The Unclassed

<p><I>The Unclassed</I> (1884) is a novel by George Gissing. Inspired by his own struggles as a working writer forced to take up odd jobs while failing to gain traction with critics and readers Gissing crafts a tale of talent ambition and romance fallen victim to the vicissitudes of class. <I>The Unclassed</I> poses important questions about convention in Victorian England while proving surprisingly relevant for our own times. Struggling to make it as a lower-class Londoner Osmond Waymark finds himself unable to give up his literary ambitions. Desperate and lonely he strikes up a friendship with Julian Casti a similarly down-and-out young writer who suffers from both poverty and xenophobia as the son of Italian immigrants. When Julian agrees to an ill-advised marriage to Harriet Smales a rude young woman he inadvertently exposes Osmond to her manipulative and vindictive ways. As Osmond falls for Ida Starr a prostitute's daughter driven to rise above her circumstances he unwittingly angers Harriet whose friend Maud is secretly in love with him. In a shocking turn of events Harriet conspires to get Ida arrested for theft then maneuvers to get Osmond into the arms of Maud. The two become engaged leaving Ida-the novel's heroine-to rely on her wits and survival instinct to not only prove her innocence but win back the man she loves. In <I>The Unclassed</I> Gissing explores the limits of social mobility the struggles faced by young writers and the power of jealousy to poison both promise and hope. This edition of George Gissing's <I>The Unclassed</I> is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.</p> <p>Since our inception in 2020 <b>Mint Editions</b> has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.</p> <p>With thousands of titles in our collection we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.</p>