The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
IQS'

ord. has called the attention of
fz1SESSl the world at large to the works
- of an author who, while living,
commanded but a small number OF readers.
Singularly conscientious as a writer, ana
with the instinct of a true literary artist
ne toiled on from year 10 year. producing
novels that were praised by the discrimi-
mating few. while they were utterly neg
lected by the many. There were reasons
for this neglect, which Gissing himself was
quick to recognize. He admitted that his
novels were the sad reflection of sordid
surroundings and sordid people. Like
Charles Dickens. he drew his characters
from the great middle class Of English So
ciety, but he represented them as ill-bred,
ill-mannered, without family affection, I'M
principled In the pursuit Of wealth. and
utterly selfish when wealth had been
gained.
''The Unclassed," with which, at the age
OF twenty-seven, Gissing began his literary
career, Is one of the saddest books ever
written by so young man. 1t opens sadly
and 1t ends sadly; the sordid misery Of the
life described becomes at times almost I'M
endurable; and yet the novel could not be
called undressing. The art Of the writer,
even at that time, was too consummate
not TO carry the reader, when he found
reader, along with him. And this power
OF compelling and holding the attention of
his small following never deserted him. A
sadder and gloomier view of modern life
than his could not have been taken; but
his sincerity was as evident as his pessim-
ism, and 1T is difficult to quarrel with
man who believes himself to be telling the
truth
The many novels which followed this
first venture were all written amid adverse
surroundings; more than once actual pri-
y walton threatened to stop his work. While
writing The New Grub Street." which
deals with the miseries OF modern lit
erary hack, he was forced to sell the books
from his shelves in order to obtain the
necessities OF life. He had difficulty in
finding publisher for the novel, and ulti-
mately sold IL outright for e15O, but it made
whatever reputation he ever acquired.
From that time onward the publication of
enc or his books was awaited with interest,
and II he never obtained popular recogni-
tion he was at least enabled to live by lit
erature. The late James Payn, at that time
editor OF the Illustrated London News ac-
cepted Ewes Ransom" and published IL
as serial In that journal His short
stories, too, were now beginning to appear
In the English magazines, and the worst
that he had to endure was past.
Many of his short stories, notably mid
summer Madness, are equal to the best
French contes. 1t seems strange that such
work could possibly have been overlooked
by the great reading public; probably the
unreneved gloom OF his stories continued to
Tepei many persons who would otherwise
have been attracted by his mastery art
And his novels did not grow any more
cheerful as the years glided by. bringing
him, volume by volume, some slight in
crease or reputation. The best that can
be said of his later works, judged pic
lures OF contemporaneous life, is that they
showed less eager desire to point out the
utterly corrupt character of the men and
women by whom he was surrounded He
greatly admired Dickens. as his monograph
on the master or English fiction proves,
but he lacked the wide range of vision,
and the deep compassion for human suffer.
ing. of the writer he eulOgized
George Gissing said truly that Dickens
gained many of his ends by his power of
making people laugh: if once the crowd
has laughed with you IL will not object to
cry httle-nay, it will make good resolves
and sometimes carry them out But CHS
sing could not make people laugh though
one may smile sadly over certain passa yes
In his works Neither did he possess the
easy graphic power of Dickens: his novels
were quite evidently the result of laborious
effort, like those of the French novelist
Flaubert 1t was work well and honestly
done. but IL not to him. as to Dickens
recognized this fact himself, for in his mon
ograph on the great English master of fic-
ton ne says: rms thing cometh not by
prayer and fasting, nor by any amount OF
thinking about art. You have IT, or Won
have II not. And of the French novelist
whose literary methods so closely resembled
his own Gissing has written: mot one page
or Flaubert gives proof of sight and CRASH
equal 10 that evident in a thousand Of
Dickens" Persevering toll does much. but
the man of mere talent cannot make him
self, by such means, man of genius
George Gissing had great talent close DOW
ers OF observation. and he was devoted to
his art. but OF genius, I'm the highest and
truest sense OF the word. his writings show
not trace-s