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perfectplaces's review against another edition
2.5
boringgg i was just turning pages at one point. clara hewett slay tho
timahoi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
petrauusimaa's review
5.0
What a way to end Victober! George Gissing already blew my mind with The Odd Women but The Nether World is exactly what I needed. Gissing has the social commentary what I look in Dickens but I found myself being a lot more invested with the characters and the story with The Nether World. What a brilliant cast of characters that feel so true to life! The storyline is utterly miserable as it focuses on urban poor families in London; it's all about parents trying to support the family despite sickness, lack of jobs and alcoholism. Especially the young women in this book struggle because they can't express themselves and their dreams. They feel suffocated by the system and the needs of their parents. After reading this and The Odd Women I can say that Gissing is a hidden gem in Victorian literature and should be more appreciated and read.
derekdavis31's review
4.0
This was a really awesome introduction to George Gissing. His story of life among London slum-dwellers had me turning the page in anticipation of what was about to happen next. I enjoyed Jane's character the most, and hated Clem the most. There were points scattered throughout this book where the phrase, "Calm your ta-tas, Clem" kept haunting me. In other words, Clem is probably the best Victorian lit "villian" I have ever met and enjoyed hating her character.
I know this is a rather short review, but I did enjoy the book and would probably re-read it again.
I know this is a rather short review, but I did enjoy the book and would probably re-read it again.
emmamolyneux's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
msand3's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. In George Gissing I have discovered the cure for Dickens' cartoonish, overly sentimental pap. Here are gritty, honest, realistic depictions of the slums of London. Here are truly empathetic characters who aren't pathetic or patronizing. Here are moments of humor and heartache that never resort to cheap melodrama. Fran Lebowitz once called John O'Hara "the real Fitzgerald." After reading The Nether World, I'd have to borrow that turn-of-phrase and call George Gissing the real Dickens. I realize that Gissing is writing an entire generation (or two) after Dickens, but the thematic connections are so strong (and the influence so obvious) that I can't help but view Gissing as tackling the issues of class, criminality, law, and labor in a much more forceful and realistic manner, while still providing a page-turning read. Since his characters don't come off as cartoonish, I actually care about them.
In his critical study of Dickens (which I have only browsed and would love to read in full), Gissing mentions Dickens' empathy for childhood suffering, which was often accompanied by humor that heightened the humanity of his works. But it was precisely that humor that made Dickens' points ring hollow and sappy for me. Although Gissing defends Dickens against critics who berate him for creating "types," Gissing avoids that pitfall by toning down the humor significantly in The Nether World to succeed where Dickens fails in creating characters that are both memorable and believable, quirky and realistic.
Unlike some more naturalistic writers, Gissing doesn't give us the feeling he is manipulating characters like chess pieces or coldly analyzing them like so many bugs pinned to a spreading board. The result is a powerful reading experience that is more like Zola than Dickens, especially in the utter despair of the ending. I look forward to reading a few more of his novels in the future.
In his critical study of Dickens (which I have only browsed and would love to read in full), Gissing mentions Dickens' empathy for childhood suffering, which was often accompanied by humor that heightened the humanity of his works. But it was precisely that humor that made Dickens' points ring hollow and sappy for me. Although Gissing defends Dickens against critics who berate him for creating "types," Gissing avoids that pitfall by toning down the humor significantly in The Nether World to succeed where Dickens fails in creating characters that are both memorable and believable, quirky and realistic.
Unlike some more naturalistic writers, Gissing doesn't give us the feeling he is manipulating characters like chess pieces or coldly analyzing them like so many bugs pinned to a spreading board. The result is a powerful reading experience that is more like Zola than Dickens, especially in the utter despair of the ending. I look forward to reading a few more of his novels in the future.
bent's review against another edition
2.0
This is the third book that I've read by George Gissing and the first one that I wasn't that big on. Gissing writes it more as a polemic against the conditions of the poor than as a novel and it suffers as a result. The characters are very two-dimensional, the plot is very predictable, and it seems like Gissing twists everything in the service of making the character's lives as awful as possible. There are a couple of shining paladins whose lives don't work out that well, and then a lot of evil wretches who could have been good if the lot of the poor wasn't so miserable. Five stars for intent, but only two for execution. You can teach the seminar but you still have to rock the boulevard. This book fails as a compelling story.
amodernisttriestoread's review
4.0
Some have compared Gissing to Dickens for his treatment of the poor and socially underrepresented populace of Victorian England, and while The Nether World doesn't exhibit the sentimentality of, say, Great Expectations, it mercifully has none of the same penchant for the melodramatic. Gissing's portrayal is fierce and clever, but retains an exquisite gentleness where it matters most. His language is beautiful but never overburdened by a strain for especial flair (a common weakness of Victorian writing). Brilliant, simply.
raquel_g's review
3.0
Professor: “Sorry to assign this one on such a rainy week, it’s the most depressing novel ever.”
Me, to myself, with blind hubris: “It can’t be that bad. We just finished Bleak House. One of my favorite books is Les Misérables. I’m pretty fond of Dostoevsky. I know my way around depressing nineteenth-century novels. I’ll be fine.”
This book:
*is not fine*
*is more depressing than Les Misérables*
*is more depressing than The Idiot*
*is more depressing than anything I could ever have expected*
All I can say is wow, what an utter void of misery this one is. And yes, I’m aware that’s the point––there's no doubt Gissing did his research. But this might just be the most dismal novel I've ever read––maybe not the darkest, or most moving, or most disturbing––but it's definitely in the running for the bleakest.
Me, to myself, with blind hubris: “It can’t be that bad. We just finished Bleak House. One of my favorite books is Les Misérables. I’m pretty fond of Dostoevsky. I know my way around depressing nineteenth-century novels. I’ll be fine.”
This book:
*is not fine*
*is more depressing than Les Misérables*
*is more depressing than The Idiot*
*is more depressing than anything I could ever have expected*
All I can say is wow, what an utter void of misery this one is. And yes, I’m aware that’s the point––there's no doubt Gissing did his research. But this might just be the most dismal novel I've ever read––maybe not the darkest, or most moving, or most disturbing––but it's definitely in the running for the bleakest.
wrenmeister's review
4.0
It's ridiculous how long it's taken me to read this book because, despite how bleak this is, it's actually a highly underrated classic with engaging characters.