Harvey Rolfe, a reflective bachelor of independent means, marries Alma Frothingham, a gifted violinist whose father’s financial ruin leaves her hungry for success. Their attempt at a quiet life in the country gives way to Alma’s pursuit of a concert career in London, and the whirlpool of social ambition draws in friends and rivals around them.
One of Gissing’s finest late novels, a sharp study of marriage and the pressures of modern life. Download the free EPUB.