Knowledge

The Paying Guest

Source 📝

40: 520: 139:
half heartedly seems to encourage Bowling's wooing of her, now that his courtship of Cecily is over, but Cobb makes a surprise trip to the Mumfords' home to pursue Louise. Louise, tripping on a chair Cobb had knocked over during the confrontation, accidentally starts a fire in the drawing room of the property, injuring Louise, who is then confined to bed for several weeks.
135:
advertisement and meet the prospective tenant, named Louise Derrick, who is in need of a place to live due to disagreements with her immediate family. Louise, who is poorly educated and bad-tempered, is being romantically pursued by two men: Mr Bowling, who is courting Louise's stepsister Cecily, and Tom Cobb.
138:
The Mumfords do not get on well with their "paying guest", and attempt to persuade her to leave. This does not happen, and a series of events further disrupts the Mumfords' lives, including a private meeting between Louise and Clarence Mumford, which makes Clarence's wife jealous. Louise briefly and
134:
Clarence and Emmeline Mumford are a middle-class couple, living in suburban Sutton on the outskirts of London with their two-year-old daughter. Reading the newspaper, they become aware of a young woman seeking a place as a "paying guest", or lodger. To supplement their income they respond to the
523: 122:, as part of their Pocket Library series. It recounts the experiences of the Mumfords, a middle-class family who invite a "paying guest" into their home to supplement their income. Written in an unusually comic tone compared with Gissing's earlier works, 216:
was impressed by the humour, realism and emotive power of the work, describing it as "a subtly study of human nature, an excellent bit of writing and composition". He concluded that, in his opinion, "even Mr Gissing will find it hard to equal
199:
described the work as "Gissing at his best", suggesting that Gissing had succeeded in offering "an enhanced impression of reality", although this meant that "the personality of the author" was suppressed. A reviewer in the
177:, describing it in a private letter as "a poor little book" and a "frothy trifle". His experience persuaded him, according to his diary, to "have no more to do with these series of little books". 158:, as part of their Pocket Library series. Gissing wrote the manuscript in the first half of July 1895. It was one of three one-volume works by Gissing published in 1895, the other two being 730: 698: 722: 594: 634: 610: 212:
praised it as "very entertaining and profitable reading", particularly noting in this regard the interaction between Louise and the Mumfords.
223: 556: 802: 446: 360: 206:
described the work as exemplifying "many of his finest qualities", being "so finely observed, so admirably well executed".
738: 706: 787: 782: 797: 777: 549: 792: 492: 191: 126:
was generally received well by critics. Gissing himself, however, was not satisfied with the work.
542: 465: 142:
Eventually, Louise's time as the Mumfords' "paying guest" comes to an end, and she marries Cobb.
674: 436: 378: 350: 189:
sold well, and was generally met with a very positive reception by critics. Writing in the
8: 618: 578: 227:
stated: "this sort of tale seems to us about as worthy as an intaglio carving in putty".
155: 119: 71: 714: 474: 423: 415: 208: 512: 442: 427: 356: 20: 463:
