ABSTRACT
TherealizationthatGeorgeGissingandSigmundFreudwerewntmgand publishinginthesamehistoricalmomentstillcomesassomethingofashock.After all,therecouldscarcelybetwomoredifferentfigures:thebrilliantbutthoroughly disgracedscholarwhodespitehisabortededucationwastobecomeEngland's nearestapproximationtoaNaturalistnovelist;theambitiousyoungViennesedoctor whorevolutionizedtheinvestigationofpsychiclife,leavingsuspicionand scepticisminhiswake.What,otherthansheercoincidenceandabreathofscandal, couldpossiblyalignthem?
