George Gissing: An Annotated Bibliography of Writings About Him: Foreign Journals: Supplement II

14 GEORGE GISSING: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WRITINGS ABOUT HIM: FOREIGN JOURNALS: SUPPLEMENT I I Compiled and Annotated by Pieree Coustillas (University of Paris) and Paul Goetsch (Philipps-Universität, Marburg) [Note: So far we have published Jacob Korg's selected list of i terns which appeared since I540 (EFT, I: 1 [1957-58]) and Joseph Wolff's extensive supplement of i terns published chiefly before 1940 (EFT, III: 2 [i960]). The present supplement mainly includes i terns in foreign journals which have not appeared in our previous bibliographies . Joseph Wolff is completing what will be the third supplement of items, mainly in English, which we have not listed previously, --HEG] Arns, Karl. "Besprechungon," ENGLISCHE STUDIEN, LX (1925-26), 390-95. Rev of May Yates, GEORGE GISSING: AN APPRECIATION (Manchester, 1922). G was not simply a realist and a pessimist. Yates successfully debunks various G legends, gives a new picture of his personality, shows how some of his personal problems are reflected in the novels and demonstrates that his characters are representative of modern civilized man. The author praises the book, espec the chapter on G as a Man of Letters, and summarizes Yates' findings. [Goetsch] d'Arzinol, E. F. [pseud of Gabrielle Fleury] LE MONDE MODERNE, XIII (May 1901), 589. A biog note on G. [The biog data had been supplied by G himself; it follows "Notre Sieur Jupp" (pp. 579-89), trans of "Our Mr. Jupp."] [Coustillas] Bertz, Eduard. "George Gissing, ein Real-Ideal ist," DEUTSCHE PRESSE, Il (3 Nov I889), 357-59; ibid (10 Nov 1889), 366-67; ibid (17 Nov I889), 374-75. G combines social purpose and aesthetic sense. His realism is born of the contrast between reality and his ideal. His pessimism is the purest expression of his idealism. Though not a revolutionist (because of his pessimism and his will to be objective), he is made passionate in his criticism by his hatred of misery and industrialization. There is a strong conflict in him between an aristocratic temper and a sense of pity. He has a keen appreciation of justice. Another contrast lies in his intimate knowledge of the people and his extensive classical culture (philosophy and literature). The universality of his culture makes him free of parochialism. He has a sense of humor, though he is rather bent on the serious and the tragical. He has probably not yet reached his fullest powers, yet he is already the most original and the most important figure of the contemporary English novel. [Coustillas] Blaze de Bury, Yetta. "Le roman paupériste on Angleterre," LA REVUE DES REVUES, XXI (1 Apr I897), I3-2I, espec 21. G has made incursions in the East End, espec in DEMOS. [Slight and poorly informed.] [Coustillas] Bruny, Simone. "George Gissing, Peintre des Bas-Fonds Londoniens et Humaniste Accompli," SYNTHESES, XIV (July-Aug 1959), 445-55. A very sound biog sketch followed by an appreciation of G's works. Amidst the worst nationalist outburst of the late nineteenth century, he though as a European, as a citizen of the world. Gives an able sur-^ary of his main ideas. [Article 15 essentially based on M. C. Donnelly's GEORGE GISSING, GRAVE COMEDIAN, the correspondence published in 1927, information given by the family and the reading of the best known novels.] [Coustillas] Cazamian, M. L. "Comptes Rendus," ETUDES ANGLAISES, X (Jan-Mar 1957), 66-67. Rev of GEORGE GISSING, GRAVE COMEDIAN, by M. C. Donnelly. Groups G with Meredith, Butler and Hale White because of G's anti-Victorianism. Criticizes Donnelly's critical approach to the novel and pays homage to G as a painter of the slums in DEMOS and THE NETHER WORLD and for his dramatic power in NEW GRUB STREET and BORN IN EXILE. He deserves an exceptional place in the memory of those who think and read. [Coustillas] ........ "Comptes Rendus," ETUDES ANGLAISES, XIII (Jan-Mar I960), 65-66. Rev of THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY MAITLAND, by Morley Roberts. Ed, with an intro by Morchard Bishop. Recalls the story of the book and Roberts' qualifications to write a biography of G, but deplores his lack of sympathy for his subject and takes a stand against the view that...