Philmus, Robert M. (1977). "H.G. Wells as Literary Critic for the Saturday Review".
626: 498: 407: 398: 682: 650: 642: 213: 202: 160: 19:
This article is about the George Gissing novel. For the Sarah Waters novel, see
754: 566: 166: 115: 53: 771: 666: 658: 602: 586: 534: 24: 411: 39: 196: 419: 478: 396:
Law, Graham (2007). ""A Vile Way of Publishing": Gissing and Serials".
170:; the latter of these was published in Unwin's Autonym Library series. 746: 111: 507: 529: 438:
George Gissing, the Working Woman, And Urban Culture
247: 245: 769: 242: 327: 325: 323: 550: 145: 564: 320: 557: 543: 376: 348: 38: 441:. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 153. 462: 434: 272: 770: 355:. Psychology Press. pp. 264–266. 285: 538: 352:George Gissing: The Critical Heritage 265: 263: 261: 739:The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft 380:George Gissing: A Critical Biography 395: 383:. Taylor & Francis. p. 204 13: 258: 150:Gissing was commissioned to write 14: 814: 486: 518: 185:Despite Gissing's reservations, 269:Law, '"A Vile Way"', pp. 82–83. 173:Gissing was not satisfied with 803:Novels set in the 19th century 317:Philmus, 'H.G. Wells', p. 187. 311: 298: 23:. For the Bollywood film, see 16:1895 novella by George Gissing 1: 230: 221:." In contrast, the New York 118:, first published in 1895 by 180: 7: 528:public domain audiobook at 349:Coustillas, Pierre (1996). 10: 819: 146:Background and publication 18: 788:Cassell (publisher) books 573: 95: 87: 77: 67: 59: 49: 37: 783:Novels by George Gissing 731:Our Friend the Charlatan 44:First edition title page 466:Science Fiction Studies 129: 675:In the Year of Jubilee 435:Liggins, Emma (2006). 798:Novels set in England 412:10.1353/vcr.2007.0052 778:1895 British novels 579:Workers in the Dawn 377:Jacob Korg (1975). 34: 715:The Town Traveller 209:The New York Times 32: 765: 764: 723:The Crown of Life 513:Project Gutenberg 494:The Paying Guest, 448:978-0-7546-3717-2 362:978-0-415-13468-2 103: 102: 88:Publication place 33:The Paying Guest 21:The Paying Guests 810: 793:Victorian novels 691:The Paying Guest 627:The Nether World 619:A Life's Morning 595:Isabel Clarendon 559: 552: 545: 536: 535: 525:The Paying Guest 522: 521: 515: 508:The Paying Guest 499:Internet Archive 482: 459: 457: 455: 431: 399:Victorian Review 392: 390: 388: 373: 371: 369: 336: 329: 318: 315: 309: 302: 296: 289: 283: 276: 270: 267: 256: 249: 219:The Paying Guest 187:The Paying Guest 175:The Paying Guest 152:The Paying Guest 124:The Paying Guest 107:The Paying Guest 79:Publication date 42: 35: 31: 818: 817: 813: 812: 811: 809: 808: 807: 768: 767: 766: 761: 651:Denzil Quarrier 643:New Grub Street 635:The Emancipated 569: 563: 519: 505: 489: 453: 451: 449: 386: 384: 367: 365: 363: 340: 339: 330: 321: 316: 312: 303: 299: 290: 286: 277: 273: 268: 259: 250: 243: 233: 214:Percy Addleshaw 192:Saturday Review 183: 148: 132: 80: 45: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 816: 806: 805: 800: 795: 790: 785: 780: 763: 762: 760: 759: 755:Will Warburton 751: 743: 735: 727: 719: 711: 703: 699:Sleeping Fires 695: 687: 679: 671: 663: 655: 647: 639: 631: 623: 615: 607: 599: 591: 583: 574: 571: 570: 567:George Gissing 562: 561: 554: 547: 539: 533: 532: 516: 503: 501: 488: 487:External links 485: 484: 483: 460: 447: 432: 393: 374: 361: 345: 344: 338: 337: 335:, pp. 264–266. 