The Unclassed

Gissing, George, 1857-1903Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 689K words
Chapters: 69

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. The Unclassed by George Gissing. Author: Gissing, George, 1857-1903. Language: English. Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature. Release Date: Aug 1, 2003

Editor's review

The Unclassed is an early social realist novel by George Gissing whose title points directly to the marginal figures of late Victorian England who could not be fitted into the established class order. With a cool, restrained touch Gissing depicts the conditions of the London poor and the near-poor, focusing on poverty, moral predicaments and the struggles of individuals caught in the cracks of society, with a naturalistic colouring. Compared with his later and better-known works such as New Grub Street, this book shows more clearly the starting point of his social concern and his skill at character portrayal. As a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg it is easy to obtain and costs nothing, making it suitable supplementary reading for the late Victorian English novel. When reading, one should understand the characters' choices in the light of the period rather than judging them simply by modern moral standards; the English original poses a certain linguistic challenge for contemporary readers and may be used together with annotated or introductory editions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who study or love late Victorian English fiction
Literature lovers interested in the poor and in poverty as a theme
Readers hoping to broaden their reading of Gissing's works
Teachers and students who need a public-domain English text for teaching or research

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light entertainment and do not wish to engage with heavy social subject matter
Beginners with limited English reading ability and no annotations to help them
Readers expecting a strong plot and fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

First learn something about the social background of late Victorian London before entering the text; the characters' situations will then be easier to follow.
As you read, note the class position and means of livelihood of the main characters; this helps grasp the theme of being "unclassed".
Read it alongside other works by Gissing to observe changes in his social concern and writing style.
When you meet unfamiliar words or period expressions, use annotations or a dictionary so that reading is not interrupted by language difficulties.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers whose first language is not English?

The text is the English original, and its language has Victorian features, so non-native readers will find it somewhat difficult. An annotated or introductory edition is recommended, or you may first read a Chinese translation to learn the plot and then read the original to appreciate the language and details.

How does this book relate to Gissing's other works?

The Unclassed belongs to Gissing's early period and already shows his continuing attention to marginal figures and the problem of poverty. Reading it alongside his later works reveals both continuity and change in his subjects and methods.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is a free public-domain eBook that is easy to obtain and suitable for reading on electronic devices or for teaching and research. The text is the work itself and usually contains no modern introduction or annotations, so readers may wish to supplement the background material themselves.

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About the author

Gissing, George, 1857-1903 Author

George Gissing (Gissing, George, 1857-1903) was an English novelist, though public information about his life and education is limited. The library holds 24 of his works, most of which focus on the living conditions of the urban lower classes and those on the margins of the middle class, while also touching on themes of personal growth and self-discipline; they are commonly classified under inspirational growth. His representative works include New Grub Street, The Odd Women, The Nether World and Born in Exile. These works mostly present individual fates under poverty, class and professional pressure in a realistic style, with a cold and restrained tone. He also wrote By the Ionian Sea, a travelogue of southern Italy, and The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, an essayistic work, revealing his observant and introspective side, as well as short story collections such as The House of Cobwebs and Other Stories.