George Gissing 
Nether World 

Although he was overlooked in the early years of his literary career, British novelist George Gissing eventually rose to acclaim, largely on the strength of his unflinching portrayal of the lives of England’s less fortunate. Regarded as one of his most accomplished works, The Nether World follows the intertwined fates of three impoverished families, all tied together through central figure Sidney Kirkwood.