333:George Gissing 319: 310: 306:George Gissing 297: 293:George Gissing 284: 280:George Gissing 271: 257: 253:George Gissing 240: 239: 238: 237: 232: 229: 182: 179: 167:Sleeping Fires 147: 144: 131: 128: 116:George Gissing 101: 100: 97: 93: 92: 91:United Kingdom 89: 85: 84: 81: 78: 75: 74: 69: 65: 64: 61: 57: 56: 54:George Gissing 51: 47: 46: 43: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 815: 804: 801: 799: 796: 794: 791: 789: 786: 784: 781: 779: 776: 775: 773: 757: 756: 752: 749: 748: 744: 741: 740: 736: 733: 732: 728: 725: 724: 720: 717: 716: 712: 709: 708: 707:The Whirlpool 704: 701: 700: 696: 693: 692: 688: 685: 684: 680: 677: 676: 672: 669: 668: 667:The Odd Women 664: 661: 660: 659:Born in Exile 656: 653: 652: 648: 645: 644: 640: 637: 636: 632: 629: 628: 624: 621: 620: 616: 613: 612: 608: 605: 604: 600: 597: 596: 592: 589: 588: 587:The Unclassed 584: 581: 580: 576: 575: 572: 568: 560: 555: 553: 548: 546: 541: 540: 537: 531: 527: 526: 517: 514: 510: 509: 504: 502: 500: 496: 495: 491: 490: 480: 476: 472: 468: 467: 461: 450: 444: 440: 439: 433: 429: 425: 421: 417: 413: 409: 405: 401: 400: 394: 382: 381: 375: 364: 358: 354: 353: 347: 346: 342: 341: 334: 328: 326: 324: 314: 307: 301: 294: 288: 281: 275: 266: 264: 262: 254: 248: 246: 241: 235: 234: 228: 226: 225: 220: 215: 211: 210: 205: 204: 198: 194: 193: 188: 178: 176: 171: 169: 168: 163: 162: 157: 153: 143: 140: 136: 127: 125: 121: 117: 113: 109: 108: 98: 94: 90: 86: 82: 76: 73: 70: 66: 62: 58: 55: 52: 48: 41: 36: 30: 26: 22: 753: 745: 737: 729: 721: 713: 705: 697: 690: 689: 683:Eve's Ransom 681: 673: 665: 657: 649: 641: 633: 625: 617: 609: 601: 593: 585: 577: 524: 506: 493: 470: 464: 452:. Retrieved 437: 406:(1): 82–83. 403: 397: 385:. Retrieved 379: 366:. Retrieved 351: 343:Bibliography 332: 331:Coustillas, 313: 305: 304:Coustillas, 300: 292: 287: 279: 274: 252: 251:Coustillas, 222: 218: 207: 201: 190: 186: 184: 174: 172: 165: 161:Eve's Ransom 159: 151: 149: 141: 137: 133: 123: 106: 105: 104: 29: 25:Paying Guest 197:H. G. Wells 114:novella by 772:Categories 565:Novels by 473:(2): 187. 231:References 224:Book Buyer 203:Daily News 747:Veranilda 428:165429056 295:, p. 153. 291:Liggins, 282:, p. 204. 236:Citations 181:Reception 112:satirical 68:Publisher 530:LibriVox 420:27793626 255:, p. 29. 60:Language 479:4239112 308:, p. 4. 156:Cassell 120:Cassell 72:Cassell 63:English 758:(1905) 750:(1904) 742:(1903) 734:(1901) 726:(1899) 718:(1898) 710:(1897) 702:(1895) 694:(1895) 686:(1895) 678:(1894) 670:(1893) 662:(1892) 654:(1892) 646:(1891) 638:(1890) 630:(1889) 622:(1888) 614:(1887) 611:Thyrza 606:(1886) 598:(1885) 590:(1884) 582:(1880) 477:  454:21 May 445:  426:  418:  387:21 May 368:19 May 359:  278:Korg, 50:Author 603:Demos 475:JSTOR 424:S2CID 416:JSTOR 110:is a 96:Pages 456:2012 443:ISBN 389:2012 370:2012 357:ISBN 164:and 130:Plot 83:1895 511:at 497:at 408:doi 154:by 99:159 774:: 469:. 422:. 414:. 404:33 402:. 322:^ 260:^ 244:^ 195:, 558:e 551:t 544:v 481:. 471:4 458:. 430:. 410:: 391:. 372:. 27:.

Index

The Paying Guests
Paying Guest

George Gissing
Cassell
satirical
George Gissing
Cassell
Cassell
Eve's Ransom
Sleeping Fires
Saturday Review
H. G. Wells
Daily News
The New York Times
Percy Addleshaw
Book Buyer








George Gissing: The Critical Heritage
ISBN
978-0-415-13468-2
George Gissing: A Critical Biography
Victorian Review

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.