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This poignant social novel delves into the complex relationship between wealth and morality. Michael returns to London from Australia, now a wealthy man, yet he chooses to keep his fortune a secret, spending only on lifes essentials. As he considers leaving his wealth to his granddaughter Jane with the stipulation that she donate a significant portion to charity, Jane grapples with the weight of his expectations. Set against the backdrop of 19th century London, this narrative explores the intricacies of working-class life and the struggles of conscience in the face of financial gain. (Summary ...

Old Michael Snowdon returns to London with an inheritance that he determines should go towards helping the poor—but goodness and charity are not to play a part here. Everyone has an agenda, and scheming spreads through the story like a disease. Gissing’s own experience of London as an outsider in a vast city that both fascinated and appalled him gave him the tools and the drive to create a visceral sense of place. Life is unremittingly grim for just about everyone, from the weak and well-intentioned Jane to the coarse, cunning Clem Peckover and her feckless rival Pennyloaf Candy.