ABSTRACT
A few weeks ago, when 'Gissing' was mentioned to me by a person whose esteem 1 greatly value, 1 dared not confess that the name suggested nothing (I have since found that 1 had, even at that time, read and enjoyed two of his books), lest 1 alone of the mass of interested readers ofgood modern fiction knew nothing ofthe writer in question. Since then, 1 have devoured such of George Gissing's books as can be procured in this country at short notice, have studied the English reviews ofthose unattainable, and am now ready to be catechised in all the writings ofone of the strongest and most thoughtful ofpresentday novelists.
