George Gissing 
Demos (Annotated) 

• This edition includes the following editor’s introduction: ‘The Odd Women, ‘ a pioneering novel of women’s emancipation

Originally published in 1886, “Demos” (AKA
Demos: A Story of English Socialism) is the third novel by English author George Gissing.



“Demos” tells the story of a young, lower-class, Radical working-man, Richard Mutimer, who unexpectedly inherits a large fortune. He becomes the leader of a socialist movement and decides to use his inheritance to set up a cooperative factory. However, his new wealth and power serve to highlight the defects of character that he brings from his working-class origin and he begins to treat his workers harshly, as well as abandoning the girl of his own station to whom he had been engaged.

Later in life, Mutimer marries an upper-middle-class woman (who does not love him) and stands for Parliament. However, his downfall begins when his wife, Adela, finds a later version of the will that had enriched Mutimer. As this could deprive him of his inheritance, he wants to destroy it but Adela will not permit this…