Harvey Rolfe lives quietly on his modest inheritance at the fringe of London's social and commercial life, but tumultuous events bring Alma Frothingham into his orbit. Their contentment doesn't last long. Harvey's inability to see Alma as merely selfish rather than an emancipated "new woman," turns this story into a tale of a marriage poisoned by sexual jealousy and deceit.

A love story, The Crown of Life was inspired by writer George Gissing's feelings for the young author Gabrielle Marie Edith Fleury, whom he met in 1898 while he was estranged from his wife Edith. Rich in detail, the narrative ends on an optimistic note-namely that happiness is possible.

The love story is not an unrequited romance - the two lovers are aware of their feelings for each other - as much as it is an unrewarded one, for the plot revolves around keeping the two from each other, as Veranilda becomes a pawn between the competing courts of Justinian and Totila. The story of Veranilda takes place during the time of the Gothic King Totila's advance on Naples and Rome.

Denzil Quarrier, a successful, active man, becomes a candidate for Parliament, and, in the moment of triumph, is stricken by the treachery of his best friend, the meaningless treachery of a clever, bored man.

A cultivated poor young woman, Emily Hood, from a small town in the north of England works as a governess in a wealthy country family. She falls in love with her employer's son, Wilfrid Athel, and the two are engaged. However, during a visit to her parents' home, she is confronted by her father's employer, Dagworthy, who threatens to expose her father as a thief unless Emily marries him.

Thyrza Trent, a young hat-trimmer, meets and falls in love with Walter Egremont, an Oxford-trained idealist who gives lectures on literature to workers. Trapped by birth and circumstance, Thyrza is attempting to escape her destiny in this tale of ambition, romance, betrayal and disillusionment.

An exploration of the class struggle in nineteenth century London where a potential inheritance turns family and friends into desperate foes eager to escape their circumstance. A compelling story about greed, deception and the innate need to survive. Michael Snowdon lives like a pauper despite inheriting a massive fortune. He plans to leave his money to Jane, his neglected granddaughter, in hopes that she will spend it on charitable causes. Yet, Michael's...

"Our Friend the Charlatan" is a 1901 novel by British novelist George Gissing. The story follows Dice Lashmore, a man who will do anything he can to get rich. However, it seems to him that the most obvious thing he could do to that end would be to find a rich wife. A thought-provoking chronicle of his various attempts at courtship and eventual moral decline, "Our Friend the Charlatan" is not to be missed by fans and collectors of Gissing's seminal...