George Gissing - 325/365 of reading one short story every day.

George Gissing is, in some ways, a forgotten author. His subject matter was unrelentingly grim, his world view invariably pessimistic and his work lacked any hint of literary experimentation. Perhaps, then, one might say he deserves to be forgotten. But that would be to overlook his unique achievement as one of the most resonant voices of the neglected margins of late Victorian society and, above all, as one of the first great London writers.


In his 1891 novel - one of many popular novels - New Grub Street, Gissing highlights the threats and opportunities that a cheap novel and magazine mass culture offers.


Source - LondonFictions site



The Pessimist of Plato Road


A pessimist is one who sees through all the illusions of life. He hopes nothing, because he knows that hope is a device of nature to lead one into despair. Pessimism teaches one to renounce the desire of life. As long as one desires, one is condemned to frustration.


This is the underlying thought of the short story.