The Obscure Reading Group discussion

George Gissing's The Nether World eked out a one-vote win to become our obscure but worthy selection to read and discuss together beginning Feb. 1st.

This thread is a place for any pre-chat discussion about the book's history, author, setting, etc. I can start by saying I'd never heard of Gissing even though he's British and I know my Brits pretty well (being a British major, no wait, English major, in college).

By the looks of things, he looks like a mini-Dickens, but we shall see! Reading schedule (probably split into two weeks as it's around 400 pp.) will be posted in the coming weeks. Meantime, if you plan to join, you have all of January to find a copy and to have at least the first half of the book finished by the day before Groundhog Day.

And if you're interested in the poll results, there's a shortcut here.

This should be interesting! I've heard of Gissing, and have had two of his more famous novels on my radar, but I've never read him. Sounds like a tragic sort of character. Orwell was a fan, according to this article:
https://newcriterion.com/issues/2004/...
but it has SPOILERS, including a mention of how this book ends, so make sure not to read that part. :-)

Oooh exciting! I suspect this book will make us all feel better about our lives.

This will be completely new for me. Gissing never hit my radar, but it sounds somewhat Dickensian.

I've had his New Grub Street on my bookcase for years, but also never read him. Guess now's the time.

This is a new author for me, too. One review on Amazon called this book "Dickens on speed." LOL

"Grub Street" is the name of a writing center that offers classes and publishes a lit. journal from Boston.

I wonder if the idea for their name is this George-On-Speed fellow. Oh, just kidding. Riffing on Jannifer's joke, is all.

This is completely new to me and I have never heard of the author or the book. Our library does not have this book either in the main branch or any of the smaller branches which surprises me. I am fortunate in that our library system typically has everything I have searched for in the past.

It doesn't matter...I will try to get a used copy off eBay.

I had the same problem finding the book, but it is available on Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4301

Kathleen wrote: "I had the same problem finding the book, but it is available on Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4301"

Kathleen, thank you for the link. I downloaded a copy from Project Gutenberg this morning but would still like to have a hard copy for my shelf and for reading. I just like a book in my hand but thought it would be good to have a digital copy as a back-up.

Darrin wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "I had the same problem finding the book, but it is available on Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4301"

Kathleen, thank you for the link. I downloaded a copy fro..."

Good plan, Darrin. :-)

For reasons beyond my ken, I cannot read a book online, either. And my ILL failed me. They have a few other Gissing titles, including Grub Street, but nary a Nether World.

I was the person who nominated the other Gissing :) But I've never yet read anything by him. I've read various opinions of him; according to some, he's not as interesting as Dickens, and according to others, he's a brilliant, though underappreciated Victorian author.

I have ordered my copy on ABE books for 7.10$ (most of which is shipping to Spain), and if all goes well, the book should be in 'excellent condition' and arrive in late January. But Gutenberg or Kindle will be my backup plan if the book is delayed.

I can't believe it but the Dallas Public Library had a copy. It's already on its way to me.

I did order a copy for kindle last night. The font was a bit boring but I became interested reading the first couple of pages of the sample.

Okay, my library loan came through!

For an "obscure" author, Gissing has certainly been showing up in my reading groups lately. I did read about half of The Odd Women, and didn't care for it, but now am planning a group read of New Grub Street starting Jan. 24. I just located The Nether World through my library system, and will give this guy another chance.

Ginny wrote: "For an "obscure" author, Gissing has certainly been showing up in my reading groups lately. I did read about half of The Odd Women, and didn't care for it, but now am planning a group..."

Agree, Ginny. As I said, not one but TWO Gissings were nominated in the first round. Writer, meet moment.

Reading schedule coming this week. Simply going to divide it into two pieces so there'll be just over 200 pp. per week.

I’ll fess up…I started it. Really compelling is all I’ll say

I’ll too confess. Not only did I start it but I finished it. Holding comments for the discussion and I’ll probably do a quick reread as well during the scheduled periods.

I found the audiobook via Naxos through my public library, but my paper copy should arrive any day now too. Glad I’ve got all of you to enjoy it with me. I’m amazed that I’ve read almost every Dickens but have never read anything by Gissing before now!

I read New Grub Street in university and it’s a great book. Gissing isn’t really that obscure-he’s just not super famous like Dickens,but I think people still read and enjoy his books.

I took my time with this at first, as I often need to do with classics, but once it got going ... wow. I've just finished the chapters for our first week of discussion and I'll stop there for now. Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks of this one!

I plan to begin tonight or tomorrow. Looking forward to this.

I just double checked where the reading is to end for the week and find I have read an extra chapter. I’m really caught up in the story right now and went by the 50% marker on my book. Oops!

Oh, the horror of reading schedules!

No reason you can't read on to the end, Sue.

You'll just have to confine your Week #1 comments to the first half of the book, is all. Easy like peas (-y) on Sunday morning.

I'm about 50 pp. from the end of the Week #1 segment. It's so Dickensian and, like the master, Mr. Gissing knows how to soap up his operas!

He certainly does, Ken. I think I will start reading again once the discussion has begun.

Definitely some Dickensian twists and angels and demons.

...and names.

I'll put a thread up before I retire for the evening.