhile, Jasper Milvain writes to Alfred Yule to confess his engagement to Marian, leading to a violent confrontation. Alfred Yule rages against Marian, accusing her of betrayal, and his wife tries to intervene but is dismissed. The chapter ends with Yule leaving the house in despair, his eyesight failing.
Chapter 30
XXX: Waiting on Destiny
Marian and Jasper discuss her potential to write fiction for money, leading to tension when Jasper's blunt advice wounds her. Jasper learns of the loss of Marian's inheritance and reacts with frustration, worrying about his own prospects and his sisters' living situation. Marian's father, Alfred Yule, reveals he is going blind, adding to the family's despair. The chapter explores the strain on Marian and Jasper's relationship as financial realities and emotional vulnerabilities surface.
Chapter 31
A Rescue and a Summons
Harold Biffen narrowly escapes a fire in his garret, rescuing his manuscript 'Mr. Bailey, Grocer' but losing his possessions. He visits Edwin Reardon, who lends him money and paper. Two days later, Reardon receives a telegram from his wife Amy that their son Willie is ill with diphtheria in Brighton, prompting him to rush to her despite his own poor health and the snowy weather.
Chapter 32
XXXII: Reardon Becomes Practical
Reardon travels to Brighton after receiving word from Amy that their son Willie is gravely ill. He arrives in a feverish state, and the couple reunites with emotional intensity. Willie dies, and Reardon himself falls seriously ill with what appears to be congestion of the lungs. The chapter ends with Amy torn between grief for her child and concern for her husband.
Chapter 33
XXXIII: The Sunny Way
Six months after Edwin Reardon's death, Jasper Milvain writes favorable reviews of Biffen's 'Mr. Bailey, Grocer' and a memorial article on Reardon. Whelpdale visits, and Dora Milvain defends Reardon against Amy, while Jasper reveals Maud's engagement to Dolomore.
Chapter 34
A Check
Marian Yule learns the exact amount of her legacy—fifteen hundred pounds—and meets Jasper Milvain in Regent's Park to discuss it. Jasper's pragmatic, self-interested reaction reveals his reluctance to marry on such a small sum, and Marian is left feeling hurt and uncertain. Meanwhile, Whelpdale's transformation of Chat into Chit-Chat proves a huge success, and he secures a lucrative editorial position. Jasper and Dora take a holiday to the Channel Islands, where they observe the widespread appeal of Whelpdale's new publication.
Chapter 35
Fever and Rest
Harold Biffen's novel 'Mr. Bailey, Grocer' is published but receives poor reviews, with critics condemning its lack of storytelling and amusement. Despite Amy Reardon's kind letter of appreciation, Biffen's unrequited love for her deepens his despair. He becomes increasingly isolated and obsessed with death, ultimately deciding to end his life. After obtaining poison from multiple chemists, he writes a farewell letter to his brother and goes to a secluded spot on Putney Heath, where he takes the poison under the moonlight.
Chapter 36
XXXVI: Jasper's Delicate Case
Jasper Milvain, after being refused by Miss Rupert, grapples with his promise to marry Marian Yule. He meets Marian and proposes immediate marriage, but she hesitates due to her father's impending eye operation and her sense of duty. Jasper also learns of Harold Biffen's suicide and visits Amy Reardon, seeking her advice on his dilemma. The chapter ends with Jasper and Marian's tense conversation about their future.
Chapter 37
XXXVII: Rewards
The chapter opens with Alfred Yule's failed cataract operation and his descent into total blindness and debility. Marian Yule, suffering from nervous disorders, is unable to produce enough literary work to support her parents, but is rescued by Mr. Jedwood who offers her a position as assistant in a provincial public library. The family removes from London, and the Yule name disappears from periodical literature. Meanwhile, Jasper Milvain writes a panegyric on Clement Fadge for The West End. Dora Milvain marries Whelpdale, despite Jasper's objections that she could marry more brilliantly. Jasper himself has married Amy Reardon, and they host a dinner party where Jasper learns of Alfred Yule's death and receives an offer to edit The Current. The chapter contrasts the fates of the struggling Yules with the rising fortunes of Jasper and Amy.
