Experimental feature: Order In the Year of Jubilee (Everyman's Library (Paper)) from the UK, Canada, Germany or France by clicking an appropriate flag below.

               

Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.

Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780460875332
ISBN: 0460875337
Label: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd.
Manufacturer: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd.
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 423
Publication Date: 1994-12-15
Publisher: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd.
Studio: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd.

The fiftieth anniversary of Victoria's reign is a year of celebration and, for young Londoners, a year to experience adult society. After the Jubilee, it will be time to face the consequences of innocent pleasures and frivolous pursuits. A cigarette-smoking business woman, an "examination girl," and an ad man complete the cast for Gissing's (1857-1903) pessimistic evaluation of mass culture.

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: middle-class struggles and emerging feminism..
Review: Sad to say, most people, even those who are fans of Victorian-era literature, have probably never heard of George Gissing. Those who do know him think perhaps he was a 'one hit wonder' with New Grub Street. While New Grub Street is a brilliant read, his little known In the Year of the Jubilee (IYJ) is also a gem.

On the surface, IYJ is a story common to Victorian-era novels. People are obsessed with the thought of inheriting money, making sure they are viewed as 'refined' rather than 'working class', and the notion of 'family values' is taken to an extreme. However in IYJ we finally see the emergence of the middle class, people who are in white collar jobs and who see the value in working (rather than living off of someone else's fortune). And most shocking for a Victorian novel, the most forceful character is a young woman who actually seeks out work to keep her life interesting (and not depend on her estranged husband).

IYJ is well-written, thought-provoking without being preachy, and should be held in esteem on par with the works from James, Eliot, Wharton and, indeed, other works from George Gissing.

---

---